Palin hits a home run with choice of Sullivan as AG

Gov. Sarah Palin announced that her second nominee to replace Talis Colberg as Alaska's attorney general is Daniel S. Sullivan, a former Anchorage attorney who served in the Bush White House and the State Department. Her first choice to succeed Colberg, Wayne Anthony Ross, failed to win the approval of the state's lawmakers. Though he must be confirmed by the legislature, Sullivan will serve as attorney general until that body reconvenes in January.

The new AG's legal resume is impressive:

Sullivan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with an undergraduate degree in economics. He earned a Juris Doctor/Master of Science dual degree in Foreign Service, with emphasis on law, international economics, and national security studies from Georgetown, and he has been a member of the Alaska Bar Association since 2000.

He clerked for U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Andrew Kleinfeld of Fairbanks from 1997 to 1998 and for then-Chief Justice Warren Matthews of the Alaska Supreme Court until 1999. Sullivan joined the Anchorage office of Perkins Coie in 2000, where he practiced business and corporate law.

Sullivan, 44, is originally from the Cleveland area and had lived in Alaska for five years when he left the state in 2002 after receiving a White House fellowship. He said at the time that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack inspired him to apply.

His service for the Bush administration includes holding the position of Assistant Secretary for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs. Sullivan was sworn in as Assistant Secretary on June 6, 2006.

He came to the State Department from the National Security Council/National Economic Council Staff at the White House where he served as a Director and Acting Senior Director in the International Economics Directorate. A Marine Corps infantry and reconnaissance officer, Sullivan was recalled from the reserves to active duty from January 2005 until April 2006 and served as a Strategic Advisor and Special Assistant to the Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), spending considerable time deployed in the CENTCOM theater of operations.

According to ADN:

He maintained property in Anchorage and voted absentee in Alaska elections as recently as 2008. Sullivan is a registered Republican, according to voter records. Sullivan's wife, Julie, is the daughter of former state representative Hugh Fate of Fairbanks and Mary Jane Fate, who is a former co-chairwoman of the Alaska Federation of Natives and was also on the University of Alaska board of Regents. Dan and Julie Sullivan, who have been married for nearly 15 years have three daughters.

Early reaction to Sullivan's nomination has been positive. Both Republican Rep. Jay Ramras and Democrat Sen. Hollis French had favorable things to say about the nominee. Alaska Supreme Court chief justice Dana Fabe also seems to be impressed by Gov. Palin's designated attorney general:

"I think he's just a terrific attorney and has all the qualities needed to be an excellent attorney general," she said.

One of the reasons the governor selected Sullivan, according to her office, is his experience as assistant secretary of state, where he dealt with international energy, including issues involving the proposed AGIA natural gas pipeline.

We believe Governor Palin has hit a home run with her nomination of Dan Sullivan for the office of attorney general. After the dust up over her previous nominee, she has proven once again that she learns quickly from prior experience, unlike many in politics who seem to be in the habit of repeating their mistakes.

- JP