Yeah, yeah, it’s certainly probable that anybody tagged to participate in a state Judicial Nominating Commission is likely to be well connected, politically, but there’s just something about a professional lobbyist’s making the cut that doesn’t seem quite right:

State House lobbyist Richard M. McAuliffe Jr. is the newest member of the commission that helps appoint the state’s judges. …
Head of the Mayforth Group lobbying firm of Providence, McAuliffe is considered skilled at helping clients win money from the federal government. His clients include Johnson & Wales University, the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, Wachovia Global Securities Lending plus Smart Staffing, the employment firm at the center of a high-profile inquiry into state hiring practices.

Did somebody say something about a “ruling class”?