Document View

William Lucas's nomination to become the nation's civil rights chief received two heavy blows, as a crucial black supporter withdrew his support and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said he was leaning against the nomination.

In an unusual move, Rep. John Conyers (D., Mich.) withdrew his endorsement before the committee only a day after introducing Mr. Lucas for the post of assistant attorney general for civil rights.

Mr. Conyers, who is a leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he changed his mind after reading the nominee's views about recent Supreme Court decisions regarding discrimination. "If you can't figure out that these cases are cutting back on civil rights," Mr. Conyers said, "Then we can't wait around for you to become assistant attorney general."

Copyright Dow Jones & Company Inc Jul 21, 1989

WASHINGTON -- William Lucas's nomination to become the nation's civil rights chief received two heavy blows, as a crucial black supporter withdrew his support and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said he was leaning against the nomination.

In an unusual move, Rep. John Conyers (D., Mich.) withdrew his endorsement before the committee only a day after introducing Mr. Lucas for the post of assistant attorney general for civil rights.

Mr. Conyers, who is a leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he changed his mind after reading the nominee's views about recent Supreme Court decisions regarding discrimination. "If you can't figure out that these cases are cutting back on civil rights," Mr. Conyers said, "Then we can't wait around for you to become assistant attorney general."

In testimony Wednesday, Mr. Lucas, a 61-year-old black lawyer from Detroit, said recent decisions that made it more difficult for minorities to win discrimination suits would cause "no significant changes in the laws."

Several senators, including Edward Kennedy (D., Mass.) and Arlen Specter (R., Pa.), took strong issue with that interpretation Wednesday.

Taking a different tack, committee Chairman Joseph Biden (D., Del.) said he was "now inclined to vote against" the nomination because he questioned Mr. Lucas's commitment to civil rights.

"I was quite frankly surprised, when I asked this black man . . . if we were moving in the right direction or wrong direction on civil rights, and he didn't have an opinion," Sen. Biden said. Fellow Democrat Paul Simon of Illinois joined the chairman in seeking some kind of "leadership and commitment to moving ahead with civil rights" from the nominee.

That still leaves five Republicans and one Democrat, Dennis DeConcini of Arizona, on the 14-man committee firmly behind the nomination. Mr. Biden joins Howard Metzenbaum (D., Ohio), who has attacked Mr. Lucas's personal ethics as Wayne County sheriff and executive, in leaning against the nomination. The remaining Democrats, while sharply questioning Mr. Lucas, haven't said which way they will vote.

Mr. Specter, the key swing vote, also hasn't committed, but has expressed deep doubts about the nominee's knowledge of constitutional law. "I plan to press him further on the four recent Supreme Court cases," he said in an interview, admitting he remained unsatisfied with Mr. Lucas's answers Wednesday.

Several civil rights groups, including the NAACP, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and the Women's Legal Defense Fund, exploited those doubts, claiming that Mr. Lucas's lack of legal expertise and experience should disqualify him.

"Mr. Lucas does not have the training and background to understand the litigation process," said Elaine Jones of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Mr. Lucas has never handled a civil rights suit or tried a case in court. "I am new to the law," he admitted to senators Wednesday.

But the Southern Christian Leadership Conference has come out for the nomination. It cited Mr. Lucas's substantial managerial experience in law enforcement and his successful rise through the ranks from a poor birth in Harlem. Several law enforcement organizations also made appearances to vouch for Mr. Lucas's character and commitment to civil rights.

A vote on the nomination may come next week at the earliest, but some senators have said they may call Mr. Lucas to testify again to clear up questions about his legal knowledge and ethical standards. Questions plaguing the nomination include: court decisions that have found Mr. Lucas tolerated police brutality and jail overcrowding; his acceptance of free transportation from a reputed Las Vegas racketeer; omissions and misstatements on a 1981 New York bar application; and a fine for failing to declare $8,884 of merchandise to the U.S. Customs Service in 1985.

Bush administration officials and supporters remained confident that Mr. Lucas will be confirmed. "It should come as no surprise that the nominee supports the president's views on the Supreme Court cases," said Justice Department spokesman David Runkel.

"There's no retreat here or in the White House," said committee member Gordon Humphrey (R., N.H.).

Credit: Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal