Gonzales Earns Praise, Despite Lack of Policy Change

None of those priorities is particularly at odds with the agenda pursued by Ashcroft during his four years in office, however, and there are no signs of major policy shifts in law enforcement or counterterrorism coming from the White House. Viet D. Dinh, a Georgetown University law professor who headed the department's Office of Legal Policy under Ashcroft, said "a mid-course correction" is unlikely because "the Justice Department is on the right course."

"Both Ashcroft and Gonzales in their own way were the right person at the right time," Dinh said. "General Ashcroft was seeking to restore confidence amid fears of a terrorist threat. General Gonzales is seeking to restore confidence amid fears of governmental overreach."

Indeed, a great deal of Gonzales's time during his first months in office has been spent trying to reassure lawmakers and interest groups about the government's conduct in the war on terrorism. In Senate testimony, for example, Gonzales for the first time released detailed statistics about how the FBI and Justice had used surveillance and search powers under the Patriot Act. He reported that the government had yet to use the law to seize library records.

Gonzales's appearances on Capitol Hill garnered glowing reviews from lawmakers, including Democrats such as Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), who had opposed his nomination in January.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in an interview that Gonzales "has gotten off to a good start," but added that "it's too early to say a whole lot more." Specter said Gonzales still may need to be more flexible in considering changes to the Patriot Act, parts of which are set to expire later this year.

"It's very much to his credit that he's been willing to meet with all sides on the Patriot Act," said Specter, a former federal prosecutor. "He's gotten some good notices on that because his predecessor didn't do it. Around here in Washington, if you meet with people and give them a hearing, it goes a long way."

Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, which sharply criticized Ashcroft throughout his tenure, said that he welcomed the "change in tone" and that Gonzales was receptive during a recent meeting.

But Romero and other critics also said they remained concerned about Gonzales's close ties to the White House and the role that he played in formulating legal policies concerning torture and interrogations, which were the central theme of his confirmation hearings.

Gonzales attracted Democratic criticism last week for holding a news conference to urge an "up-or-down vote" on judicial nominees in the Senate -- the theme Republicans have sounded as they seek to end filibusters for judicial candidates. He also sought to minimize a court opinion he wrote as a Texas judge that criticized a current judicial nominee and two other judges for an "unconscionable act of judicial activism" in seeking to restrict a minor's right to an abortion.

"He has a compelling life story, he has an agreeable demeanor, yet there was an enormous outcry over his confirmation," Romero said. "It appears to be more business as usual, at least for now, and that he's just testing the waters. . . . I don't think the American public will be deceived if it's just a smile and a softer edge."