Katzenbach discusses Ashcroft, power politics
As President Bush assembled his cabinet of advisers, some of his nominations drew criticism, but none more than John Ashcroft.The current Attorney General raised a firestorm of controversy from abortion and civil rights activists who felt that Ashcroft's record and beliefs ran counter to their own.Former Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach '43 ? who served under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations in several roles and was an advocate for civil rights during the 1960s ? said he had been asked several times about his thoughts on Bush's choice."I have been asked several times to comment on Ashcroft," Katzenbach said, "but I continually refused."Speaking yesterday in a crowded Whig-Clio Senate Chamber on the changes in the Department of Justice, the Bush administration and Ashcroft, Katzenbach voiced his opininon on the current Attorney General."I don't have any problems with Aschcroft in the sense that what Bush wants is what Bush will get," Katzenbach said.