Senators cannot question Ashcroft's integrity

Human Events, Jan 19, 2001 by Carney, Timothy P, D'Agostino, Joseph A

On December 23, when President-elect George W. Bush nominated former Sen. John Ashcroft (R.-Mo.) to be attorney general, Democratic Sen. Robert Torricelli of New Jersey told the Washington Post: "While I have obvious philosophical differences with John Ashcroft, his ability and integrity simply can't be questioned. The President is entitled to have an attorney general of his own ideology."

Walking around Capitol Hill last week, HUMAN EVENTS reporters stopped a number of senators to see if they agreed with Torricelli's remarks-which seems to leave no room for the Senate to defeat Ashcroft's nomination. Some of those we spoke with were reluctant to comment on the Ashcroft issue, but none would question his integrity.

Reiterating what she had previously told the Washington Times, Sen. Jean Carnahan (D.-Mo.) who is succeeding Ashcroft, rebutted the false and slanderous notion that Ashcroft has ever been motivated by racial bias.

"I think they're going to ask him a number of questions, some of which may cover those areas. We're going to be open to all sorts of questions, that's part of the process. I guess we'll see when the hearings unfold."

HUMAN EVENTS: Do you have doubts as to Ashcroft's ability or integrity? "Certainly I think he has held many offices, if that's the way you would measure that. I think we'll learn, certainly, more about that, as we see more things unfold I would not want to prejudge him. I-don't think anyone should be prejudging him, or any of these. others. What we have here is: We lay out questions, we get answers, we make decisions." H.E.: Do you think there's any credence to the charges of racism?

"No. I've said that before. I do not feel like there was racism. I do not know what was in his heart that caused him to do that [vote against the confirmation of black Missouri Justice Ronnie White to be a federal judge], but I don't think it was racism."

H.E.: Is there anything from his performance as attorney general of Missouri that would make you doubt his ability to be the attorney general of the United States?

"I think we're going to have to examine that record as well. That's going to be laid out. And to some people, I'm sure that will be the case. To others it will not. And the way people view it will be the way they will ultimately vote."

-Sen. Jean Carnahan (D.-Mo.)

"I'm going to make a final judgment on Sen. Ashcroft after the hearing."

-Sen. Max Cleland (D.-Ga.)

"I haven't made up my mind on that. I'm not going to comment on that."

-Sen. Chris Dodd (D.-Conn.)

"Sure, I think [Torricelli's statement] is true."

-Sen. Byron Dorgan (D.-N.D.)

"I have no reason to question Sen. Ashcroft's integrity."

-Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.)

"Certainly he has philosophical beliefs that are alien to me, but I see no problem with his integrity. I don't think his integrity will be an issue."

-Sen. Jim Jeffords (R.-V.t)

"I'll have something to say at the time of the hearing. He speaks for himself, I speak for myself."

-Sen. Edward Kennedy (D.-Mass.)

"I'm not going to comment yet."

-Sen. Mary-Landrieu (D.-La.)

"Sen. Smith thinks John Ashcroft will make a great attorney general."

-Chris Matthews, press secretary for Sen. Gordon Smith (R.-Ore.)

"Ithink the issue will be his ability to enforce the laws fairly, even laws with which he does not agree, as he's made very obvious by both votes and public statements. And that's a question that doesn't go to integrity. It goes to his capacity to balance what the issue is about, his views versus the law."

H.E.: Do you think he won't be able to enforce laws he doesn't agree with?

"I think that's a question that has to be probed in the hearings. That's the whole point of a confirmation hearing."

H.E.: What could he say, or anybody else show, that would convince you that he's fit for the job?

"I think it's a question of talking about his prior statements, putting them in context-statements people point to as indicating a bias one way or the other-trying to put it in context, trying to explain his rationale, or how he made the statement. That's how one explains statements made in the past and also gives a pretty good indication of the likelihood of his performance of the job."

-Sen. Jack Reed (D.-R.I.)