Casinos leery of Ashcroft selection

Thursday, Jan. 11, 2001 | 9:01 a.m.

Ashcroft, a conservative Republican with ties to the religious right, called gambling a "cancer on the soul of our nation" during a February 1998 speech to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Biloxi.

Several months later in St. Louis, Ashcroft delivered another blistering attack on the industry at the convention of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, headed by the Rev. Tom Grey, one of gambling's fiercest enemies.

Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association, the industry's Washington lobby, said he's concerned that gambling's political foes will have an ear with the Bush administration if Ashcroft is confirmed by the Senate.

"He's definitely opposed to gaming," Fahrenkopf told the Las Vegas Sun. "We hope his personal fears won't interfere with the legal activities of gambling."

Industry lobbyists are hoping the Judiciary Committee will press the former Missouri senator when his confirmation hearing begins about how he intends to treat gambling in the Bush administration.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said President-elect Bush's selection of Ashcroft "does not bode well for Nevada.

"I think it's quite clear that it is not an asset to the gaming industry to have him as attorney general," Reid said.

But Reid, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said Ashcroft's views on gambling won't be enough to kill his nomination.

"There's nothing at this stage that will prevent him from being attorney general. The key is what other things are in his background?"

Ashcroft has come under fire in Washington because of his right-wing views and reported insensitivity to minorities.

Reid said Ashcroft's nomination confirms the senator's worst fears expressed during the presidential race that Bush was easily influenced by the religious right, which has been mounting a campaign against Nevada's leading industry.

But Gov. Kenny Guinn said he remains convinced that Bush will continue to be a friend to Nevada.

Though Bush has spoken out against gambling in Texas, he has told Guinn that gambling has been a success in Nevada and should continue.

Guinn, however, said he intends to watch Ashcroft's confirmation process closely.

"I would be seriously concerned about any candidate who has an anti-gaming position and has expressed an anti-gaming position," the governor said. "If it becomes evident that we have a problem here, we certainly will be obligated to speak out."

Grey, meanwhile, said he expects gambling, especially in matters involving allegations of crime and corruption, would get more scrutiny under Ashcroft.

"For the past eight years under President Clinton, gambling has in a sense gotten a free pass," Grey said. "I think there's an opportunity now to set a new tone in Washington."

Ashcroft lost his re-election bid last fall to Democratic Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan, who had been killed in a plane crash. Carnahan's widow, Jean, was named to the Senate seat.