Mitt Romney's Achilles' Heel? Charges of Being "Soft on Crime" Bolstered by Erring Judge

Moderator Anderson Cooper, at the November 28, 2007 St. Petersburg, Florida Republican Presidential Debate, began a question to former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliania by saying, "Mayor Giuliani, your campaign manager week called Governor Romney a mediocre one-term governor. On the issue of fighting crime, is he a crime fighter? Giuliani then closed in for an attack on Romney's record, characterizing him as soft on crime.

Mitt Romney's credentials as a "crime fighter" had earlier taken a hit when it was revealed that a judge he had appointed to the Massachusetts bench while governor had released a convicted killer who subsequently had murdered a married couple after fleeing to Washington State. In press conference held in Derry, New Hampshire on Saturday, November 24th, Romney addressed the question of the judge he had appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court, who had granted release to a convicted killer who subsequently migrated to Washington State, where he killed again. Romney called on the judge to resign.

Superior Court Judge Kathe M. Tuttman, rejected the request of prosecutors to hold Daniel Tavares, Jr. on $50,000 bail after he was arrested on assault charges. A lower court had required that he post bail or stay in prison on the grounds that Tavares had assaulted prison guards and was still dangerous. Tavares, who had been released from prison in June after serving 16 years for murdering his mother, was sprung from behind bars a year early for "good behavior" despite his assault on guards and his threats against public officials. According to the Boston Herald, in February 2006, Tavares has threatened to kill Governor Romney and other public officials, including then-Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly.