ASHCROFT PLANS GUN, DRUG-ABUSE TASK FORCES

Attorney General John Ashcroft, declaring that the large Senate vote
against him won't inhibit his conservatism, announced Monday that Justice
Department task forces will try to increase gun prosecutions and combat
drug abuse, particularly among schoolchildren.

He also said he will meet civil-rights division officials later this week,
his first meeting with a department division. The scheduled lunch with
civil-rights enforcers and the gun and drug task forces are the first steps
on Ashcroft's three priority issues.

Confirmed by a 58-42 Senate vote, the narrowest margin ever for an attorney
general, Ashcroft was asked at his first news conference if the large "no"
vote would inhibit him.

"Not really," he replied. "I don't think those votes are going to make any
difference in the way I conduct myself or in our ability to work together."

He said a tenet of his conservatism is "to take the law as it is and to
work to enforce it, not to supersede the law with your own judgment or your
own idea of what should be."

No one has been chosen to head or staff the task force on guns or the
working group on drugs, but Ashcroft's aides said the gun task force likely
would be set up first and probably would include U.S. attorneys as well as
main Justice Department officials.

Ashcroft previously has expressed a desire to expand to other cities the
federal Project Exile in Richmond, Va., in which gun offenders are given
stiff prison sentences.

Ashcroft also reiterated his concern that use of marijuana and some other
drugs has been rising.

Accused by Democrats and civil-rights groups of being insensitive on racial
matters, Ashcroft asserted he would give top priority to enforcement of
laws against discrimination.

"Discrimination is something we will not tolerate," he declared. "It's
important for Americans to understand they are not beyond the protection of
the law, nor are they beyond the reach of the law."

Ashcroft also praised Atlanta lawyer Larry D. Thompson and Washington
lawyer Theodore Olson, whose impending nominations to be deputy attorney
general and solicitor general were leaked last week but have yet to be
announced by the White House.

JUSTICE: Attorney general says enforcing civil-rights laws will also be a
top priority.