Senate confirms Ashcroft as attorney general

The Senate Thursday confirmed former Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Mo., for attorney general on a 58-42 vote, concluding several weeks of contentious debate over President Bush's nominee.

Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., presented the Ashcroft vote as an important test of Democratic unity and strength.

"I think it is important for us to demonstrate that we can stay together on an issue of this importance," he said.

Daschle said he would be "very, very pleased" if Democrats could muster more than 40 votes against Ashcroft--a number he said would send a message to Bush that future nominees should "come from the center" if he expects to receive favorable treatment.

Daschle said Democrats did not obstruct Ashcroft's nomination, and even allowed for an "expedited vote" to accommodate the Republican retreat in Williamsburg, Va., which begins today.

Daschle said Ashcroft's reception was improved because he is a former colleague and because of a desire to make the new Senate power-sharing agreement work. But Daschle suggested Democrats might apply a higher standard to lifetime appointments such as judicial nominees.

He defended his party's decision to allow the nomination to go forward, despite many strong objections voiced against Ashcroft, saying: "We're not going to go to the wall all that often. We're going to pick and choose and be as prudent as possible."

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., said he was not persuaded by Democratic claims about the meaning of the size of the opposition vote.

"I think they're just trying to find some way to make this vote look better," he said.

Lott said he appreciated Daschle's efforts to prevent a filibuster, but added, "You don't get brownie points for not doing a bad thing."

Lott said he, Daschle and Bush had made too many efforts toward bipartisanship to allow the "shrillness" of the Ashcroft debate to affect future debates.

"The bitter left really thinks this is to make sure that President Bush doesn't nominate a conservative to the Supreme Court. He will," Lott said, while warning, "We do not expect filibusters on judicial nominees."