IT'S OFFICIAL. President George W. Bush's apparent inclination, when making government appointments, to pick people who flat out oppose the main law they are meant to enforce is no longer a trend; it's a compulsion.

Last week Bush appointed a new assistant secretary of education for civil rights, charged specifically with enforcing antidiscrimination laws in schools. His choice? Gerald Reynolds, who has openly criticized the Americans with Disabilities Act – and even worked to weaken it. More than half of the complaints his office looks into concern students with disabilities.