Rumors Fly on See’s Supreme Seat
Wow… rumors are already flying about who will support whom in next year’s race to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Harold See.
One rumor said that Bill Thompson wanted to run for the seat but already backed down after the Business Council of Alabama told him that it would support Kelli Wise.
To that, a source close to the board of BCA’s ProgressPAC said, “There is a process for endorsing candidates and no specific action has been taken,” and added, “Of course, a member of the board could give an opinion on what the board might do.” The source dismissed the idea that BCA or its ProgressPAC had already endorsed a candidate as “idle chatter.” The board would not normally expect to endorse a candidate before next year though See’s resignation would “clearly generate discussion” at the ProgressPAC board meeting in a couple of weeks.
Related Articles:
(R) Jeff Sessions (1-19)
(D) Vivian Figures (33-1)
(D) Artur Davis (1-49)
(R) Mike Hubbard (13-1)
(?) David Bronner (OFF)
Good God! If the rumor is true that BCA would prefer Kelly Wise over Bill Thompson, then the BCA has its collective head even farther up its a#$ than I thought possible. Thompson is one of the better appellate jurists, while(Un)wise is just an utter moron.
Comment by Derf — August 1, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
The bottom line is that the BCA has no interest in endorsing or supporting a capable jurist. They want someone that can be depended on to rule in favor of their members regardless of the facts or the law. Wise is the perfect Stepford judge.
Comment by Roy — August 1, 2007 @ 1:07 pm
It is starting to get ridiculous with these elections. If this is true, it shows the primaries have much more power than what most people think and how behind the scenes manipulation can take place to carefully “select”, rather, than elect party nominees, and this goes for both parties. Of course, Thompson could still run. It is not like he would be blocked from qualifying, which actually did happen in a Jefferson County race last year. This race would be too much in the public eye for the powers that be at a state level party to pull that off like they did in Jefferson County.
Comment by Barbara — August 1, 2007 @ 2:00 pm
Also, Wise v. Paseur definitely blunts A LOT of what the Dems plan on running on. (Harder to paint a woman as evil/in the pocket of people, etc)
Comment by Anonymous — August 1, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
Don’t forget that Wise has a “free run” in that her current judgeship runs until after the 2012 elections. Thompson’s judgeship runs out after the 2008 elections (he beat Thigpen back in 1996 and had token opposition in 2002). A Thompson run for the high court would be “win or go home” for sure.
Comment by anonymous — August 1, 2007 @ 3:23 pm
Kelli Wise would be great…. if the court wants to have a wet t-shirt contest. Otherwise, she wuld be a joke. She is not a legal scholar and doesn’t work very hard at her current position. What happenbed to the days when Supreme Court Justices were the best and the brightest. Mrs. Wise may be a nice person, but she’s not the best we can do.
Comment by Geoff — August 1, 2007 @ 8:02 pm
Wise used to play pool with former democratic party executive director Phil Kenney. He’s got the pictures to prove it and these would certainly come out during the campaign. She should stay put and wait for her judicial retirement to kick in.
Comment by Cliff — August 1, 2007 @ 8:17 pm
What exactly would these pictures prove? That she shooting playing pool?
Comment by Anonymous — August 1, 2007 @ 9:07 pm
Judge Tommy Bryan has the inside track to get business endorsements to replace See. He is everything Wise is not.
Comment by David — August 2, 2007 @ 8:05 am
Does that mean that Judge Tommy is not a nice person and would not be great in a wet t-shirt contest?
Comment by Shirley Wecandobetter — August 2, 2007 @ 9:08 am
LOL…. so what some Democrat has pics of Judge Wise playing pool with him?
You Democrats are funny Ill give you that. Thats about as funny
as you guys implying that Judge Thomas was holding secret klan
meetings in the woods of Cullman County last fall with pot
belly hee haw looking white guys.
Comment by jason — August 2, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
I have it on good authority that Thompson was the first choice of
the business groups but he didn’t want to run because he is up for
reelection to the Civil Appeals court in ‘08. Because Wise is a
woman and the democrats are running a woman, they asked Wise to run.
She was recently reelected to the Criminal Appeals court and has been
on that court for awhile.
To my knowledge, the other names mentioned on this board have not
been in the mix yet. I suppose that if Wise wants it it is hers
to turn down right now.
Comment by Ken — August 2, 2007 @ 2:34 pm
How about Greg Shaw? He worked for the Supreme Court for a coon’s age before putting a robe of his own on.
Comment by a n o n — August 7, 2007 @ 10:41 am