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JANUARY 16, 2001

It's George W. Bush's big week as two of his most contentious Cabinet nominees face potentially fiery Senate nomination hearings, culminating with his inauguration as 43rd President of the United States on Saturday.

Today, Attorney General nominee John Ashcroft begins his hearing before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and faces questions on his commitment to civil rights. But as his critics focus on his "extreme" views on religion, abortion, race, crime, and gun control, the Bush transition team and his supporters on Monday began their own public relations campaign, seeking to rally Republicans and conservatives around the former Missouri Senator.

One of his supporters includes Charles Evers, brother of slain African-American civil rights leader Medgar Evers. A Missouri delegate to the Republican National Convention last year, he sent letters to two members of the committee, urging them to support Ashcroft.

"The allegations of racism against him are not supported by facts," wrote Evers to Senators Ted Kennedy (D-Mass) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). "The charges of racism seem to me to be nothing more than a political ploy to fan the flames of racial division in our country."

Meanwhile, opponents of Secretary of Interior nominee Gale Norton joined forces on Friday, urging members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Resources to block her nomination. Over a dozen environmental groups, including Republicans, launched an anti-Norton web site and began an eight-state media campaign against the former Attorney General from Colorado.

"Gale Norton's extremist agenda clashes with mainstream Americans who love our National Parks and wild lands," said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club. "We are mobilizing people to tell their Senators that America needs a Secretary of the Interior who will fulfill the duties of protecting and maintaining our nation's public lands."

Norton opponents say her support of drilling in the Arctic, defense of states' rights, and lax regulation of corporate polluters spells trouble for the environment. The Center for Biological Diversity, a Western environmental coalition, also says Norton has an anti-Indian history which includes her opposition to tribal sovereignty.

As Attorney General of Colorado, Norton signed friend-of-the-court briefs in several Supreme Court cases. Joining other Western states, she argued against the expansion of Indian Country, supported state and local taxation of particular reservation lands, and defended state sovereign immunity over tribal claims -- positions which the Supreme Court upheld in their rulings.

Ashcroft and Norton aren't the only nominees facing questions this week, although most of the other hearings probably won't be as contentious. Colin Powell for Secretary of State, Paul O'Neill for Treasury; Tommy Thompson for Health and Human Services, Spencer Abraham for Energy, Christie Whitman as Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Ann Veneman for Agriculture Mel Martinez for Housing and Urban Development and and Anthony Prinicipi as Veterans Affairs administration will also have their day before Senators.

Relevant Links:
Stop Gale Norton - www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/
stop-norton/index.html
Say No to Norton - www.saynotonorton.org
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee - www.senate.gov/~energy
The Senate Judiciary Committee - www.senate.gov/~judiciary

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