Administration Settles on a New Rights Nominee
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Senior Administration officials say President Clinton will soon nominate John Payton, a Washington lawyer, to head the Justice Department’s civil rights division, despite sharp reservations from some members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Officials said on Friday that Mr. Payton, the corporation counsel for the District of Columbia, remained the first choice for the job and that complaints from a handful of black lawmakers would not dissuade the President from announcing the nomination soon. “We haven’t wavered at all on our commitment to go ahead with our top choice for that slot,” said Webster L. Hubbell, the Associate Attorney General. Mr. Hubbell, who oversees Justice Department issues with political dimensions, declined to name the lawyer who is the “top choice,” but other Administration officials identified the person as Mr. Payton. Questions of Commitment The nomination has been delayed to allow Mr. Payton, who is black, to address concerns of some members of the Congressional Black Caucus, like his commitment to voting rights. The issue of Mr. Payton’s acceptability to some black legislators arose earlier this week when he met in a group with most of the 40 members of the caucus. Some lawmakers at the meeting were angered that Mr. Payton had neglected to vote in his more than 16 years as a Washington resident. Representative Earl F. Hilliard, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, said through a spokesman that he was “concerned about the nomination, due to the fact that this individual would be charged with enforcing the Voting Rights Act.” Mr. Hilliard said that he and other blacks had “fought long and hard” to obtain the right to vote and that he wanted to be reassured of Mr. Payton’s commitment to voting rights. “We don’t need another Clarence Thomas,” he said, referring to the Supreme Court’s only black Justice, who is widely disliked by many black officials for his conservative views. No Unblemished Choices Mr. Payton is scheduled to meet next week with Representative Hilliard and the other caucus members who have expressed reservations. Mr. Hubbell said: “You’re not going to find a candidate who is not going to have a blemish. If John is the nominee, I’m sure he will be questioned about it and he will be glad to explain it.” Underlying the back-and-forth surrounding the Payton nomination is a test of muscle-flexing on the part of the black caucus. Its members reacted angrily to Mr. Clinton’s withdrawal of his first choice for the post of Assistant Attorney General in charge of the civil rights division, Lani Guinier. Support Not Assured More : query.nytimes.com |