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All Frank Jimenez, All the Time.

I don't know, I feel like we're getting a little Frank Jimenez chronic here, and yet more news keeps breaking.

Now it's this, in a fine story by Jordana Mishory:

Late last week, as the controversy over Jimenez?s nomination simmered, the governor?s office moved up the planned interviews with the Supreme Court finalists from early January to today and Christmas Eve. All six are set to meet with the governor, chief of staff Eric Eikenberg and general counsel Jason Gonzalez, the sources said.

But Crist spokesman Sterling Ivey said he was not aware of a schedule for the interviews and that he could not confirm if they were on a tentative schedule. He said he had not spoken with Gonzalez?s office before deadline. Calls to Gonzalez?s office were referred to Ivey.

Efforts to move up the interview process at the last minute could be thwarted by holiday plans. At least two of the finalists were on vacation. One source said Labarga had agreed to a phone interview. He could not be reached for comment.

Tony Alfieri, director of the Center for Ethics and Public Service at the University of Miami, said the efforts to speed up the interview process and the re-inclusion of Labarga hurts the credibility of the governor and the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission.

?In American law, the highest value is almost always the value of process,? he said. ?Having brazenly undermined the Supreme Court nominating process, the governor is once again demonstrating how results-oriented calculations can damage the integrity of the Florida judiciary.?

Alfieri said it appears the governor is rushing the interviews in response to a public outcry ?to mitigate any further controversy or damage to his administration.?

Process-shmocess: who cares if we like the result?

And another thing -- no one likes a scold, Professor!

Hmm, I'm trying to think of the last major political event that happened right before Christmas....no, nothing comes to mind.

Carry on, Governor!

Full post as published by South Florida Lawyers on December 23, 2008 (boomark / email).