I've asked this question before - sorry to ask again, but I keep coming back to Movable Type as our preferred system... if only we can find a solution to this problem...

To use Movable Type for a community-based blog, we have to moderate each post (for legal/statutory reasons)...

Preferences for POST STATUS could be set to DRAFT - but how to allow only administrators to change this to PUBLISH ?

Thanks for your help.

I know it is probably in poor form to steer you away from Movable Type, but in your case, I'm not 100% sure that Movable Type would fit the bill because I'm not sure it is able to give you the absolute control you seem to need.  

Have you looked into any of the PHP-driven Content Management Systems out there?  They have a more sophisticated system of managing groups and users, allowing you to assign "permission levels" to various users.  As the administrator, you would have the final "say" in anything that was submitted for approval, so that nothing would be posted unless you approve it.  Like Movable Type, but with "moderated" posting.  

Is that what you are looking for?  If so, you might check out E107 at www.jalist.com or drupal at www.drupal.org.  Those are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head.

I can't see this functionality as being hard to add to a future MT build.

Mena? Ben?