When a judge makes a ruling that legitimately favors a certain group for political gain, he's an activist judge. Appeasing right wingers, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies is activism. Appeasing Defenders of Wildlife and granolas in San Francisco is activism.

When a judge makes a ruling based on emotion and personal opinion, he's an activist judge.

Many judges do this -- it's nothing new. Some are fighting for the left, some are fighting for the right. All you have to do is look at their track record to see. Judge Molloy in Montana is a good example of this. Almost all of his rulings have favored environmental groups' emotions, not facts brought forward by researchers in cases from logging to wolves.