July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
We prefer Carter's choice for AG (06/02/08)
Editorial
If you asked Indiana voters to name the attorney general of Indiana, you'd probably get blank stares.
But as our neighbors in Ohio have learned recently, it's one of those offices voters expect to be run competently. And every once in awhile, it's not run competently at all.
It is also, in both states, a political stepping-stone.
Usually you don't learn that someone has been state attorney general until they are running for higher office.
That was the rule in Indiana.
Until Steve Carter.
Carter, the current holder of that office, is a man without ambition for elective politics.
That's been good for Indiana.
Over two terms, this soft-spoken, behind-the-scenes, un-telegenic guy has quietly gone about his business serving the people of Indiana. He has never expressed an interest in running for governor or lieutenant governor or Congress.
He's only been interested in doing his job.
That hasn't brought him a lot of headlines.
Probably the two things he's most known for are his efforts to re-connect Hoosiers with abandoned property and his handling of the conflict between Conner Prairie Museum and Earlham College.
In the former, he was innovative and creative and put some money back in the pockets of the rightful owner.
In the latter, he was patient and reasonable in the face of sometimes vitriolic criticism. He was accused at the time of being politically ambitious, a charge that was laughable to anyone who ever spent five minutes with the guy.
He is, first and foremost, a lawyer. He's a guy who's trying to figure out the best way to deal with a given problem within the law. In other words, he's been a good fit as attorney general.
But now, having opted not to serve another term, he has found himself back in politics again.
Carter has recommended his right-hand man, Greg Zoeller, as the Republican party nominee to be his successor. In doing so, he has won approval from two members of Congress, former Vice President Dan Quayle, three district chairs, and 22 county GOP chairman.
Ordinarily, that would be enough. But Gov. Mitch Daniels, showing signs of boss-ism, has hand-picked his own choice and lined up five district chairs and 29 county chairman along with a bunch of mayors and legislators.
Should a governor be in the position of hand-picking the next state attorney general, given that by doing so he'd be creating his party's next front-runner for governor?
Probably not.
Much of the Daniels administration has been about power politics over the past four years, and this seems to be coming from the same playbook.
That may be the way Mitch would play it. But we'd prefer the Carter method.
There's a lot to be said for competence and independence.- J.R.
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But as our neighbors in Ohio have learned recently, it's one of those offices voters expect to be run competently. And every once in awhile, it's not run competently at all.
It is also, in both states, a political stepping-stone.
Usually you don't learn that someone has been state attorney general until they are running for higher office.
That was the rule in Indiana.
Until Steve Carter.
Carter, the current holder of that office, is a man without ambition for elective politics.
That's been good for Indiana.
Over two terms, this soft-spoken, behind-the-scenes, un-telegenic guy has quietly gone about his business serving the people of Indiana. He has never expressed an interest in running for governor or lieutenant governor or Congress.
He's only been interested in doing his job.
That hasn't brought him a lot of headlines.
Probably the two things he's most known for are his efforts to re-connect Hoosiers with abandoned property and his handling of the conflict between Conner Prairie Museum and Earlham College.
In the former, he was innovative and creative and put some money back in the pockets of the rightful owner.
In the latter, he was patient and reasonable in the face of sometimes vitriolic criticism. He was accused at the time of being politically ambitious, a charge that was laughable to anyone who ever spent five minutes with the guy.
He is, first and foremost, a lawyer. He's a guy who's trying to figure out the best way to deal with a given problem within the law. In other words, he's been a good fit as attorney general.
But now, having opted not to serve another term, he has found himself back in politics again.
Carter has recommended his right-hand man, Greg Zoeller, as the Republican party nominee to be his successor. In doing so, he has won approval from two members of Congress, former Vice President Dan Quayle, three district chairs, and 22 county GOP chairman.
Ordinarily, that would be enough. But Gov. Mitch Daniels, showing signs of boss-ism, has hand-picked his own choice and lined up five district chairs and 29 county chairman along with a bunch of mayors and legislators.
Should a governor be in the position of hand-picking the next state attorney general, given that by doing so he'd be creating his party's next front-runner for governor?
Probably not.
Much of the Daniels administration has been about power politics over the past four years, and this seems to be coming from the same playbook.
That may be the way Mitch would play it. But we'd prefer the Carter method.
There's a lot to be said for competence and independence.- J.R.
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