Judges Free at Last to be Chained to Money

...Minnesota faces the prospect of allowing its judges and judicial candidates to declare political affiliations and seek campaign contributions...

For too long, judges have been dragged down by the bulky weight of independent thought, independence from campaigning, independence from special interests, and barbells. At last, they can soar through the sky, their wings lifted by attack ads, promises to big donors, conflicts of interests, and pungent waves of smog.

"More money will probably be involved, but that's OK because it takes money in order to get a message out to people so that they have some understanding of what candidates are about," said Greg Wersal, a Golden Valley lawyer who sued to change Minnesota judicial elections.

Wersal acknowledged that excesses and abuses might occur, but added, "What we hope for is that the voters figure this out and if they think that a candidate is going over the boundaries, they won't vote for them."

Clearly this is a well-reasoned man who is a veteran of American elections. That, or he lives in a make-believe land where ballots are made of pixie dust, lawyers ride unicorns and spread liberty to helpless non-Americans, and the Minnesota Twins spend money on good hitters. It's a toss-up.

What's certain is his skill with the English language. Too harsh? Siberian winters are too harsh. Demanding English language perfection is a civic duty, like voting or sending love letters to the governor.

(What we can look forward to.)