Candidates for California Attorney General invariably stress their law enforcement credentials, striving mightily to convince voters they are suited to be the state's "top cop."
But forget all the tough-guy rhetoric. The attorney general isn't a cop. Mostly, he operates primarily as the managing attorney of a very large law firm. His clients are state agencies -- Corrections, Social Services, Water Resources, etc. The AG's job is to defend the agencies against the thousands of lawsuits filed against them every year and to sue people and companies that break state law.
Of the two major candidates for attorney general -- Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Chuck Poochigian -- Brown has a better understanding of that essential role. The former governor and current mayor of Oakland stresses his superior judgment when it comes to deciding "when to sue, who to sue, when to settle and for how much." That is the judgment the people of California need from their attorney general. For that reason, Brown has our endorsement.
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Brown's experience as a mayor has also given him pointers on how the attorney general can help cities such as Oakland fight crime. Brown says he wants to beef up police officer training and to forge better cooperation between the state crime labs and local labs. Such practical strategies will not end crime, but they will help.
Not everything in Brown's record is laudable. His decision as governor to name Rose Bird chief justice of the California Supreme Court was a mistake that had a lasting negative impact on the judiciary. His failure to make timely changes as a property tax crisis built in the 1970s led to the approval of Proposition 13, which has damaged state and local governments ability to manage their finances.
Still, on balance, Brown is the better choice to lead the state's Justice Department. He won't be a great "top cop." But he will run a good law firm -- which is the attorney general's job.
