Pubdate: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 Source: Orange County Register (CA) Copyright: 2001 The Orange County Register Contact: P.O. Box 11626, Santa Ana, CA 92711 Fax: (714) 565-3657 Website: http://www.ocregister.com/ ASHCROFT PLANS GUN, DRUG-ABUSE TASK FORCES Attorney General John Ashcroft, declaring that the large Senate vote against him won't inhibit his conservatism, announced Monday that Justice Department task forces will try to increase gun prosecutions and combat drug abuse, particularly among schoolchildren. He also said he will meet civil-rights division officials later this week, his first meeting with a department division. The scheduled lunch with civil-rights enforcers and the gun and drug task forces are the first steps on Ashcroft's three priority issues. Confirmed by a 58-42 Senate vote, the narrowest margin ever for an attorney general, Ashcroft was asked at his first news conference if the large "no" vote would inhibit him. "Not really," he replied. "I don't think those votes are going to make any difference in the way I conduct myself or in our ability to work together." He said a tenet of his conservatism is "to take the law as it is and to work to enforce it, not to supersede the law with your own judgment or your own idea of what should be." No one has been chosen to head or staff the task force on guns or the working group on drugs, but Ashcroft's aides said the gun task force likely would be set up first and probably would include U.S. attorneys as well as main Justice Department officials. Ashcroft previously has expressed a desire to expand to other cities the federal Project Exile in Richmond, Va., in which gun offenders are given stiff prison sentences. Ashcroft also reiterated his concern that use of marijuana and some other drugs has been rising. Accused by Democrats and civil-rights groups of being insensitive on racial matters, Ashcroft asserted he would give top priority to enforcement of laws against discrimination. "Discrimination is something we will not tolerate," he declared. "It's important for Americans to understand they are not beyond the protection of the law, nor are they beyond the reach of the law." Ashcroft also praised Atlanta lawyer Larry D. Thompson and Washington lawyer Theodore Olson, whose impending nominations to be deputy attorney general and solicitor general were leaked last week but have yet to be announced by the White House. JUSTICE: Attorney general says enforcing civil-rights laws will also be a top priority. - --- MAP posted-by: GD