It is the "presence of consequence that gives freedom its meaning," former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft told the graduating class of Northwest University yesterday.

"You are not meaningless, you are meaningful," Ashcroft said as he looked out across a sea of more than 4,000 people — including 292 graduates — who gathered at Overlake Christian Church in Redmond for the commencement ceremony.

Ashcroft, who served as the nation's chief lawyer between 2000 and 2004, some of the country's most trying times, sprinkled his speech with humor and religious and moral references. He made a crack about being the only U.S. senator to lose an election to a dead man — Ashcroft lost his 2000 bid for re-election to Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan, who died in a plane crash less than three weeks before Election Day.

"It may sound funny, but you try it," Ashcroft quipped.

He and Northwest University President Donald Argue have been friends since the early 1960s.

Both have ties to Evangel University, an Assemblies of God liberal-arts college in Springfield, Mo., where Argue worked with college President J. Robert Ashcroft, John Ashcroft's father.

John Ashcroft had agreed to give the commencement speech for the 1,200-student, private Christian university in Kirkland last year, but national-security concerns forced him to cancel, Argue said.

This is the first commencement since the university changed its name and status from Northwest College to Northwest University.

"[Ashcroft] is probably the best-known person we've had so far" at a commencement, Argue said. "It was very special to have him here."

Argue presented Ashcroft with an honorary doctorate. He also lauded the former senator and former Missouri governor as a man of high moral standards who, Argue said, had sometimes been improperly portrayed in the media.

"I've never heard a sexist comment from him. I've never heard an off-color story. I've never heard an inappropriate statement of any kind. What you see and hear is what you have in John Ashcroft. He is a man of integrity."

Integrity was also a major theme in Ashcroft's address to the graduates.

"We have a moral responsibility of making a difference," Ashcroft said. "We are not in the business of making trivial decisions, we are in the business of making meaningful decisions."

Some students and families said they were surprised to learn of Ashcroft's faith and devotion, as well as his sense of humor.

For Katy Dacanay, who was the only political-science graduate for the 2005 class, having Ashcroft speak was a special treat. She said some of her classes had discussed the USA Patriot Act — one of the more controversial post-9/11 laws put in place during Ashcroft's tenure and which eases restrictions on intelligence-gathering.

"What I take away from this speech is that there has to be consequences to your actions in order to have freedom," said Dacanay, 23, of Kirkland, who hopes to attend law school one day.

Even some students who were not supporters of President Bush said they felt the message crossed political lines.

"I'm not a fan of John Ashcroft. I wasn't looking forward to his speech — but he was well spoken and truthful," said Matt Burdick, 36, of Mountlake Terrace, who was graduating with a bachelor's degree in organizational management. "It was a good message for all."

Rachel Tuinstra: 206-515-5637 or rtuinstra@seattletimes.com