Cooler heads

This week’s attempt to launch an inquiry into the job performance of Attorney General Andrew Ketterer that could have led to his removal from office was kindled by smoldering grudges held by some of Maine’s more conservative elements. It flared up in that late-session environment of haste when time is running out and, thanks to term limits, careers are coming to a close.

In the end, and in a way that does much to restore faith in the caliber of person Maine voters send to Augusta, this brushfire was put out not just by majority Democrats rallying behind the AG they elected, but also by a good number of thoughtful Republicans who rightly objected to basing an investigation on vague hints of misconduct and ideological differences. The final 87-56 vote to stop this mistake before it began shows that cooler heads, filled with common sense and decency, nearly hold a solid majority in the Maine Legislature.

Mr. Ketterer’s strong views on hate crimes and his strenuous pursuit of hate criminals has made him a long-standing target for those who see no difference between a barroom brawl and a premeditated attack based upon a person’s race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. The people who hold this position are small in number, but persistent and noisy.

Add to this din the reason given by the author of this bad idea, Rep. Henry Joy, for the inquiry: “actions taken by an assistant to the AG and later upheld by the AG. Call it witch hunt, fishing expedition or just plain gossip — it has no place in decent society, and that includes the Legislature. Rep. Joy, who is among a large group of lawmakers being termed out this session, has served his district long and well. This groundless charge is a sad end to an otherwise distinguished record of service.

Some GOP leaders tried to recover from this blunder by saying the “actions” in question were related to a federal lawsuit filed by Ketterer’s office by an employee claiming she was punished for complaining about unwelcome sexual advances by another employee. Other, more clear-headed GOP members correctly observed, however, that it might be better to let a federal judge rule on the case before the Legislature rules on whether the attorney general acted properly.

And since that case has been in the works for months, it can hardly be the cause of this late-session rush. The true cause is the recent uproar related to the Atlantic salmon endangered-species listing proposal: an opponent of the listing sent an e-mail to listing advocates that easily could be interpreted as a death threat; alarmed advocates protested to the AG’s office; an assistant AG advised the opponent, in words exceedingly mild, that threats and intimidation are not protected speech; the opponent and his supporters have tried mightily to turn this into a trampling of the constitutionally protected right to make death threats. While there may have been more deft ways for the assistant AG to have handled this matter, it hardly rises to impeachment.

The Legislature has a lot of important issues left on its table and just a few weeks to deal with them. It is discouraging to see this kind of clutter get in the way of the people’s business, but it’s encouraging to see so many legislators reaching across party lines to brush it so quickly and decisively aside.