Ashcroft Picked for Attorney General

* Re “Bush Chooses Ashcroft to Head the Justice Dept.,” Dec. 23: So if church and state aren’t supposed to mix, what’s the reason for making Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.) the attorney general? Dubya wants to put a Bible-thumping, right-wing zealot in a position to decide on strategies for enforcing federal law--i.e., school prayer, a woman’s right to choose, creationism as science.

I had thought that the attorney general was supposed to be impartial, but how can we expect that of a politician whose entire career is based on bigoted and narrow philosophies? I have no doubt that Ashcroft’s resume speaks well for his paper qualifications. But his words over a long and mean-spirited political lifetime speak far louder.

FRED SHAW

Carpinteria

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A president is traditionally and rightly entitled to the Cabinet officers of his choice except in the most exceptional circumstances. Erwin Chemerinsky’s militant game plan for a filibuster by Senate Democrats to block the nomination of Ashcroft for the strategic purpose of intimidating the Bush administration is clearly unfair to Ashcroft and George W. Bush (Commentary, Dec. 24). More important, it would doom any hope for bipartisanship. Fortunately, there is absolutely no chance that the Senate will take his advice.

WILLIAM R. SNAER

Lake Arrowhead

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Thank you, professor Chemerinsky. If a Democratic filibuster of the Ashcroft nomination fails to materialize, the Democratic Party will find itself wondering where all its loyal members went. Bush’s claim of wanting to be a centrist is as much hot air as his earlier “I trust the people.” Sorry, George, but we’ve already been fooled once.

JIM FRITZHAND

Los Angeles