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Another summer of discontent is upon us. It appears that the President will choose current solicitor general, Elena Kagan, as his Supreme Court nominee because…(according to WaPo…)
Obama wants someone who can serve as a counterweight to the intellectual heft of Chief Justice John Roberts. Regardless of how strong a liberal Kagan would prove to be, as a former dean of Harvard Law School, Kagan practically defines legal gravitas.
She’s also a female, which adds to the court’s gender diversity. She’s young, at 50, which means she could be on the court for a quarter century. And she’s never been a judge, which gives her a quality that Obama is known to have been seeking: someone to bring a different sensibility to a court that’s currently dominated by judges.
That particular lack of experience also means she does not have a long record of controversial rulings that could provide fodder for the presidents political opponents.
Kagan had the backing of seven Republicans last year in her confirmation as solicitor general which should ease her path to the Court. The vetting, for the most part, has been done. Progressives have been critical of Kagan for being, well, not progressive enough. Conservative opposition will be centered around any number of issues (mostly ‘no’ because ‘no’ is what they do best) but certainly their ideological opposition will derive from her rumored sexual orientation – something which Republicans will allow right-wing bloggers to shout out at every opportunity.
And for those interested in this sort of thing, Kagan is Jewish. There are currently six Catholics and two of the Jewish faith on the court. Protestants won’t be happy. Surprise.
Intelligent, Jewish, female, lesbian (?), liberal and young. I wonder if Limbaugh and James Dobson will approve?
Here’s what the brunt of conservative criticism will sound like.
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[...] (May) – President Obama nominates Elena Kagan for a seat on the Supreme [...]