Don't you realize the liberals would have an absolute field day excoriating him for a half-assed effort? You have to know the GOP can't fight its way out of a wet paper sack, let alone best the worst of the Dems....they get all tongue-tied or usually just roll over and take the screwing.
Sadly, most of the time what we want in our leaders NEVER comes into the arena....the bastards are all too willing to compromise and give away the ship everyone seems so damn worried about whether its gonna turn around or not!
Oh, but I _DO_ realize that. I fully expect him to present a full-assed case - I just expect him to void and wipe before presenting the case, unlike AWB supporters.
Ashcroft MUST present the best legitimate legal case he can, and must cover all the arguments that Metzenbaum (sp?) & Co. would present, else they will scream that he short-changed the case. HOWEVER, if he presents that side's arguments CLEARLY, as based in law, the pro-AWB case cannot stand and will be shown ludicrous. This is in contrast to having a real anti-RKBA believer stand and fling obfuscating rationalizations which, while rebuttable, cannot be analyzed and vanquished in the time allotted.
Remember: we're in this AWB mess because the opposition succesfully spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt, while we spent the whole time trying to clean up the mess they were making. Reno (or the like) would just continue the FUD in the courtroom with a remarkable chance of success; Ashcroft cannot/willnot make a FUD defense, and is limited to plainly showing the legal house of cards making up the AWB.