John Ashcroft: Worst AG in history

Paul Krugman builds an airtight case. In case you haven't noticed the emerging pattern, an embarrassing revelation about the Bush administration (such as the torture memo) is generally followed by an Ashcroft announcement about some development in the war on terrorism -- this time, the arrest of a man allegedly to plotting to bomb a shopping mall (in the swing state of Ohio, no less).

If you read the fine print, however, the plot had not advanced beyond the discussion phase and the would-be perp didn't have the resources to pull it off. The only reason this would warrant an Ashcroft press conference is to distract the media from the mess in Iraq.