Is Jerry Brown using his job as Attorney General to further his political ambitions?
Attorney General Jerry Brown wants to be Governor of California, and while he has not formally declared his candidacy he has raised millions of dollars to finance such a run in the 2010 elections.
Meanwhile, Brown has been filing high profile lawsuits almost every week against some suspected wrong doer. Just in the last month he's sued a Beverly Hills investment advisor who had ties to Bernard Madoff, had a former healthcare clinic manager arrested in what he called a $2.2 million dollar medical rip-off, and sued six businesses and eight individuals for operating a scam targeted at small business. These filings, a legitimate part of his duties as Attorney General, have kept his name in the news, which is good for any candidate.
His chief rival San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has no vehicle that provides him as much free media statewide.
On a CNBC business show Wednesday, Brown announced a lawsuit against Boston-based State Street Bank and Trust for allegedly overcharging California's two largest pension funds $56 million dollars. During Brown's much touted encounter with the show's anchors, CNBC's Michelle Caruso-Cabrera asked, "What do you say to people who look at this who say this is a perfect example of the demagoguery of attorneys general when they want to run for governor?"
Brown says he is only doing his job. "In my book, there's nothing quaint about corporate fraud. There's nothing quaint about ripping off pension funds. And, I — along with attorneys general from across the nation — will continue to bring these high-priced rip-off artists to justice."
Is Jerry Brown using his job as Attorney General to further his political ambitions?
Comments
7 Responses to “Is Jerry Brown using his job as Attorney General to further his political ambitions?”
Indeed Jerry is. It is so blatantly obvious and should turn off any thinking, informed voter in the upcoming election. He already nearly ruined the UC system his first time as governor. We cannot endure another fiasco led by Jerry Brown.
I heard some scuttlebut about him running for governor.
Strange question indeed. Every politician uses every
political position they have occupied to further
their political ambitions. So what is the point
of putting this question Re: Brown, to discredit
his campaign in some way implicitly?
Belva, are you a declared or covert supporter
of the Brylcream Mayor as goober-natorial candidate?
Yes, he is using his job to boost his visibly and help his chances of becoming gov.
But, I might vote for him considering the other candidates
Permit me to re-phrase, "Is a politician using his political office to further his political ambitions?" The only way that the answer to this question is other than "yes" is if one or more of the following conditions exists. 1) The individual is not a politician. 2) The individual does not hold a political office. 3) The individual does not have political ambitions. Since none of the conditions is true with respect to Jerry Brown, it seems to me that there are two possible answers to the question: 1) yes and/or 2) DOH! How does Gavin Newsom measure up with this question?
What an inane question! Very disappointing performance of your part.
Aren't you glad he's doing his job? Would you have him not do it to level the playing field? Your question evades all logic.
Brown, as governor, was the first to argue against Prop 13 which has come to cause much, if not most, of California's budget problems.
While I much like Newsom and, hope he continues to grow in political life, I hope Brown runs, no one has his experience and ability on my political side of issues.
The timing is interesting. Never hear a peep from him, then about a year ago he is everywhere making statements and talking about all the cases. He never publicly talked about state cases before becoming the 'out there' AG. He is definitely playing his office to the hilt. He could do his job and handle the cases without opening his mouth. AG is normally a very low profile position.