Word: ashcroft
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Former Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft, Bush's pick for Attorney General, should encounter the greatest opposition. Although Ashcroft's former colleagues may be loath to vote against him, we feel that he is disqualified by his actions to block the appointment of Missouri Supreme Court Justice Ronnie L. White to the federal bench. Ashcroft repeatedly misrepresented White's record and engaged in a despicable slander campaign to improve his political position before a tight re-election race against the late Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan, a race Ashcroft ultimately lost...
Knowing that support for the death penalty would be an issue in the race, Ashcroft portrayed White, a talented and well-respected jurist, as a pro-criminal activist intent on undermining the capital punishment system. This occurred despite White's endorsement by the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police, despite White's votes to uphold most death sentences that came before his court, despite the decisions by Ashcroft appointees to join White in many of his decisions reversing a death sentence, and despite Ashcroft's complete lack of interest in White's death-penalty views during the confirmation hearing...
...What does Bush see in Freeh? Possibly a counterweight to attorney general nominee John Ashcroft, who is backed by certain libertarian conservatives who are deeply skeptical of all government power and are determined to rein in the FBI's power to conduct wiretaps and cyber-surveillance of suspects. Freeh is classic law-and-order guy and appeals to mainstream Republicans more worried about terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime than government snooping...
...figures - Clinton hasn't had anybody to put on the Sunday talking-head shows to grab credit. Neither Freeh or Attorney General Janet Reno would showboat for the administration. Drug czar Barry McCaffrey would, but the retired general's too-hot-for-prime-time style sometimes provoked backlash. Ashcroft may serve that function for Bush, or he may be viewed as too much of a pol, in which case Bush would be well served to go for a more charismatic FBI director when Freeh bows...
...Ashcroft, a staunch conservative whose nomination to head the Justice Department sent many congressional Democrats reeling, could face the toughest confirmation hearing of any Cabinet member. Analysts predict Ashcroft will be confirmed in the end - Senators are unlikely to blackball someone who was until recently one of their own - but some suspect he may wish he hadn't been. Democrats complain the former Missouri senator embodies far too many of their least favorite qualities: As of Thursday Ashcroft's nomination is opposed by pro-choice advocates, environmentalists, civil rights organizations and labor groups. If resources run thin and activists...