AG Reno Plans To Relax and Kayak

Thursday, January 18th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) â€” So often caught in the eye of the capital's political storms, Attorney General Janet Reno publicly relished the thought of seeing Washington in a rearview mirror.

First, she plans to ``do nothing for a week'' after she gets back to her home state of Florida, she told reporters Thursday at her final news conference.

The longest-serving attorney general in modern times plans a cross-country ramble in her new red pickup truck after taking a kayak 120 miles through the Everglades.

Four kayaks she stored in Washington are already en route to Florida, Reno said.

``I hope to wind my way home this weekend, pick up my truck on the way, sit on my front porch and do nothing for a week, except what I want to do, when I want to do it,'' Reno said.

Her deputy, Eric Holder, will serve as interim attorney general until President-elect Bush's choice is confirmed, Reno said. She said she has had no recent contact with Bush's nominee, former Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Mo.

Ashcroft said this week he would work to uphold laws he personally opposes, and Reno said she has had to do the same thing in recommending the death penalty for federal criminals.

``That is something that I grapple with regularly,'' she said. ``If I were in the legislature, I would vote against the death penalty. But I have asked for it probably more than any other person in America.''

Reno said if she could revisit any decision it would be the deadly raid on the Branch Davidian compound at Waco, Texas, where Branch Davidian leader David Koresh and some 80 followers perished.

She also was the target of persistent criticism from congressional Republicans who thought she should have sought appointment of an independent counsel to investigate allegations of Clinton-Gore fund-raising violations.

But beyond the Waco statement, Reno offered little introspection at what her staff counted as her 293rd weekly press session.

``I've stayed away from the legacy thing,'' she said.