McCollum refocuses attorney general's job

He is Florida's ultimate conservative, a small-framed, earnest family man who campaigned on fighting terrorism, pedophiles and child pornographers.

So when Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum inherited oversight of a committee studying problems facing African-American males, Democrat Frederica Wilson shuddered.

"Oh my God, this will never work," the state senator from Miami recalled thinking. "I wanted him to understand this was not a feel-good experiment where we put little black boys in a Petri dish."

A year later, she's swallowing her doubt.

(Click here for a look at McCollum's first 14 months on the job.)

Comments

[Jason Straight]

This guy is the fox lookin at the hen house..He would never attack any large industry wrong doing..Would he go against big insurance ??Never attack the gOP Base.He represents the old neocon philosophy Americans are rejecting ..

McC was elected in 2006 with 6 point margin over his Democratic opponent and thus far his popularity hasn't diminished. What Americans ought to reject is nasty incoherent lefty drivel such as yours, Jason Straight.

He's committed, no doubt. Weighed in decisively on the Eliot Spitzer scandal which means everything to Florida.

By keeping the new stadium a secret, the mayor and city deprived us of an important issue that needed to be aired for our election of our new city council members. I guess the mayor and friends didn't want to take a chance that any of the city council candidates declare themselves opposed to the stadium and God Forbid win. Maybe the State Attorney needs to investigate these people

Little Black Boys in a Petri Dish sounds like the name of a garage band.

I'm sure Mr. McCollum believes in his heart he is a good public servant. The problem is his judgment does not bear that out. He spearheaded the House prosecution of Bill Clinton knowing full well the Senate would never convict. That was purely politics, there was nothing in that puresuit that would have benefited the constituents who sent him to the U.S House, or any other American. Did Clinton lie? of course. But that is not the question for any decent lawyer. A decent lawyer considers what the likely outcome will be. Prosecutors across the country make practiical judgments everyday about pursuing or not pursuing cases based upon whether a convictin will result or not. The Clinton prosecution was a no brainer. There was not a serious mind in America who believed the Senate would convict, yet McCollum spent millions of taxpayer money leading the prosecution of the case anyway. Why? Political gain. That's not being a public servant, that's being a self-servant. We've got too many of those already.

he was a dork when i knew him at UF in the late '60's, rousing the emerging racist republicans of that era and during the past FORTY YEARS, he hasnt done a thing to change my opinion of him, at least publicly.

dont do ANYTHING to offend the wealthy, white, not-exactly-racist, if-you-know-what-i-mean base, willie!!

McCollum loves showing movies to state employees. Maybe he should open up a Blockbuster franchise.

"Weighed in decisively on the Eliot Spitzer scandal" ???

Hope that was sarcastic. So he piled on in criticizing Spitzer, who hasn't.

Gee, wonder who is planning to run for Govr when Charlie heads to Washington.

I'll be glad for Charlie if he gets the VP nod but sad for the state of Florida - we'll go back to the uber right wing/hyper partisan days we so happily left behind.

"Oh my God, this will never work," the state senator from Miami recalled thinking. "I wanted him to understand this was not a feel-good experiment where we put little black boys in a Petri dish."

Explain to me again; who are the racists?

JS: McCollum is a free market advocate, which means he is in favor of competitive markets that force companies to compete and reduce prices to consumers. He's repulsed by those who cheat the system and take advantage of the public, particular the vulnerable. Guaranteed that he'd want to know about any company fixing prices, conspiring to shaft consumers, engaging in deceptive tactics, etc. ... and he'd have the antitrust and economic crimes divisions investigate and bring enforcement actions against corporate predators, as he's done as AG. Note that some industries, like insurance, are problematic due to antitrust exemptions and generally being beyond the AG's purview to regulate/investigate.

[On my dime]

I'm repulsed by politicians who use their elected office as a platform to run for another elected office.

11:15 Sure he would. Kool Aid, anyone?