NP Stop Ashcroft! campaign

[David Morris]

[Appologies to non US P-listers]

01/09/01 Washington, D.C. Wade Henderson, Executive Director, Leadership 
Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR)*, issued the following statement today: 
“We are here this morning to announce the formation of an unprecedented 
nationwide campaign of coalitions representing over 200 national 
organizations -- and growing -- to oppose the confirmation of John Ashcroft 
to be Attorney General of the United States. Under the umbrella of ‘Stop 
Ashcroft!’ this campaign will educate the American public, the media, and 
most importantly, the United States Senate about Senator Ashcroft’s public 
record, the responsibilities of the Attorney General, and what is at stake 
should the Senate vote to confirm him.

The “Stop Ashcroft!” campaign represents the first time in years that such a 
broad array of the leadership of the civil and human rights, environmental, 
women’s rights and choice, gun control, labor, and religious freedom 
communities have mounted such a coordinated public education grassroots 
campaign; and the first-time ever these interests have joined together to 
oppose an Executive Branch nominee.

The decision to oppose the confirmation of John Ashcroft to be the Attorney 
General was not taken lightly; nor are we under any illusion about the 
magnitude of the challenge we face. However, we take very seriously the 
Constitution’s promise of equal protection and fairness to all. We strongly 
believe that at the very least, the Attorney General as the nation’s chief 
law enforcement officer, must have a demonstrated commitment to equal 
opportunity. And we have reviewed carefully the breadth of Senator 
Ashcroft’s public record. Simply put, John Ashcroft’s views on a range of 
issues that would be the subjects of his work as Attorney General are just 
too extreme. His open hostility to the very laws and policies that protect 
the civil rights of all individuals in our society left the LCCR coalition, 
as well as the many organizations committed to equal opportunity that have 
joined us in this effort, no choice but to actively oppose his nomination."

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights is the nation's oldest, largest, 
and broadest civil and human rights coalition. Established in 1950, the 
nonpartisan coalition is the legislative arm of the civil rights movement, 
consisting of approximately 185 national organizations representing people 
of color, women, children, labor unions, persons with disabilities, older 
Americans, major religious groups, gays and lesbians and civil liberties and 
human rights groups, committed to the protection of civil and human rights 
in the United States.

For more information, visit:
http://www.civilrights.org/
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