Ashcroft, No Sellout By Al Kamen

Washington State University Vancouver folks were puzzled last week when only 100 people bought advance tickets for former attorney general John D. Ashcroft ‘s speech on national security and civil liberties.

After all, last year’s speaker, newly named Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean , sold out the 1,100 seats before the event. …

[Ashcroft] received a $27,000 speaker’s fee …. And that was substantially less than his usual $60,000. With travel and other costs for receptions and dinners, the tab came to about $36,000.

Dean’s fee, she said, was only $17,000. …

“We did an all-out blitz” to gin up interest among local Republican Party folks and others, Long said. In the end, about 700 showed. Of those, 225 paid the full $10, 400 students were comped and 75 were VIPs. Several rows in the back were roped off to make the room appear smaller.

A couple of dozen protesters were outside and one inside ….

[mjh: More might have attended if he promised not to sing “Let the Eagle Soar.” Names of attendees were added to the Get Out Of Jail Free Database.]