The fight over judicial selection -- Commercial Appeal

The Commercial Appeal's analysis (here) of the battle in Tennessee over judicial selection:

The internecine fights were most evident on the Republican side, over how judges of the Tennessee Supreme Court are selected.

It broke into open warfare two weeks ago when conservatives mutinied against a compromise drafted by GOP colleagues that would maintain for another two years Tennessee's merit-selection, retention-election system for choosing Supreme Court justices and other appellate judges.

The issue boils down to whether Tennessee's top judges should be elected or appointed. It has huge ramifications for the judicial branch and for all Tennesseans.

. . . .

But it became apparent that compromise on judicial selection was likely. Most Democrats and moderate Republicans basically favored retaining the current system, but neither side had the votes to do everything it wanted.