Wes Vernon
Saturday, Jan. 6, 2001

The groups from all over the country represent constitutional and civil liberties concerns, as well as such issues as victims' rights, civil rights, military readiness, tax reform, pro-life campaigns, business concerns, and women’s and family-related causes.

Many of the groups are local and state-based. A few are prominent national organizations. Among the latter are the National Taxpayers Union, the Family Research Council, the Independent Women’s Forum, Eagle Forum, and the U.S. Business and Industry Council.

John Nowacki, deputy director of the Free Congress Foundation’s Center for Law and Democracy, notes the "broad base of support" reflected in this list.

"This is a sharp contrast with the narrow special interests represented by the few leftist organizations that have come out against [Ashcroft]," Nowacki declared.

Meanwhile, there were reports Friday that some Democrats in Congress were calling for Missouri Supreme Court Justice Ronnie White to testify against Ashcroft. A spokeswoman for the Missouri Supreme Court told the AP White would testify if subpoenaed.

As a senator, Ashcroft led the successful fight to deny a federal judgeship to White. President Clinton then accused the Senate of racial motives in denying the nomination to White, who is black.

Ashcroft has repeatedly said his main reason for opposing the jurist from his home state was White’s lenient attitude in some high-profile death penalty cases.

The Democratic move to call White to testify comes just two days after Landmark Legal Foundation President Mark R. Levin called on Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, to call in the relatives of the victims of a killer of four people whose conviction White had voted to overturn and send back for a retrial. The convicted killer was white.

Actually, it is not even certain that Hatch will chair the early hearings on Ashcroft because he does not regain his chairmanship of the committee until Jan. 20. During the few days until then, the Democrats control the Senate because Vice President Al Gore is able to break the 50-50 tie. On Jan. 20, the tie-breaker is Dick Cheney, and the GOP is back in the saddle. If the Ashcroft hearings begin under Democratic rule, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., will likely preside.

NewsMax.com put in a call to the Senate committee office to determine whether there are plans to call the victims’ families to testify. At deadline, there was no response.

NewsMax.com has been getting angry calls from readers inquiring about what they can do to counter the left-wing extremist attacks on Ashcroft. One way to reach the Senate is on the Web. It is also important to phone the senators from your state. The Capitol Hill switchboard number is 1-202-224-3121.

Find out how to send a PriorityGram to get your senators' attention.

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