Sarah Palin you get to pick a new Supreme Court Justice! Come on down!

This will be Palin's third appointment to the state's high court, which means she will have named a majority of the five-member court in her less than three years in office. But she won't get to pick whomever she wants from the full list of 25 applicants. In an effort to take politics out of judicial appointments, the state Constitution decrees that the Alaska Judicial Council first narrow down the field and then present at least two finalists as the "most qualified" for Palin to choose from.

Palin has been keenly anticipating the decision, sending a message last week via the Internet social media Twitter (which limits messages to 140 characters) saying "Look forward to today's staff discussion re: my 3rd justice appt to highest court in 3 yrs. Supreme Court truly effects AK's future..."

Did anybody else feel that chill run up their spine?

Okay Grypehn don't panic. Remember last time out she actually picked a pro-choice advocate and moderate for this position. She might do the same again.

Or not.

Also on the list is Anchorage attorney Kevin Clarkson, who represented five state lawmakers who unsuccessfully sued to stop the Legislature's "Troopergate" investigation of Palin last fall when she was the Republican nominee for vice president. They argued the investigation was unfair but the courts declined to put a stop to the inquiry.

Uh oh.

Governor Palin has a history of putting her friends and high school classmates into positions of power. Would she consider giving Clarkson this position by way of thanks for interfering with justice during the Troopergate investigation? Damn skippy!


The judicial council must now evaluate the applicants. That process will include background investigations, a survey of members of the Alaska Bar Association, solicitation of public comment, and interviews with the applicants.

Council members will then vote in a public meeting on which names to give Palin.

Well that should keep Palin from making this a purely political gift to one of her friends. Boy those writers of the Alaskan Constitution were a smart bunch weren't they?

The judicial council has seven members. Three are public members appointed by the governor, three are attorneys, and the other is the current chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court, Dana Fabe.

So we have potentially three votes in Sarah's pocket, three unknown votes, and Chief Justice Dana Fabe, who was appointed by then Governor Tony Knowles. Sounds pretty close to fair to me.

Besides October is a long way out there. No telling WHAT could happen between now and then.