Re: Ashcroft and the semi-bare statue I know next to nothing about John Ashcroft, but I got curious about this issue. Here's the other side of the story: <<Photographers have gone to great lengths in the past to capture the scantily-clad female statue in the background as the Justice Department's top brass addressed the world's press. Mr Ashcroft has been photographed speaking in front of her several times since the 11 September attacks. Hired drapes have previously hung in front of both statues for formal events, such as President George W Bush's visit to name the building after assassinated former attorney-general, Robert Kennedy. This was done for "aesthetic" reasons, according to Justice Department spokesman Shane Hix, who said the drapes provided a pleasant background for television cameras. But on Monday the department announced that it had taken a "cost effective" decision to buy the curtains, which cost around $2,000 to hire. ABC News reported that the decision was taken at the request of the conservative Mr Ashcroft himself. But Justice Department spokeswoman Barbara Comstock said Mr Ashcroft knew nothing of the investment. "He has more important things to worry about than what appears in the pictures," she said. The drapes are reported to have been hanging since Monday, drawing to a close the sport of photographers who infamously sprawled on the floor to snap the former Attorney General Edwin Meese holding aloft his report on pornography in front of the female statue. >> So, according to those who should know, Ashcroft--who may very well have some other quirks, if the stories are correct--was not involved in this decision. (If the statue bothered him so much, I doubt that he would have had his photo taken in front of it so many times since 9/11 without it being covered.) And it looks like the only ones who thought of the exposed part as a "tit" were the photographers, past and present. As usual, it's much ado about nothing. Jan G. <<So now, John, you can be photographed while you stand there and talk about guns and bombs and poisons without that breast appearing over your right shoulder, without that bodacious bosom bothering you and we just wanted to tell you in the spirit of justice, in the spirit of truth, John, there is still one very big boob left standing there in that picture.>> _________________________________________________________________ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com