Cheney said, ''I think it's clearly the role of the attorney general to enforce the laws that are on the books and execute based on the decisions that the court's made in various areas. And that's clearly what John Ashcroft should do and what he committed to do as attorney general. That doesn't mean that there might not be efforts on the part of the administration to do what we said during the campaign. Both President Bush and I talked about the desirability of trying to find ways to reduce the incidence of abortion.

''Even if you could not, at this stage, build majority support for the notion of changing Roe v. Wade, there are other areas out there where I think we can get majority support for, such as banning partial-birth abortions. Legislation passed the Congress, was vetoed by President Clinton. I would hope we could go back and redo that. There are other areas: advocating abstinence, making adoptions easier, working to encourage alternatives to abortion I think that are things we would do as an administration.''

At this point, Russert asked, ''But you won't seek to overturn Roe v. Wade?''

Cheney relied, ''I didn't say that. I said that John Ashcroft, as you said, is specifically committed to, in his testimony, as he should, as the attorney general of the United States, to carrying out established law. And that's established law. President Bush and I have talked - both of us strong supporters of the prolife position - and the president's made it very clear the policy of this administration will be to try and find ways to reduce the incidence of abortion.''

That answer, ''I didn't say that,'' is the hook.

During the presidendial campaign, Bush talked about being against abortion only if someone asked him about it. And when he did, he talked as if America was light years away from overturning the Roe decision establishing a woman's right to an abortion.

How quickly that changed. In his first major announcement as president, Bush banned US funds to family planning clinics overseas if they breathe the word abortion. Despite being approved last year by the Food and Drug Administration, the Bush administration will subject the pill to further review.

If Bush and Cheney will not declare that they will not seek to overturn the Roe decision that established the right of women to have an abortion, then what else is next?

Whatever it is, Bush's record as governor of Texas assures that Bush will fight long and hard to achieve whatever restrictions he can enact.

Bush pushed for a new law requiring parental notification before a minor daughter can have an abortion. It was the agenda item most dear to Texas antiabortionists. Bill Price, president of Texans for Life, said, ''This will be our Super Bowl.''

It took five of Bush's six years as governor to get the law passed, but when he finally signed it, the right wing did not forget who was the savior. Price said, ''I'm euphoric. It's the most significant piece of legislation passed in Texas since abortion was legalized. We've finally breached the wall.'' He also said, ''We wouldn't be here today if the governor hadn't been 100 percent on board.''

Texas Christian Coalition executive director Chuck Anderson added, ''This legislation will serve as the catalyst for further activity of religious conservative voters in the coming elections. They have tasted victory and will certainly be coming back for even more.''

In Texas, Bush was slick. He picked the antiabortion measure that was the least offensive. Parent notification is so popular that 4 out of 5 states have it. In the White House, Bush started with the least offensive anti-abortion measure. The dilemmas of pregnant girls in India or Zaire are invisible to Americans.

Bush and Cheney cannot much longer remain invisible in their lurching movements to overturn Roe v. Wade. They cannot keep the velvet fist from being seen as a blunt instrument.

When Russert asked Cheney, ''But you won't seek to overturn Roe v. Wade?'' and Cheney responded, ''I didn't say that,'' you can assume that the White House is rearing back for another right-wing hook. We just do not know which jaw they are aiming at.

© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company

###