Word: ashcroft
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Bush started out on the wrong track by appointing Gale R. Norton and former Sen. John D. Ashcroft to the posts of Interior Secretary and Attorney General. Norton has earned the ire of conservation groups concerned about her environmental record as Colorado's attorney general and her advocacy of oil exploration in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. And the Ashcroft appointment has justifiably angered those who oppose the nominee's past efforts against desegregation in Missouri, his hardline position on abortion, his willingness to blur the line between church and state and his disgraceful interventions to block two Clinton appointees...
Thursday afternoon, the Senate voted on the confirmation of John Ashcroft as U.S. attorney general. Despite a barrage of vocal opposition from liberal groups and several Democrat Senators, the chamber, split 50-50 between the two parties, was long expected to give the controversial nominee the nod. TIME congressional correspondent Douglas Waller, who's been keeping a close eye on the proceedings, explains what's what now that the votes are tallied...
...Ashcroft's opponents gain anything by delaying the committee vote for a week...
...Waller: Liberal groups were very happy to have the past weekend to mobilize support against Ashcroft. But they came away with mixed results, because conservative groups were also very active over the last few days rallying support for the nominee...
...Waller: Senator Kennedy now says he won't filibuster the nomination, so there will probably be a vote Thursday. This is what Daschle wanted; even though he plans to vote against Ashcroft, Daschle has made it very clear he's not in favor of filibusters on Cabinet nominations - in part because he shares some Democrats' worry that if the process is too harrowing, the worm could turn. And a future Democratic president's liberal Cabinet nominee could face the same kind of attacks...