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I did a quick item on this earlier, but another thought or two. Doesn't this ring rather hollow considering that when the whole thing started, Karl Rove - who worked on two of Ashcroft's campaigns - was widely thought to be on the "short list" of likely suspects?

Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey Jr., who announced the decisions at a news conference, said: "The issue surrounding the attorney general's recusal is not one of actual conflict of interest that arises normally when someone has a financial interest or something. The issue that he was concerned about was one of appearance. . . . That's the reason he decided, really in an abundance of caution, that he ought to step aside." (Emphasis mine)

This, from the same article...

Several outside legal experts said the decision signals that investigators may be narrowing their focus to one or more likely suspects, and that some of those people may have ties to Ashcroft. Officials said the recusal order applies to Ashcroft and his entire personal staff, which includes a number of longtime political aides from his days as a Republican senator.

...sure sounds to me like another hint that we may yet see Karl Rove under oath.