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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sedohr Nod who wrote (120960)	1/3/2001 4:42:36 PM
From: asenna1	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769667

Another one-line response and another poster on the RIGHT WING EXTREMIST THREAD. Interesting.

To: Sedohr Nod who wrote (120960)	1/3/2001 7:00:04 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Ashcroft Not Likely to Be 'Borked' Wednesday, January 3, 2001 By Sharon Kehnemui Civil rights leaders are gearing up their opposition to George W. Bush and, in particular, his attorney general-designate, former Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Some groups oppose John Ashcroft for attorney general — but the Senate is expected to confirm him. Some African-American leaders already have called Bush's election illegitimate after the post-Election Day battles in Florida. And they have become incensed over Bush's selection of Ashcroft, lambasting the former Missouri senator's voting record and charging him with racially motivated political maneuvering. The Rev. Al Sharpton told reporters Wednesday that protests are being planned for Inauguration Day, Jan. 20. "As George Bush raises his hand to be sworn in the 43rd president of the United States, thousands will raise their hands to uphold the Voter Rights Act that his selection [of Ashcroft] in our judgment is a major affront to," Sharpton said. Ashcroft in the Hot Seat Georgetown University law professor David Cole, a board member of the Center for Constitutional Rights, said Ashcroft is a threat to civil rights. "No cabinet position is more sensitive to the issue of equal justice for all than that of the attorney general," Cole said. "Yet John Ashcroft's views are so extreme that he is virtually certain not to provide equal justice for all." Ashcroft's critics have zeroed in on his opposition to the appointment of Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ronnie White to the federal bench. Civil rights leaders cried racism, but Ashcroft said he opposed White because the judge was "pro-criminal" and commuted too many death penalty sentences. He also defended himself by noting he supported 23 of the 26 nominations of black judges that came up for a vote during his Senate tenure. Jackson in the Mix Rev. Jesse Jackson arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon to meet with Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.C., and other Democrats to encourage them to reject Ashcroft's nomination. But despite the vehement protests, Bush said he is confident Ashcroft will survive the pending confirmation battle. "Jesse Jackson, in the great land of America, can do anything he wants to do; he can try to block any nomination he wants," Bush said. "But I'm confident that when people look at John Ashcroft's record and listen to what he has to say, and realize that he's going to enforce the law and not politicize the attorney general's office, he will be confirmed." Ashcroft's defenders have pointed to a number of accomplishments to deflect the criticism. As Missouri governor from 1985 to 1993, Ashcroft signed into law a state holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.; established musician Scott Joplin's house as Missouri's only historic site honoring a black individual; created an award honoring black educator George Washington Carver; named a black woman to a state judgeship; and led a fight to save Lincoln University, which was founded by black soldiers. 'Borking' Ashcroft Is Unlikely Ashcroft is also a social conservative who opposes abortion and has been targeted by abortion rights supporters. National Abortion Rights Action League President Kate Michelman criticized Ashcroft's designation last month. "This appointment signals Bush's down payment on his IOU to the anti-choice hardliners," Michelman said. But Ashcroft is unlikely to face a difficult confirmation, despite the vigorous protestations. Former senators rarely have trouble passing a Senate confirmation, and Daschle expressed reservations but not outright rejection of Ashcroft's nomination, saying it will depend on "whether he will be in a position to enforce laws that he may personally disagree with, especially issues involving women's rights and civil rights." Conservatives have worried that Ashcroft might meet a fate similar to that of Judge Robert Bork, who was nominated for the Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan. The Bork nomination was beaten back by Democrats in the Senate, and the term 'borking' emerged in the wake of that nomination fight to describe a successful partisan effort to block a controversial nominee. Ashcroft enjoys strong support from Republican senators, including Majority Whip Don Nickles, R-Okla. "My guess is John Ashcroft will be confirmed, probably overwhelmingly by the Senate," Nickles said. Citing Ashcroft's resume, Nickles added: "He was eight years as the attorney general for the state of Missouri, governor of the state, but also he served on the Judiciary Committee of the Senate. I think he's an outstanding candidate and I think he'll be an outstanding attorney general." Senate Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, also said he saw no major impediments to Ashcroft's nomination. "He'll make a wonderful attorney general in my opinion. If you look at his record I think you'll find that he'll do a good job." — The Associated Press contributed to this report foxnews.com