Streisand: Just Say No

By Stephen M. Silverman

Friday June 05, 1998 12:00 AM EDT

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Barbra Streisand has lent her mellifluent voice to oppose George W. Bush's choice for attorney general, former Missouri Senator John Ashcroft. The star, 58, a staunch supporter of President Clinton and an active campaigner for Al Gore, personally called 15 U.S. senators in order to underscore Ashcroft's archly conservative record and to ask the politicians to vote against him, reports Variety. "We live in a great country," Streisand is quoted as having told the senators, who were not specifically identified in the news item. "We allow a woman the right of choice over her own body. We have some basic gun-control laws. We have affirmative action. We have laws that protect the environment. We have separation of church and state. We have laws that guarantee protection of civil rights and liberties. Why would we allow the chief law enforcement officer to be a person who doesn't believe in any of these laws?" Despite Streisand's stance, and the opposition of several others, Ashcroft, who is also 58, is expected to be confirmed as attorney general. On Thursday the Democrats officially announced they would not oppose his nomination.