http://www.vox.com/2014/5/27/5754444/chris-christie-supreme-court-chief-justice-democratLast week, Chris Christie announced who he was going to nominate as chief justice of New Jersey's Supreme Court — the current chief justice, Democrat Stuart Rabner. After years of fighting between Christie and the state's Democrats over court seats, Rabner's renomination is an olive branch from the governor. But in placating local liberals, Christie has angered national conservatives — and this could return to dog him in a future presidential primary. "If he's president then we can expect a Christie Court to look no different from an Obama Court," conservative activist Brent Bozell said in a statement.
Weakened by Bridgegate and recent bad fiscal news, Christie backed away from the fight. He made a deal to renominate Rabner, in return for Democratic approval of a new Republican nominee, Lee Solomon. Though Christie sometimes disagreed with Rabner, he said, "Never have I thought he brought any bias or partisanship to the execution of his duties as chief justice."
The reaction from national conservative activists, as reported by Eliana Johnson of National Review, has been very negative. Brent Bozell said Christie flipped "his middle finger at conservatives," and Carrie Severino of the Judicial Crisis Network told Johnson that Christie "is showing Republicans that the priority he places on the judiciary is very low." Christie defended his decision by saying, "The fact is that when you compromise you don't get everything you want." The problem Christie faces, though, is convincing conservative activists that he actually wants the same things they do.
