Gee, who's picking the judges?

Whether or not you like Sarah Palin . . . regardless of your view on abortion . . . a commission-based system of picking judges--like we have in Tennessee, removes all accountability concerning who is seated on our courts. As the Washington Times reports ("State law gives Palin no choice but pro-choice"):

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had to make a tough choice in filling a vacant slot on her state's Supreme Court: Appoint a woman who once served on the board of Planned Parenthood, or risk giving an environmentalist lawyer, also pro-choice on abortion, the chance to become an activist judge.

Mrs. Palin, a pro-lifer who ran as the Republican vice presidential candidate last fall, rankled social conservatives by choosing Anchorage Superior Court Judge Morgan Christen, the woman with Planned Parenthood ties, over Eric Smith.

. . . .

[A pro-traditional-values critic of Palin] admitted, however, that Mrs. Palin was 'backed into a corner' by the state's system for selecting judges, known as the 'Missouri Plan.' Alaska's constitution requires an independent panel to vet and then submit choices to the governor when positions on the court open up. The only names the panel submitted for consideration were Judge Christen and Mr. Smith - neither an obvious conservative choice.