Endorsement: Subodh Chandra

On the front page of this site, we ask ordinary Ohioans to endorse Rich for Attorney General. However, a rather extraordinary Ohioan has just used this feature to endorse Cordray for A.G.

This is the endorsement we received via CordrayforOhio.com from Subodh Chandra:

When I ran for AG in 2006, I sought to remind Ohioans--whose expectations of this office had diminished to nonexistence--that the AG should not be just another politician with a law degree. We Ohioans deserve much better legal representation than that. While the Governor's challenge is to lead us to prosperity, the AG's job is to protect us from harm and loss. The AG is responsible for running the biggest and most important public-interest law firm in the state. All the prosperity the Governor brings us through the front door of our homes will be meaningless if thieves are looting us out the back door, as they have for many years now.

Ohio's AG must personally embody the kind of nonpartisan excellence and integrity that we would have once expected of a U.S. Attorney General or U.S. Attorney. Why do Ohioans deserve anything less than that high standard of intellect, experience, energy, vision, temperament, and integrity?

Rich Cordray, whom I have known for over 10 years, meets that standard.

Although he is too humble (to a fault) to talk about it much, Rich is top graduate of Michigan State (which he attended on full scholarship), Oxford University, and the University of Chicago Law School (which he also attended on full academic scholarship and where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review). He clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy. He served in the international law firm Jones Day, taught law school, served as the first Ohio Solicitor (the state's top appellate lawyer), and was one of the nation's foremost U.S. Supreme Court advocates. He is a five-time Jeopardy! champion.

Rich Cordray is a lawyer's lawyer--the kind of lawyer other lawyers hire to handle their most vexing legal problems. I know, because when I served as Cleveland law director, I reached out to Rich on U.S. Supreme Court, constitutional, and complex appellate issues. Over the coming months, you will be impressed by Rich Cordray's emerging vision for how the AG's long-rusting tools can be polished and used to repair problems like predatory lending and other threats to Ohioans.

Although I share Rich's passion for public service, I would have readily deferred to him had he been interested in the AG's race in 2006. But it turned out then that he had chosen another path--one that he has pursued creatively and with great distinction. I respectfully defer to him now. (Even though he only he is only the father of twins while I am a triplet dad.) He has the distinguished legal abilities that Ohioans need to protect us from special interests, and we need someone like him now more than ever. He will not only restore honor and dignity to the office, he will set a new standard of excellence that will raise Ohioans' expectations from this office from now on.

If I were in trouble, Rich Cordray is who I would want as my lawyer. So I support hiring Rich Cordray for Attorney General and hope you will join me in doing so.

Please join Subodh Chandra in endorsing Richard Cordray for Ohio Attorney General: http://www.action.CordrayforOhio.com/Endorse