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.
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