Posted on 10/04/2006 2:07:57 PM PDT by SmithL
NASHVILLE — Gov. Phil Bredesen said he would rather the Supreme Court wait for the fifth and final justice to be appointed to the bench before selecting a new attorney general, but he acknowledged Wednesday that there was nothing he could to stop the high court from acting sooner.
The selection of a new attorney general has already been delayed by a month because of a squabble between Bredesen and the state Judicial Selection Commission over the appointment needed to fill out the five-member Supreme Court. Public hearings with applicants for the eight-year appointment were rescheduled for next week, and the justices haven't said when they might fill the position.
Tennessee is the only state in which the Supreme Court appoints the attorney general. Most other state attorneys general are elected or are appointed by the governor.
Bredesen earlier this month sued the commission for resubmitting a Supreme Court candidate who was on a three-person panel previously dismissed by the governor.
"I think it's unfortunate that by trying to play a little too much politics, we got this very confused legal situation that needs sorting out," Bredesen said.
The four justices will have to decide on who should succeed Paul Summers, who stepped down last week after extending his term by a month.
Half the high court's current justices were appointed by Bredesen: Cornelia Clark in 2005 and Gary Wade in May. Chief Justice William Barker and Janice Holder were appointed by Bredesen's Republican predecessor, Don Sundquist.
The attorney general acts as the state's lawyer in civil court proceedings, prosecutes criminal cases before the appellate courts and provides legal advice to the Tennessee General Assembly and state agencies. The job pays $129,948 a year.
"Obviously I have huge interest who that person is, and I'm sure they would appoint someone competent," Bredesen said.
Fourteen people have applied for the job, including Bob Cooper, the top attorney in the governor's office. Cooper previously applied for an open Supreme Court seat, but was passed over by the Judicial Selection Commission.
Solicitor General Mike Moore is serving as the interim attorney general until the position is filled.
This is how our AG is "selected" in our state (TN). Undemocratic, unrepresentative, and with an inherent conflict-of-interest being chosen by the very people he argues state cases in front of. And, yup, the 'Rats made this system possible, as there has never been a Republican AG to my knowledge, and no possible way to have one appointed as Republican Conservatives cannot be appointed to the bench due to the judicial selection process. The Soviets couldn't have perfected it better.
Doesn't matter if he does it now or later, it will still be a liberal he chooses.
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