A replacement for Dann

Bill Sloat, former Plain Dealer reporter in Cincinnati who now authors the independent Daily Bellwether blog, makes a good point about who Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland should be considering as a replacement to disgraced Attorney General Marc Dann – Subodh Chandra, the very capable former Cleveland law director who Dann beat in the 2006 primary.

Dann resigned Wednesday, one day after fellow Democrats introduced articles of impeachment against him for his gross mishandling of the office, including turning a blind eye to sexual harassment and misconduct by top aides while he conducted his own extra-marital affair with a subordinate. The Ohio Inspector General is now investigating Dann, and Strickland must select an interim replacement who will have to stand for election in November.

Chandra ought to be at the top of Strickland’s list. He’s smart, experienced in managing a large legal operation, a former assistant federal prosecutor and possessed of a reputation as a highly ethical lawyer. In short, he’s pretty much everything Dann was not. That had a lot to do with why the Enquirer endorsed him for the nomination two years ago.