Meanwhile, some Republicans continued to blast Democrats for delays, saying some presidential candidates attacked Leavitt only to curry favor with environmental groups. Among those who placed holds on Leavitt were presidential candidates Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn.; John Kerry, D-Mass.; and John Edwards, D-N.C.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said that amounted to political blackmail. "Gov. Leavitt's reputation falls victim to unwarranted and disrespectful attacks. . . . It's sad to say but it's clearly true that when it come to obstruction — it's not just for judges any more."

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., said attacks and delays against Leavitt were little more than "threats extremist groups use to raise money."

Historic post

Leavitt would be the second Utah governor to join a presidential Cabinet. The first was former Gov. George Dern, who was Franklin D. Roosevelt's first secretary of war.

Other Utahns who served in the Cabinet were Ezra Taft Benson, Dwight D. Eisenhower's secretary of agriculture; David Kennedy, treasury secretary under Richard Nixon; and Terrel H. Bell, Ronald Reagan's secretary of education.

While the EPA administrator is not a formal part of the Cabinet, recent presidents, since George H.W. Bush, have included them informally in Cabinet deliberations. Congress is considering legislation to add the EPA formally to the Cabinet.

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Contributing: Bob Bernick Jr.

E-MAIL: lee@desnews.com