Ashcroft's nomination is not expected to be considered by the Senate until after Vice President-elect Dick Cheney becomes the Senate's presiding officer, meaning Republicans will have a 51-50 edge. But with 60 votes needed to block any filibuster by Ashcroft opponents, every statement concerning Ashcroft is being closely weighed.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Cal) told CNN interviewer Wolf Blitzer that while she likes the former Republican senator from Missouri personally, she considers him to be "way out of the mainstream." 

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y) told interviewers on ABC's "This Week" show that he was worried whether Ashcroft, as an outspoken opponent of abortion, would "enforce the law of the land on things that he's morally opposed to." Specifically, Schumer questioned whether Ashcroft would strictly enforce laws prohibiting violence against clinics which offer abortions.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich), told the CBS show "Face the Nation," he was certain that Ashcroft would be questioned intensively by Democratic senators. He said, however, he thought that his ex-colleague would eventually have sufficient votes for confirmation.

David A. Harris, deputy executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, said besides Ashcroft's opposition to abortion, he is controversial as the "originator and chief congressional defender of 'charitable choice' legislative language that funnels government funding to religious social service providers without regard to whether those providers practice employment discrimination using government funds." Such advocacy goes against a marked preference in the Jewish community for strict separation of church and state, Harris said. -- Donald H. Harrison