(Syndicated to Kansas newspapers Feb. 11, 2013)
The folks in black robes…
We gotta think that only a politician would tell a judge “boy, that black robe really makes you look heavy.”
No, Gov. Sam Brownback didn’t actually say that, but he came close, and now he needs a favor from those folks whose work clothes are…black robes.
Here’s the situation: First, the governor wants to get rid of the Supreme Court Nominating Commission, which forwards to governors the names of candidates for the Kansas Supreme Court. That’s a little like questioning the parentage of a purebred dog. Not quite calling the court a panel of mongrels, but it creates, well, let’s call it friction.