Thomas Paine: Let's face it, the desire to do the right thing is often not the only consideration when one thinks about running for prosecutor. As some have pointed out, it would probably involve a pay cut for many attorneys, a hard choice to make if you have a family depending on your income. And in light of recent events, anyone who chooses to run against Mr. Douglas will be put under a microscope by the media and the public. I know a lot of good attorneys who could do the job, but not many of them want to subject themselves or their families to that kind of scrutiny. Finally, its a political reality that they have to be a member in good standing in the Republican party if they have a prayer of being elected. What with closed primaries the next prosecutor will be picked in the next primary, not the general election. This of course raises an important point, where is the local leadership of the Republican party in this whole issue? By their silence they seem to be tacitly supporting Mr. Douglas on this issue. I suppose its better to have a tainted member of their own party than anyone from another party? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

DFO: Bill Douglas has made the prosecutor's job controversial. Without the e-mail scandal, he would have been set up for the rest of his career in the prosecutor's office. I can't help but think there's another enterprising young attorney who would like to have the power and prestige of being the county's top law enforcement officer. Also, I'd guess, not all attorneys are earning more than Bill Douglas is right now.

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