ASHCROFT PROVED HIMSELF AS AN EXEMPLARY LEADER

Most successful people are judged by decades of work at a given endeavor. Missouri governors, bound by the state constitution, have at the most eight years to prove themselves. John Ashcroft has had his shot. He is 17 days short of ending his second and final term as Missouri's chief executive. And he has proven himself; he is a leader in every sense of that word.

The job of governor is no snap. Getting elected only means one knows how to do that much. Running the state requires instant acknowledgment of a $10.3 billion annual endeavor, as well as a recognition that tens of thousands of employees staff agencies at the chief executive's command, that thousands more must be appointed to state boards and commissions, and that other branches of government (legislative, judicial, the crowd in Washington) are capable of providing obstacles. And all of this must be done in the bright light, where the media, political opponents, interest groups and all varieties of other critics can punch away.

Given the weight of this task, Gov. Ashcroft has performed admirably. He has worked toward strengthening the state's infrastructure and economic base, has promoted his belief in school accountability and has been a diligent guardian of Missourians' tax dollars. As he moves to take his place in state history, the governor says he only hoped to foster an environment in which people of Missouri could reach their own potential, rather than having government dictate and manage growth. We believe he has done that.

Gov. Ashcroft may owe a lot of his success the last eight years to the fact he wasn't afraid to try and fail. He devoted his energy and money to a sweeping bit of ethics legislation (which would cut membership in the Missouri House) that the state Supreme Court ultimately knocked down. He put his name on the line for Proposition B, a $385 million tax increase for education; it got creamed at the polls. As a Republican governor in a Capitol laden with Democratic lawmakers, Gov. Ashcroft often ran the risk of butting his head into a wall of partisan politics. Of his struggles, the governor said, "If you don't get knocked off your feet, you never get onto the field. The question is whether you bounce back." This chief executive bounced back plenty, and his aim and effort were true. And the friends he didn't make among legislators often endeared Gov. Ashcroft to his constituents around the state.

We were not always eye to eye with Gov. Ashcroft. In recent times, we would have appreciated more of his attention to the need for a business building at Southeast Missouri State University. We also felt his ill-starred ethics measure lacked focus. Still, we remained fascinated by what a vital and enterprising governor he became. Detractors who said he lacked political charisma never sat with him in interviews where he would lock questioners with a stare and return passionate, table-pounding responses about issues for which he felt deeply. His demeanor was one of complete engagement, and he genuinely seemed to love his work.

Politics, it has been said, is the art of the possible, and it is very possible that John Ashcroft will not vanish from the political landscape with his term's end. We hope not. Missouri has benefited from his leadership. His energy in public life is still needed. We wish him well. And with this job behind Gov. Ashcroft, we say to him only, "Well done."