I know that folks in the legal business try to take the confirmation process of US Supreme Court justices seriously, but this is all just so much grandstanding. Unless Kagan makes a serious gaffe and blows up under basic questioning from the Senators on the Judiciary Committee, she's going to be confirmed.
This is all about Senators getting a chance to grandstand before microphones under the illusion of asking "questions". And who exactly is going to get in the way of the stampede to the microphone?
The Senators have had time to suss through her positions and see if there were skeletons in her closet. So far, no one has found anything even remotely harmful to her confirmation.
So, after a week of hearings, expect confirmation by the full US Senate by a vote of between 68-31 and 71-28. That doesn't mean that I'm supportive of her positions or of President Obama, but it is an observation that she's qualified for the position due to her legal career and the President can choose who he wants to fill that position.
Showing posts with label Elena Kagan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elena Kagan. Show all posts
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
President Obama Nominates Solicitor General Elena Kagan To Supreme Court
As was rumored on Friday, President Obama will be nominating Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the US Supreme Court, replacing retiring Justice John Paul Stevens.
Should she be confirmed, she would be the third woman on the Court, joining Justices Ginsberg and Sotomayor. In fact, she would be the third woman with strong New York ties, having grown up in New York City. Her education includes attending Princeton, Oxford, and Harvard Law (where she became dean 17 years after graduating law school).
Scotusblog is live blogging the nomination, and is a great resource to check for further background. Here's a quick look at her background.
Kagan would be the first non-judge to be nominated in 40 years, which means that her judicial philosophy has to be gleaned from her writings and by evaluating her in the course of the confirmation hearings and meetings beforehand. It's a more difficult task than merely attempting to review her rulings on judicial cases. However, since she's been previously confirmed by the US Senate, her nomination isn't expected to be particularly troublesome unless some unexpected situation comes to light.
Still, I think some people might feel disappointed that the President didn't choose someone from a wider geographical scope as the Court is very heavily reliant on Ivy League and Northeast-based justices. There's also some concern from the left that she may not be so reliably liberal because she's argued for preserving many of the executive powers that were explored and expanded under the Bush Administration.
Should she be confirmed, she would be the third woman on the Court, joining Justices Ginsberg and Sotomayor. In fact, she would be the third woman with strong New York ties, having grown up in New York City. Her education includes attending Princeton, Oxford, and Harvard Law (where she became dean 17 years after graduating law school).
Scotusblog is live blogging the nomination, and is a great resource to check for further background. Here's a quick look at her background.
Kagan would be the first non-judge to be nominated in 40 years, which means that her judicial philosophy has to be gleaned from her writings and by evaluating her in the course of the confirmation hearings and meetings beforehand. It's a more difficult task than merely attempting to review her rulings on judicial cases. However, since she's been previously confirmed by the US Senate, her nomination isn't expected to be particularly troublesome unless some unexpected situation comes to light.
Still, I think some people might feel disappointed that the President didn't choose someone from a wider geographical scope as the Court is very heavily reliant on Ivy League and Northeast-based justices. There's also some concern from the left that she may not be so reliably liberal because she's argued for preserving many of the executive powers that were explored and expanded under the Bush Administration.
Friday, May 07, 2010
President Obama To Announce Supreme Court Nominee Next Week?
Politico is reporting that President Obama is perhaps ready to announce his nominee to the US Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. They're reporting that Obama has chosen Solicitor General Elena Kagan, a former Harvard Law dean, to be his nominee.
Let the predictions and dirt digging commence?
Let the predictions and dirt digging commence?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)