OH AG Marc Dann Opines, AG's office becoming largest plaintiffs law firm in state

When leadership runs into trouble, the questions usually concern the leader's so-called judgment.  That's what I'm wondering about in the still-new leadership of Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann. 

Tomorrow Dann is scheduled to deliver a speech at the City Club on the changing role of the states.  He contends, reports Sheryl Harris in THE PLAIN DEALER, that the role of federal regulators is shrinking.  As a result, the mission of protecting consumers, taxpayers and stockholders has passed to the states.  Okay.

My eyes start to bug, though, when Harris says that "Dann says that, for all intents and purposes, the attorney general's office is becoming the largest plaintiffs law firm in the state." 

I have to ask: Do taxpayers, those who narrowly define the function of state attorney general, and upholders of separation of powers really want the elected office Dann holds to morph into a sort of plaintiffs' law firm?  I would not have advised a client in elective office to articulate this on the record - or even have such a comprehensive mindset. The voters, I would explain to the client, might begin to question your judgment as a leader.