A federal court says U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) cannot be a senator and also serve on a military court of appeals as a judge:
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces said Graham violated the
Constitution’s Incompatibility Clause by serving as an Air Force
Reserve colonel on the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals. The clause
prohibits members of Congress from also holding “an office of the
United States,” specifically in the executive branch. The framers
included the clause to avoid conflicts of interest.
Alabama Gov. “Big Jim” Folsom
would have taken that a step further. When he was governor (1947-51,
1955-59) he maintained that lawyers shouldn’t be able to serve in the
legislature for the same reason: that they were officers of the
judicial branch.
UPDATE:
Googling around, I just found out that former governor Jim Folsom Jr.
(called “Little Jim” in Alabama, even though he’s 6’5″) is entering the Democratic primary
for lieutenant governor. Already in the Republican primary is Public
Service Commissioner George C. Wallace Jr. Their fathers had an epic
battle in 1962, which Wallace Sr. won. If these two guys make it into
the general, that will be fun to watch.
DARN:
Googling further, I see that George Jr. lost in the GOP primary in July
to Luther Strange, a lawyer-lobbyist making his first bid for elective
office. So much for the Wallace name carrying weight in the Heart of
Dixie. A Folsom-Wallace match would have been a humdinger.
