FOUR MORE YEARS: Attorney Genral Rutledge is already raising money for another term, though the election is two years off.

Republican Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has announced that she’ll run for re-election in 2018 and told reporters at AP and the Democrat-Gazette that she’ll file her first campaign finance report today. It’s not on file yet.

This seems to thoroughly refute a report I got from someone who was present when Rutledge called on a deep pocket about a potential exploratory committee for higher office, an account disputed by a Rutledge spokesman. On the other hand, perhaps the implosion of Rutledge’s presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has thrown a few kinks in future political happenings. Trump’s defeat next month – fingers crossed — certainly should end any dream of a Rutledge U.S. Supreme Court nomination for the time being.

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It’s mighty early to start raising money. And, in Rutledge’s case, mostly unnecessary. Her devotion to the corporate agenda of the Republican Attorneys General Association guarantees a gusher of dark money for her (or, more precisely,  against any potential opponent). She told reporter she plans to continue to have no Arkansas legislative agenda, preferring to join Republican lawsuits in the corporate interest around the country, with occasional forays against women’s medical autonomy and equal rights for gay people.

One reporter let her get away with suggesting she is prevented from commenting on the re-emergence of payday lending in Arkansas and her office’s failure to do anything about it. There is no such rule. If there were, we wouldn’t have to endure her wide-ranging commentary on virtually every other legal matter under the sun, The last attorney general made a crusade of stamping out payday lending. I’d say Rutledge’s lack of action and silence are actually pretty deafening.

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Oh, there is one other thing she doesn’t want to talk about — Donald Trump’s predatory behavior toward women. Rutledge said she and her candidate want to talk about issues. Says a mouthpiece for the man who brought Paula Jones and Co. to the last debate.

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