Democrats to Delay Vote on Ashcroft

Senate Democrats said Tuesday that they will block a key vote scheduled for today on the fate of embattled Atty. Gen.-designate John Ashcroft, a move sure to rile Republicans who already are upset by treatment of their former colleague.

Democrats are frustrated because they say that Ashcroft has been slow to turn over material requested by the Senate Judiciary Committee related to his finances, political speeches and policies. As a result, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the committee’s senior Democrat, told Republicans late Tuesday that he plans to put a hold on the much-anticipated vote.

The Republicans have no power to stop the move because committee rules allow any member to force a one-week delay in a vote.

“I don’t think we have a full record” of Ashcroft’s career, said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.). “We want to make sure we have all the material first.”

The delay will give Democrats more time to look for vulnerabilities in Ashcroft’s voluminous 25-year record in Missouri and Washington, a record that has sparked outrage among civil rights leaders, abortion rights activists and others. But the procedural move also could further damage their frayed relations with Republicans, who have charged that Democrats are beating up on Ashcroft to embarrass President Bush.

Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, made clear that he was eager to see a vote today. “He hoped no one would invoke this procedural move, but Sen. Leahy clearly is within his rights,” spokeswoman Jeanne Lopatto said.

The nomination of Gale A. Norton, Bush’s choice to be Interior secretary, is scheduled for a committee vote today. Sen. Frank H. Murkowski (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Tuesday that he knows of no Democrats on his committee who plan to oppose Norton, and he predicted that the full Senate would confirm her by an overwhelming margin.

The political maneuvering over Bush’s most controversial nominee came as anti-Ashcroft forces papered Senate offices with tens of thousands of petitions opposing his confirmation.

People for the American Way, a liberal interest group that made its name in 1987 by successfully opposing Supreme Court nominee Robert H. Bork, delivered box-loads of Web-generated petitions to the 100 senatorial offices. The group said that over two weeks, 150,000 people formally registered objections to Ashcroft, saying that he is “not the right person” to be attorney general.

Organizers said more than 28,000 petitioners were from California--more than any other state. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was the first senator to publicly oppose Ashcroft, while Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, also a Democrat, has voiced increasing criticism of Ashcroft in recent days, questioning whether he would enforce laws on abortion and gun control to which he objects personally.

Although Feinstein would not reveal how she will vote on Ashcroft, she said Tuesday after participating in a weekly Democratic caucus that “this is a very difficult decision for many of us,” particularly because it involves a popular former colleague.

“Most of us want to accommodate the president,” she said. “We don’t want to have a battle over a Cabinet nominee.”

Although all of the Republicans on the 18-member Judiciary Committee appear certain to support Ashcroft, his opponents are predicting that seven or more of the panel’s nine Democrats could vote against him. Several dozen Democrats could oppose him when the vote comes to the Senate floor. “You’re going to get a very significant vote against, but I don’t know how many,” said Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.).

The Senate is divided 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats. Because Vice President Dick Cheney, as president of the Senate, breaks tie votes, Republicans would need 50 votes to confirm Ashcroft and 60 votes to override a possible Democratic filibuster.

Although even many Democrats are predicting Ashcroft’s confirmation, opponents are not conceding defeat. Ashcroft’s confirmation “is not a done deal,” particularly if senators take the time to examine his record, said Ralph G. Neas, president of People for the American Way.

Ashcroft’s opponents have blasted his public record on a range of issues, including his opposition to abortion, his record on desegregation and other civil rights issues, and his alleged mistreatment of some of former President Clinton’s nominees.

One case that Democrats want to examine more closely is Ashcroft’s opposition to the 1997 nomination of San Francisco philanthropist James C. Hormel, who is openly gay, as ambassador to Luxembourg.

Ashcroft said during his confirmation hearing last week that Hormel’s sexual orientation had nothing to do with his opposition. But in 1998, Ashcroft told reporters asking about Hormel that a person’s sexual conduct “is within what could be considered and what is eligible for consideration” for confirmation of ambassadorial nominees.

Democrats also are interested in looking more closely at Ashcroft’s finances from his disclosure statement and the FBI’s separate review, both filed with the Judiciary Committee this week after what Democrats said were unnecessary delays.

Ashcroft estimated his total assets at $3.2 million, including $1.3 million in real estate holdings and $820,000 in securities.

Democrats said they are still waiting for Ashcroft to provide other material that they have requested in recent days, including a videotape of his appearance at Bob Jones University at a time when the school banned interracial dating.

They have a transcript of Ashcroft’s remarks at the school and the videotape has been shown on television.

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Times staff writers Nick Anderson and Janet Hook contributed to this story.