JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle is among those questioning the pardons. CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is on Capitol Hill. Bob Daschle, of course, a Democrat.</s>BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A Democrat, and many of the Democrats privately will tell you they're quite embarrassed by this, although in fairness, somebody has to point out that in each of these cases, President -- then President Clinton, now former -- said that there was a rationale. In the case of Rich, for instance, there were many questions about whether he was fairly prosecuted. Those were the kinds of things that come up, although on the other hand, you have to point out that the person who represented him was the former White House counsel Jack Quinn, and many people are raising the question about whether or not this was just somebody -- him taking advantage of his position. The other point is is in Washington that goes on every day.</s>MESERVE: Bob, another thing I want to ask you about: Of course, the Ashcroft nomination -- what's the status of that now?</s>FRANKEN: Well, it's sort of in this state of limbo. The Democrats delayed committee consideration of it amid the probability that he is going to be confirmed. They're trying to gin up some sort of controversy, they're raising questions about his telling the truth during the hearings, raising questions about, for instance, whether he in fact has never discriminated against gays. We're all familiar now that he brought out somebody who said that when he was being considered for being hired, way back in 1985, that there was some questions that -- to put it simply -- were questionable -- Jeanne.
Many Question Clinton's Final Pardons; Ashcroft Confirmation Held Up in Senate