Just googled, here's info on Romney's Judicial Appointments, and BTW, Republicans make up what? 9% of registered voters in Massachusetts?
Romney’s Judicial Appointments
In 2005, The Boston Globe ran a story on Romney’s judicial appointments. The article stated:
Governor Mitt Romney, who touts his conservative credentials to out-of-state Republicans, has passed over GOP lawyers for three-quarters (75%) of the 36 judicial vacancies he has faced, instead tapping registered Democrats or independents – including two gay lawyers who have supported expanded same-sex rights.
Of the 36 people Romney named to be judges or clerk magistrates, 23 are either registered Democrats or unenrolled voters who have made multiple contributions to Democratic politicians or who voted in Democratic primaries, state and local records show. In all, he has nominated nine registered Republicans, 13 unenrolled voters, and 14 registered Democrats.
This statistic of course provides fodder to Romney’s critics, who might suggest that it would be an indication of the type of judges Romney would appoint as President. Do these statistics indicate favor for Democrat or Independent judges by Romney? Or, do his appointments suggest that Romney was a governor who was pragmatic and tried to make the court system as conservative as he could?
Romney’s own words on the subject might give us more insight into his thinking. Romney defended all of his appointments. He stated that “With regards to those at the district court and clerk magistrate level, their political views aren’t really going to come into play unless their views indicate they will be soft on crime…” Romney stated that his only criteria in picking lower court judges was that they were tough on crime, something he emphasized throughout his time as governor. Romney further elaborated by saying that his criteria would change if an opening were to come on the Massachusetts Supreme Court and then he would focus more on ensuring that the judge had a “strict constructionist, judicial philosophy.”
In addition, Romney’s attempts to turn the Massachusetts courts right can be seen in the appointment of Christopher Moore to chair the Judicial Nominating Commission. Christopher Moore is a conservative who is a member of the Federalist Society, which fights against judicial activism. As chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission, Moore was in an excellent position to ensure he could limit the selection of liberal activist judges who would legislate from the bench.