Sadly, Cliff is right. Consider the AP story on Ashcroft resigning, paragraphs 3 and 4:
The gospel-singing son of a minister, Ashcroft is a fierce conservative who doesn’t drink, smoke or dance. His detractors said he gave religion too prominent a role at the Justice Department — including optional prayer meetings with staff before each work day.
He has also been a willing lightning rod for critics who said his policies for thwarting terrorists infringed on the rights of innocent people.