Senate scrutiny for the President's man

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee, on a largely party line 10-8 vote, yesterday sent the nomination of John Ashcroft for Attorney-General to the full Senate for almost certain confirmation.

All nine Republicans on the panel, along with one of its nine Democrats, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, backed President George W. Bush's selection of the former US senator from Missouri as the nation's top lawman.

The full Senate, working into the night, immediately began debate on the nomination that is expected to be brought up for final approval as early as Friday. The Senate is made up of 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats.

"I'm hoping that ... we can find a way to bring this debate to a conclusion and have a vote on John Ashcroft," said Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott.

"He will be confirmed. I'm hoping it will be by a substantial number with every Republican and a number of Democrats," Lott said.

Senator Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, had threatened to try to mount a filibuster against Ashcroft, but yesterday he said he decided against such a procedural delay.

Democratic aides said Kennedy had concluded he would not be able to muster the needed support of 41 of the chamber's 100 members to maintain a filibuster, and to prevent a confirmation vote.

Feingold said that like many of his Democratic colleagues he was concerned about Ashcroft's record against civil rights, abortion rights and gun control.

But he said he took Ashcroft at his word after Ashcroft had vowed at his confirmation hearings that he would enforce all the nation's laws, even the ones he had disagreed with, including abortion rights, gay rights and gun control.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, charged that Ashcroft had been subjected to unwarranted attacks and deserved to be confirmed as the nation's top lawman.

He cited the former senator as saying, "Some things are more important than politics, and I believe doing what's right is the most important thing we can do."

Hatch then added, "I only hope that my colleagues will heed these words as they consider their vote."

At the White House, Bush said the Senate needed to move on Ashcroft, whom it had subjected to a four-day confirmation hearing earlier this month and then submitted to him hundreds of written questions that he had finished last week.

"I hope, in the spirit of bipartisanship, there will be no further delays," Bush said.

"I do believe he's going to be confirmed."

The nomination of Ashcroft, an ardent conservative and a hero to the religious right, is being seen as the first major test of strength on Capitol Hill for Bush, who has promised to be "a uniter, not a divider."

While Bush is expected to win, the fight over Ashcroft, who earlier served as Missouri's Governor and Attorney-General, has brought together more than 200 mostly liberal special interest groups that are opposed to the President and his nominee.

People for the American Way, a liberal activist group, ran advertisements in opposition to Ashcroft yesterday in 11 major newspapers across the nation.

Democratic critics of Ashcroft said they want a full debate, even if they could not stop the nominee, who would be the 15th and final cabinet-level Bush appointee to be confirmed by the Senate.

A Democratic aide said more than 35 Senate Democrats might vote against Ashcroft to send a signal to Bush that a like-minded, conservative Supreme Court nominee would also face a tough confirmation fight.

- REUTERS

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