Sarah Palin defies conservative advice, names woman to Supreme Court

It's a long way away, so you don't hear it much in the lower 48. But some Alaska conservatives are scratching their heads this week over Gov. Sarah Palin's choice for a new state Supreme Court justice.

Which pleases others there and elsewhere.

Not because Palin's recent pick is only the second female such judge in the state's history -- Anchorage Superior Court Judge Morgan Christen. The current Supreme Court Chief Justice, Dana Fabe, was appointed 13 years ago by then-Gov. Tony Knowles, whose 2006 Democratic gubernatorial comeback bid was squashed by Palin's Republican reform surge.

But of the two selections offered by the independent citizens' commission, the Alaska Judicial Council, Christen was deemed the more "activist" judge by at least one state conservative organization.

The Alaska Family Council, a conservative group that opposes same-sex marriage and abortion, favored another Superior Court judge, Eric Smith of Palmer, saying he would be more inclined to resist activist judges on the five-member court. The council did not explain its opposition to Christen.

The 47-year-old Christen, who replaces a justice facing mandatory retirement at age 70, served on the board of Planned Parenthood in the 1990s before the group began performing abortions in 2003. As a career lawyer, Christen was also active for years in the Rotary Club, United Way and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Alaska.

Palin, as she has at other times in her political career this decade,  displayed an independent streak, disregarding the outside advice, and went with her own choice. During last year's presidential campaign, Palin was seen as the conservative half of the Republican ticket with Sen. John McCain.

A Palin statement said the 45-year-old governor had "every confidence that Judge Christen has the experience, intellect, wisdom and character to be an outstanding Supreme Court justice."

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photos: At top, Justice Morgan Christen. Credit: Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. Lower photo, Judge Eric Smith. Credit: KTUU-TV

Comments

[Margo]

As Palin never makes a decision without considering what it does for her own image and power, she chose the person who would make her look better. The two choices were equally "liberal," so she chose a woman who would make her look more pro-feminist.

[fsteele]

She was limited to a choice of two candidates. Ms. Christen was by far the most qualified.

http://alaskadispatch.com/tundra-talk/9-talk-of-the-tundra/956-palin-christen-and-the-political-fallout
Christen is highly qualified and was clearly the best candidate on the short list. She dominated every critical category in the Judicial Selection Survey scores and was reviewed by a higher percentage of respondents than any other candidate.

[fsteele]

Gov Palin had a list of two candidates to choose from. Christen was by far the most qualified.

http://alaskadispatch.com/tundra-talk/9-talk-of-the-tundra/956-palin-christen-and-the-political-fallout
Christen is highly qualified and was clearly the best candidate on the short list. She dominated every critical category in the Judicial Selection Survey scores and was reviewed by a higher percentage of respondents than any other candidate.

[cj]

Chris,

Wrong. Sorry. She didn't have to break the law. 2 candidates and she chose the more liberal. Imagine that. Believe it or not, before the VP run she actually ran AK as a moderate (vetoed anti-gay rights legistation). I'm not an Obama fan, but I give him props when he does stuff correct (Spem cell). Your bias is showing. Not the articles. Funny... never heard anyone complain a MSM article was bias pro-Palin before.

[VinceW]

Yes, Margo, she's a woman and a conservative. Terrible, huh? You (and all other liberals) have an unwritten rule that if you are black, female, a minority or a combination thereof, you MUST be liberal. And anyone who dares seek a conservative view MUST be a sellout, an Uncle Tom, or any other hateful names/labels you wish to apply. And you call yourselves... the progressive, compassionate, tolerant party? Compassionate about hate, no question about it.

[Ming]

When Sarah Palin ran for Vice President, so little was known about her, that even Republicans couldn't know what she would really do once in office. The recent news from Alaska is an example: a conservative group told Palin exactly whom to appoint, and Palin said NO to the conservative group. Even "conservatives" should have wondered, last Fall, if Palin would even bother to return their phone calls once she got into the Oval Office. Yes, the choice of Sarah Palin for VP was that bad.