Jeremiah Smith: “The National Sheriffs' Association wrote a letter on behalf of John Ashcroft for Attorney General. On this business…”

“The National Sheriffs' Association wrote a letter on behalf of John Ashcroft for Attorney General. On this business about Ronnie White, the truth of the matter is the individual accused of that crime, Mr. Johnson, went on a 24-hour crime spree, killed three sheriffs, killing the wife of another one at a party during the Christmas holidays, and he was given all kinds of legal defenses. Ronnie White argued that Johnson's defense team, a group of three private attorneys with extensive trial experience, had provided ineffective assistance. Fine; he has a right to do that. Ronnie White was a judge. He had a right to say this guy deserves some more help. But he also has to expect that if you make those kinds of decisions, somebody may hold that against you when you go up for another judgeship somewhere. That is all it was. That is what that was about. It wasn't about racism; it was about a judge who some of us thought--55 of us, as a matter of fact--thought shouldn't be on the court because of his views on crime. I urge my colleagues to rethink their positions and understand it is important that we understand that a President should pick his nominee and that this nominee is a fine man--one of the finest who ever served here. He should be confirmed, and I hope he will be confirmed, as the next Attorney General.”