Pubdate: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 Source: Daily Herald (IL) Copyright: 2001 The Daily Herald Company Contact: P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006-0280 Fax: (847) 427-1301 Website: http://www.dailyherald.com/ Author: Ken Watts HALF-TRUTHS ON ASHCROFT John Ashcroft has the experience, integrity and the educational background to be our next U.S. attorney general. He is the first attorney general-designate in U. S. history who has served as state attorney general, governor and U.S. senator. He has and will continue to enforce the laws. As Missouri attorney general, he led the National Association of Attorneys General. As governor, he signed into law a measure requiring first offenders to serve a minimum of 40 percent of their prison term, second offenders must serve 60 percent and Class X offenders (three felonies) must serve 80 percent of their prison term. As governor of Missouri, Ashcroft enacted the first hate-crime legislation in Missouri, creating penalties for ethnic intimidation and crimes committed for motives based on race, color, religion or national origin. As senator, Ashcroft authorized and passed legislation to bolster the fight against the highly addictive drug meth with longer terms for criminals. There are many people who are trying to discredit Sen. Ashcroft. I believe these accusations and half-truths must be rejected and that Sen. Ashcroft be confirmed as our next U.S. attorney general. Ken Watts South Fulton, Tenn. (formerly of Rolling Meadows) - --- MAP posted-by: GD