Gibbons Giving Hard Sell to Get Himself on Panel for High Court Vacancy

Senate President Pro Tem Mike Gibbons has reportedly begun an aggressive lobbying campaign in hopes of being one of three individuals named to the judicial panel from which Gov. Matt Blunt will choose a successor to Missouri Supreme Court justice Ronnie White.

The absurdity of Gibbons belief that he deserves a seat on the state's high court brings to mind a relevant editorial in the Springfield News-Leader from earlier this year. ­The News-Leader board opined:

Led by Gov. Matt Blunt, Senate President Pro Tem Sen. Mike Gibbons
and House Speaker Rod Jetton, all Republicans, members of the majority
party in the state's capital city aren't satisfied with controlling the
governor's mansion and both houses of the General Assembly. Through a
series of House joint resolutions, they want to change the Missouri
Constitution so they also control the judicial branch.

We suggest they go to law school instead.

Sadly, Gibbons has already been there. Perhaps his alma mater might want to consider a referendum on his fitness as an attorney.

From this one can draw the conclusion that Springfield's paper of record won't be supporting Gibbons' power-play for the bench.  And that's even before she or he gets to this part:

Blunt, Gibbons and Jetton show incredible disrespect for Missouri's
judges when they allege with no evidence that the state's judges are
willing to ignore the Constitution. Indeed, it is the triumvirate of
activist legislators — sorry, we couldn't help ourselves — who have
proven time and time again that they are willing to ignore the
Constitution if it serves their purposes.

Such is the culture of unwarrented entitlement in today's Missouri Republican Party that a GOP legislator --whose stint in the Senate leadership has been characterized largely by his embarassing subservience to House Republicans, whose fitness as a lawyer and respect for judges and the Constitution have been questioned, and who tacitly approves of measures that would degrade the state's justice system-- could with a straight face lay claim to a spot on the Supreme Court.