Democrats announce opposition to Ashcroft; Senate confirms Chao as labor secretary

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two high-profile Democrats announced their opposition Monday to John Ashcroft's nomination as attorney general, but his confirmation did not appear to be in serious jeopardy as the Senate moved on another front to easily confirm Elaine Chao as labor secretary.

The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, said he would vote against Ashcroft, contending the former U.S. senator from Missouri held "extreme" positions on a number of issues, including civil rights.

At the same time, Leahy also said he would not support a filibuster of the nomination, a key move since all 50 Senate Republicans, along with one Democrat -- Zell Miller of Georgia -- are behind Ashcroft and his confirmation appears likely.

Still, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, announced that she too would oppose the Ashcroft nomination, along with that of Gale Norton for interior secretary.

Talking to reporters in New York, Clinton explained her opposition to Ashcroft.

"His record and views place him on the distant shores of American jurisprudence. Justice demands vigorous enforcement of the law not vigorous subversion," Clinton said.

Likewise, Clinton said Norton would do an inadequate job of protecting the environment, but Norton's confirmation also appeared assured as lawmakers began their debate on the Norton nomination Monday.

The comments from Leahy and Clinton set the stage for what will likely be a spirited debate of the Ashcroft nomination, even if the outcome lacks suspense. Cabinet nominees are confirmed by simple majority votes in the Senate.

The committee may vote on the Ashcroft nomination by Tuesday afternoon, sending it to the full Senate for a vote later in the week.

Taking the floor Monday afternoon, Leahy said he took "no pleasure in this decision" to oppose a former colleague and he described Ashcroft as someone he knows and likes.

"Our guide must be constitutional duty, not friendship," Leahy said, concluding that Ashcroft's conservative views on civil rights and abortion were "divisive" and questioning his 1998 opposition to a Missouri judge's nomination to the federal bench.

"I wish the president had sent us a nomination for attorney general that would unite us rather than divide us, but that did not happen," Leahy said.

Ashcroft's nomination elicited an outcry from a diverse array of civil rights, labor and women's rights groups, but even Democrats concede the opposition does not appear strong enough to sink the nomination.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, has said he would not support a filibuster to delay the confirmation. Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, has repeatedly predicted Ashcroft's confirmation victory by a comfortable margin.

Without debate, the Senate Monday easily approved the nomination of Chao to head the Labor Department. Chao, Bush's second choice for that post, sailed through the confirmation process, winning accolades from Democrats and Republicans alike.

Chao, a former Peace Corps director and president and CEO of United Way, replaced Linda Chavez as the labor nominee. Chavez was bitterly opposed by labor groups and many Democrats for her conservative views, including opposition to a hike in the minimum wage. She withdrew her name after it was revealed she housed an illegal immigrant in the early 1990s and had her perform domestic chores.

Chao is married to Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, the powerful chairman of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, a top fundraising and recruiting arm of the Republican National Committee.

The Senate has approved 12 of Bush's Cabinet picks.

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