Democrats express concern over Ashcroft's views

Monday, January 1st 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Not all of President-elect Bush's Cabinet choices face clear sailing for Senate confirmation, Democratic lawmakers say, aiming their fire primarily at Attorney General-designate John Ashcroft.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called Ashcroft's confirmation prospects ``hardly a done deal'' and said he is ``truly worried'' that the conservative nominee would not enforce federal laws banning violence against abortion clinics or laws that restrict gun ownership. In fact, Schumer contended that Ashcroft would work to repeal those laws.

``He is far and away the most troubling choice,'' Schumer said Sunday on ABC's ``This Week.'' ``The question is will Senator Ashcroft enforce the law of the land on things that he's morally opposed to.''

However, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, whose Judiciary Committee will consider Ashcroft's nomination, said he would be surprised if the Senate didn't confirm Ashcroft, the outgoing Republican senator from Missouri who has served as that state's attorney general and governor.

``He is a man of integrity. He is a man of great experience,'' Hatch said on ABC. ``I have no doubt, as a former attorney general and hopefully as this attorney general, he will enforce the law, regardless of whether he agrees with it or not.''

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., also expressed concerns about Ashcroft. He said he and other Democrats intend to ask him tough questions during his confirmation hearings _ specifically whether he intends to enforce civil rights laws that protect minorities and statutes protecting equal rights for women.

``He has to convince a lot of his colleagues and a lot of those who are concerned ... that he can do that,'' Daschle said on NBC's ``Meet the Press.''

Senate Republican Whip Don Nickles of Oklahoma said he doesn't understand why Ashcroft's critics are ``taking these unfair cracks at him.''

``I think some people are ... looking for an issue. They're looking for a fight,'' Nickles told NBC. ``They want to have a big divisive battle. I think they're picking on the wrong person with John Ashcroft.''

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said on CBS' ``Face the Nation'' he believes Ashcroft will be confirmed, but not before he is thoroughly questioned by skeptical Democratic senators. Likewise, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., told ``Fox News Sunday'' he knows of no reason why Ashcroft would be rejected outright.

While Ashcroft's nomination brought some criticism, Bush seemed less willing to join an ideological fight over whether homosexuals may serve openly in the military. Former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats lost out as a possible nominee for defense secretary when he told the president-elect he wanted to scale back accommodations made to women and gays in the service, Newsweek magazine reported.

Efforts to reach Coats were not immediately successful.

Bush spokesman Dan Bartlett declined to comment. ``Any personnel decisions made by the president-elect are not open for discussion, out of respect for those not chosen as well as those we did choose,'' he said.

Another Bush Cabinet choice that raised questions Sunday was former Colorado Attorney General Gale Norton, nominated for interior secretary. She has expressed support for oil exploration in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, an idea that Bush favors and many Democratic senators oppose.

``The question is will she reach out and ... try to meet half way, as opposed to saying it's my way or no way?'' Schumer said.

The bigger question, Democrats said, is whether Bush can work with a Senate that is split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Bush has expressed a desire to appoint a Democrat to his Cabinet but has not done so thus far.

Levin said that wouldn't be enough anyway. ``He's going to have to show in programs and policies a willingness to work with Democrats, to work out compromises with us. A single selection of a Democrat here and there in his Cabinet is not going to make the difference, except in the most superficial way.''

Hatch said Bush's stated intention to reach out and work with Democrats is genuine. ``I know Bush has tried to get some Democrats into the Cabinet. He hasn't been successful so far,'' the senator said.