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05 Aug 2010 20:39

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U.S.: Get ready: Elena Kagan officially the new John Paul Stevens

  • 63 senators voted for Kagan; the rest got  screamed “NAY”
  • 111 the number of justices that have served the court; she’ll be lucky 112
  • 3 the number of women that have served; she’ll be the fourth source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Jul 2010 13:18

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U.S.: Elena Kagan’s nomination out of committee, on way to confirmation

  • 13-6 the vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee to back Kagan
  • one Republican, Lindsey Graham, broke ranks to support her source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Jun 2010 21:49

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Politics: Max Headroom: Blame Robert Bork for Elena Kagan’s problems


  • “Conceivable”? Really? Elena Kagan is like a puppy dog with wide eyes and a lovable smile. Yet, Sen. Jeff Sessions seems to think there might be a chance she gets filibustered. Really? Are we talking about the same Elena Kagan?

  • Blame Robert Bork Why is Kagan’s hearing so seemingly controversial? Because Robert Bork, the Reagan Supreme Court nominee, created an air of contention that every high court nominee’s hearing has had ever since.

  • One woman to anotherLate last month, Sandra Day O’Connor, who went through a painful confirmation herself, told George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that the process is tough for everyone, but she thought Kagan would make it.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Jun 2010 12:06

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Politics: Elena Kagan could bring unique profanities to the Supreme Court

  • OK, that settles it. Anyone who uses the word ‘unf*&#ing-believable’ is an OK Supreme Court justice in my book. Think of the dissenting opinions!
  • Gawker blogger Adrian Chen • Responding to the Clinton Presidential library’s release of a number of Elena Kagan’s e-mails from her period in the administration. To answer the obvious question: Yes, she swore a lot back then. And yes, like Gawker, we hope she swears even more as a Supreme Court justice. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jun 2010 12:20

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Politics: What are Elena Kagan’s positions? Let’s guess and speculate.

  • Anyone want to dig through Elena Kagan’s old documents and take a guess as to how she’d decide major court cases? If so, the New York Times has a couple of papers they want you to read. It’s kinda like reading Sanskrit. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 May 2010 11:20

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Politics: What the GOP wants from Elena Kagan: A tight interpretation

  • I think we’ll be looking at her testimony because she has so little other record, it’s going to be a big deal. It’s so important how she testifies.
  • Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions • Discussing why Elena Kagan’s upcoming testimony will be key in building a lot of opinions of her. Regarding what he’s looking for, he says Republicans would like to know “whether her philosophy of law is so broad in her interpretation of the Constitution that you are not faithful to the Constitution and laws.” This isn’t something to be taken lightly. The last nominee who didn’t have judicial experience, Bush-selected Harriet Meiers, was withdrawn due in part to lack of experience. Kagan has a better record than Meiers did, but the lack of judicial experience could be a deal-breaker for some if she doesn’t answer questions to their liking. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 May 2010 10:12

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Politics: Elena Kagan’s big public problem? People don’t know her yet

  • 40% of people have a positive or fair opinion of Kagan
  • 36% have a fair or negative opinion of the Supreme Court nominee
  • 24% are wondering who the heck you’re talking about source
  • » How does this compare? Not very well, actually. People’s positive opinions of Kagan are lower than any of the other four nominees since 2005, including a full seven points below Sonia Sotomayor. The reason for this, mostly, is the high number of “no opinions” – most of Bush’s choices scored around 15 percent there.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

11 May 2010 10:11

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Politics: Some on the left are all grumbley about Elena Kagan

  • Why do the conservatives always get the conservatives, but we don’t get to get the liberals? What the hell is that all about?
  • Sen. Tom Harkin • Speaking before Kagan’s nomination, when it merely seemed likely she’d get the nod. Harkin isn’t alone on this stance. Many on the left were hoping that someone as liberal as Thurgood Marshall would get nominated. He’s the last outspoken liberal the court has had, and he was nominated in 1967. Instead, they’re all like, she’s not as liberal as Antonin Scalia is conservative! Gah! *GRUMBLE!* source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

11 May 2010 09:58

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Politics: Old Elena Kagan: Supreme Court confirmations need to be tougher

  • 1995 Kagan wrote a paper while at the University of Chicago suggesting that Supreme Court nominees rarely got asked tough questions.
  • 2009 Kagan, a year before her own nomination, backed off her own tough stances. Who wants to bet they’ll come up? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 May 2010 20:55

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Politics: Andrew Sullivan asks what more than a few people are thinking

  • Is Obama actually going to use a Supreme Court nominee to advance the cause of the closet (as well as kill any court imposition of marriage equality)? And can we have a clear, factual statement as to the truth? In a free society in the 21st Century, it is not illegitimate to ask. And it is cowardly not to tell.
  • Super-blogger Andrew Sullivan • Breaking into detail about a question referring to Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan: “So is she gay?” Sullivan, isn’t exactly trying for the homophobia card or anything like that – dude’s HIV-positive and long-openly-gay, so his cards are already on the table. But he raises a good point. If the never-married Kagan is in fact gay, this means that she could be in a position to shape gay rights a certain way as a Supreme Court justice. And Obama should be forthright about this. (For balance purposes, we should note that Hanna Rosin of Slate’s Double X suggests this debate is in fact not OK.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 6 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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