Some Democrats have raised a lot of opposition to former Sen. John Ashcroft’s designation as attorney general. Ashcroft should face tough questioning by the Senate, but many in the party have gone too far.Ashcroft is very conservative. He opposes abortion, even in cases involving rape or incest. Some Democrats have gone so far as to say Ashcroft’s anti-abortion views would preclude him from prosecuting abortion-clinic bombings. He’s pro-life, not pro-terrorism. Others charge Ashcroft with racism, but Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Judiciary Committee’s senior Democrat, told CNN, “I think all of us who know him, know that charge would not stick.” Ashcroft is receiving opposition not so much from the Senate, the only governing body responsible for consenting to Cabinet picks, but from other liberal groups. Black and abortion-rights activists in particular are outraged by Bush’s pick.It’s important that Cabinet picks are rigorously examined by the Senate. However, the more liberals exaggerate their accusations — such as saying Ashcroft opposes basic civil rights or Interior Secretary-designate Gale Norton is “pro-pollution” — the less believable they are.Those who oppose Ashcroft are missing the big picture. Bush made an amazingly diverse array of Cabinet picks, including socially liberal Christie Todd Whitman, abortion rights and affirmative action supporter Colin Powell and Democrat Norman Mineta.But Bush’s job isn’t just to unite himself with Democrats; he has to reach out to his own party, too. And that means some conservative Cabinet selections. Democrats should remember “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” and save their energy to fight the really important battles — like Supreme Court nominations.

editorialboard: Carrie Tett, Greg Jerrett, Katie Goldsmith, Andrea Hauser and Jocelyn Marcus