NPR: Mass. GOP Politician Backs Giuliani, Slams Romney

Mass. GOP Politician Backs Giuliani, Slams Romney

Former Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party Jim Rappaport endorsed Rudy Giuliani today, and took the opportunity to settle an old score with his fellow Massachusetts pol, Mitt Romney.

During a conference call to announce the endorsement, Rappaport was asked about a story making news in the Bay State that's reminiscent of the Willie Horton story from the 1988 presidential campaign. A Massachusetts Supreme Court judge appointed by Romney released a convicted killer back in July, over the objections of prosecutors. Although Daniel Tavares Jr. had finished serving his 16-year sentence for killing his mother, officials wanted to keep him in jail for alleged assaults on two prison guards. Tavares is now accused of killing a young couple in Washington state. And Romney has said the judge should resign.

Instead of criticizing Romney for appointing the judge — a longtime prosecutor with strong law-and-order credentials — Rappaport faulted the former governor for essentially throwing the judge under the bus. "This is very typical of Mitt Romney to jump on this judge as opposed to looking at what might be the systemic problems that resulted here," Rappaport said. "Mitt Romney has a habit of taking the expedient way out. And this is a classic example of that."

Romney's camp called the attack "nothing more than sour grapes," noting that Romney passed over Rappaport as a would-be lieutenant governor in 2002.

- Scott Horsley

7:46 PM ET | 11-26-2007 | permalink

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