Results matching “shurtleff”

Since it first opened its doors in July, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been unable to exercise its full authority as promulgated under Dodd-Frank. Without a confirmed director, the CFPB cannot extend its oversight to non-bank consumer lenders, arguably the most essential to its intended role.

The White House's greatest obstacle has been trying to convince a block of 44 Senate Republicans who have written a letter pledging to filibuster the confirmation of Obama's nominee, former Ohio Attorney General, Richard Cordray. Despite Cordray's alarming record as Ohio's AG, more specifically his contracts with private attorneys on a contingency-fee basis to handle the state's lawsuits, Senate Republicans refuse to confirm Cordray because of concerns about the CFPB's leadership structure, authority and funding.

In response, the Obama administration has decided to take its message to the people via media, public appearances and an information campaign targeting seven states in particular: Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Nevada, Tennessee and Utah. The goal is to lobby the Senators deemed most likely to change their minds by encouraging public pressure from constituents.

Simultaneously, state AGs and other officials have already joined the effort to gain the 60 votes necessary for a vote that may come as early as Thursday. Even Republican Attorney General Mark Shurtleff of Utah has come forward to support Cordray in this effort.

Coincidentally, both Democrat Cordray and Republican Shurtleff are among the eight "leaders" of state AGs recognized for their unsavory alliances with trial lawyers. The White House seeks to frame this confirmation debate as a choice between either protecting the financial industry or the middle class however, Cordray's record as Ohio's AG and the broad authority delegated to the CFPB director and State AGs by Dodd-Frank may paint a different picture.

This spring sixteen state attorneys general filed an amicus brief with the Rhode Island Supreme Court in support of the state's public nuisance suit against former lead paint manufacturers, a dubious cause if there ever were one. The roster of signers includes quite a few AGs whose closeness to trial-lawyer interests has caused us unease in the past, including Drew Edmondson (Oklahoma), Darrell McGraw (West Virginia), Beau Biden (Delaware), Dustin McDaniel (Arkansas), Jack Conway (Kentucky), and since-disgraced Marc Dann (Ohio). Rounding out the sixteen are William Sorrell (Vermont), Steven Rowe (Maine), Gary King (New Mexico), Hardy Myers (Oregon), Robert Cooper (Tennessee), Mark Bennett (Hawaii), Mark Shurtleff (Utah), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada), and Alicia Limtiaco (Guam), along with one from whom we certainly would have expected better, Bill McCollum (Florida).

What may actually be most interesting about this list is who's missing. No Andrew Cuomo (New York) or Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut). No Jerry Brown (California) or Lisa Madigan (Illinois) or Martha Coakley (Massachusetts) or Douglas Gansler (Maryland). Maybe there's some part of the story we're missing, and some or all of these AGs are still destined to weigh in on the wrong side. But assuming they won't, let's take this opportunity, for which there not that many occasions on this site, to congratulate the attorneys general of New York, California, etc. for their good sense and good judgment.

In addition to the West Virginia race described in Walter's post immediately below (the tightest AG race in the nation), here's a roundup of the ten other state attorneys general races I've been able to get information on (percentages are approximate):

Indiana -- Incumbent Steve Carter (R) defeated Joseph Hogsett (D), 58%-42%. (John Tuohy, "Voters re-elect GOP's Carter," Indianapolis Star, Nov. 3.)

Missouri -- Incumbent Jay Nixon (D) won a fourth term in his race against Chris Byrd (R), 60%-38%.

Montana -- Incumbent Mike McGrath (D) was unopposed for a second term.

North Carolina -- Incumbent Roy Cooper (D) beat Joe Knott (R), 55%-45%. (Bruce Siceloff, "Cooper re-elected handily," Raleigh News-Observer, Nov. 3.)

North Dakota -- Incumbent Wayne Stenehjem (R) defeated Bruce Schoenwald (D) by the largest margin of the night, 73%-27%.

Oregon -- Incumbent Hardy Myers (D) won a third term by beating Paul Connolly (R), 55%-40%.

Pennsylvania -- In the race to fill the seat vacated by Mike Fisher (now a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit), Tom Corbett (R) beat Jim Eisenhower (D), 51%-49%. ("Corbett has slight lead," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Nov. 3.)

Utah -- Incumbent Mark Shurtleff (R) defeated Gregory Skordas (D), 67%-33%. (Zack Van Eyck, "GOP retains 3 state posts," Deseret Morning News, Nov. 3.)

Vermont -- Incumbent William Sorrell (D) won a fourth (2-year) term by defeating Dennis Carver (R), 65%-35%.

Washington -- In the race to succeed Democrat Christine Gregoire (who may or may not be the next governor of the state), Rob McKenna (R) defeated Deborah Senn (D), 55%-45%. (Stuart Eskenazi, "McKenna declaring victory in campaign for attorney general," Seattle Times, Nov. 3.)

Bottom line: In the 2 races for open seats, the GOP picked up Washington, and held on to Pennsylvania -- both Kerry states (by 53% and 51%, respectively).

One question: It looks as though the second term of Maine's Steven Rowe (D) ends this year. I have it on good authority that the Maine AG is appointed by the legislature, but I can't find any evidence of Rowe being re-appointed. Can anyone shed any light on this?

Finally, Ken Salazar's successful race for the U.S. Senate seat in Colorado leaves that state's AG position open.