Supporters of Ashcroft Nomination Rally Against Democrats’ Criticisms

President-elect George W. Bush, Senate Republicans and some women’s groups sought Thursday to bolster their case for John Ashcroft to become attorney general, while Democrats raced to prepare for next week’s confirmation hearings.

The nominee himself, who is making the rounds among his former Senate colleagues, burst into a news conference to greet his supporters. He smiled for the cameras and wished reporters a happy new year but took no questions.

Bush, at a separate news conference in Washington, said he would telephone senators if necessary to defend Ashcroft from a coalition of groups that call the former Missouri senator an extremist for his positions on abortion, gun control and civil rights. Indeed, Bush seemed to relish the coming fight.

“I never expected our nominees to sail through without harsh questioning and good confirmation hearings,” Bush said. “And I look forward to them. I can’t wait for John to have a fair hearing so people get to see what he’s made out of. And he’s going to do a good job. I’m confident he’ll be confirmed.”

Responding to Sen. Barbara Boxer’s strongly worded announcement Wednesday that she will oppose Ashcroft, Bush took a mild poke at the California Democrat. The confirmation process, he said, “doesn’t have to be hard, if the senators will tone down their rhetoric.”

On Capitol Hill, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), called a news conference to put a human face on Ashcroft’s tough-on-crime credentials. He introduced crime victims who supported Ashcroft’s efforts to pass a constitutional amendment to guarantee certain rights to such victims.

Republicans also were preparing to defend Ashcroft against allegations of racial insensitivity. “If the opponents want to inject race into this debate,” Kyl said, “then John Ashcroft’s friends will have to respond.”

Kyl said that the news conference was meant to counter the deluge of criticism mounted by Ashcroft opponents through Web sites, phone calls, e-mail, faxes and direct lobbying.

Ashcroft, an abortion opponent, has drawn criticism from some women’s groups. Civil rights advocates oppose his nomination, in part because of his opposition to the nomination of Ronnie White, Missouri’s first black Supreme Court justice, to the federal bench.

In defense of Ashcroft, the National Right to Life Committee, one of the most powerful anti-abortion groups, is distributing an e-mail urging recipients to write and call senators on Ashcroft’s behalf.

And 14 conservative-leaning women’s groups rallied to Ashcroft’s defense Thursday at a marathon news conference that they used both to extol his virtues and to lambaste the current Justice Department and Atty. Gen. Janet Reno.

“John Ashcroft understands that it is the role of government to protect the innocent and punish the guilty,” said Beverly LaHaye, chairwoman of Concerned Women for America.

Lori Cole of the Eagle Forum, a group headed by conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, said: “Perhaps the left fears an attorney general that can’t be bought with sex or money.”

The groups defended Ashcroft’s record on civil rights, noting that he has appointed blacks to judgeships, voted for their appointments to the federal bench and that recently he co-chaired a hearing on racial profiling, which he decried.

“The left is free to disagree with his ideology,” said Susan Muskett, legislative affairs director of the Christian Coalition of America. “But don’t impugn John Ashcroft’s well-deserved good name by attributing racism to him.”

As for his record on abortion--most of the women’s groups represented Thursday want the Supreme Court to eliminate the right to abortion--the speakers said it was a personal matter. “There is no question that John Ashcroft is pro-life, but his personal views on this issue should be respected,” Muskett said.

Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, were preparing for next week’s hearings, which begin Tuesday and could last four days.

Among those expected to lead the questioning of Ashcroft are Democrats Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, who is committee chairman until Jan. 20, Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) also serves on the committee.

Leahy sent a letter Thursday to Vice President-elect Dick Cheney urging the Bush transition team to cooperate in providing a videotape of a commencement speech that Ashcroft made at Bob Jones University in South Carolina in May 1999. The university has been criticized by some for its denigration of Catholicism and its ban on interracial dating, which was recently rescinded.

University officials have said that they will make the videotape available only if Ashcroft requests it.

Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), who will become majority leader on Jan. 20, has said he believes all 50 Senate Republicans support Ashcroft.

Senate Democratic strategists, speaking on condition of anonymity, say at least 20 Democrats are expected to vote against him.

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Times staff writer Alissa J. Rubin contributed to this story.