ASHCROFT'S INTRUSION

For weeks, the Bush administration has been urging Americans to get back to
business as usual. On Tuesday, Attorney General John Ashcroft did exactly that.

He turned his attention away from terrorism to the agenda of social and
religious conservatives. He told federal agents to start taking action
against doctors who prescribe lethal drugs at the request of terminally ill
patients.

This, of course, is one of the most emotional and heart-wrenching issues
doctors and patients face, not just publicly in the ideological climate of
today, but privately at bedside when pain and hopelessness set in.

There have always been physicians quietly willing to ease their patients'
deaths. But with his order, Mr. Ashcroft was focusing specifically on
Oregon physicians.

By law, doctors there may write prescriptions for terminally ill patients
who want to die. The rules are specific: Two physicians must agree that a
patient has less than six months to live and that he or she is mentally
competent to make the choice to die.

There are obvious ironies in Mr. Ashcroft's action: Republicans have long
championed the idea of strong state governments, which are closer to the
people. Mr. Ashcroft is undercutting state government here.

Further, Republicans have traditionally opposed government telling people
how to run their lives, which is exactly what Mr. Ashcroft is doing.

And he is doing so by fiat. Oregonians voted for the law; two years ago,
Congress declined to overturn it. Mr. Ashcroft is imposing moral rules that
failed during the democratic process.

A "heavy-handed and brazen usurpation of state sovereignty" and an "insult
to Oregon and its government that have regulated assisted dying carefully
and responsibly for four years": That's what one sponsor of the ballot
measure thought of Mr. Ashcroft's action this week.

She was right. No doubt this case is headed to court -- with Republicans
arguing for the triumph of big government, and Democrats for home rule.

Actually, the Death With Dignity Act is working as many moderate
Republicans would wish. Only about 70 Oregonians -- 17 or 18 a year -- have
asked to die.

That makes this law in tune with two very Republican concepts: the
importance of individual freedom and a belief that less government is more.