So - how many of you still think Gov. Romney is devoted to conservative principles? If he really cared about the future of this state, he'd use every opportunity before leaving office to appoint solid judges while he can. But no, he gaily announced last week that he wouldn't burden his Governor's Council with having to approve a "flurry of lame-duck appointments" to the bench.
From the Boston Globe, "Romney pledges no flurry of lame-duck appointments," 11-2-06:
Romney, who made four appointments yesterday and a total of 13 judicial appointments since the September primary election, will leave at least a dozen judgeships and clerk magistrate vacancies for his successor to fill, said spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom. "My plans are to have all nominees who have made it through the process on your desks next Wednesday," Romney told governor's councilors at their regular meeting yesterday. "I don't intend to bring you a lengthy list of nominees. . . . I won't overtax you with a huge slate." Fehrnstrom described Romney's action as "fairly unprecedented." ...
"It's really unusual," said Christopher Iannella, a governor's councilor who has served during the Dukakis, Weld, Cellucci, Swift, and Romney administrations. "Generally speaking, the governor fills just about every position there is to fill. A lot of these positions have been hanging around for a while and should have been filled before now. On the other hand, he's giving the new governor an opportunity." ...
David Yas, editor of Lawyers Weekly, said Romney is "bucking tradition" by resisting the urge to fill all remaining judgeships. "It is a tradition for governors to use that power to appoint judges aggressively in the waning moments of their administration," Yas said.
It's not bad enough that Romney's totally destroyed the Mass. Republican Party. He also has to give this gift to soft-on-crime Deval? And you thought Judge Maria Lopez was bad? Just wait.
Please remind us why we voted for Romney? And now we're supposed to vote for Healey???
