Mr. Thompson, a friend of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has won grudging praise from liberals for refusing to declare affirmative action is unconstitutional and for resigning from an organization that opposes it. Mr. James, who is known for taking a tough line in advising corporations how to avoid anti-trust problems, will take over the Microsoft case and watch over pending airline mergers. Along with the minorities in his cabinet and at the top of his White House staff, these appointments not only put Mr. Bush in the same diversity league as former president Bill Clinton, the higher rank of some of them puts Mr. Bush in front. This is interesting because it is perceived so differently by conservatives and liberals. Liberals claim that the latest nominations are a response to their cries for fairness, even though neither of these black men is known as a liberal.
Conservatives say it is just a coincidence that the appointees are black.
More neutral experts say that whatever the motives behind the appointments, they portend moderation in policy at the Justice Department even as liberals fear the worst from Mr. Ashcroft. Mr. Bush also settled an internal White House dispute in favor of his national security adviser, Condoleeza Rice, a black woman. Vice President Richard Cheney, who is a member of the Security Council, wanted to pull rank and run the council meetings. Mr. Bush overruled him. Perhaps the Bush administration has found its own way of celebrating Black History Month.