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10 May 2010 10:20

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Politics: Here’s the conservative spin on SCOTUS nominee Elena Kagan

  • Among Supreme Court nominees over the last 50 years or more, Kagan may well be the nominee with the least amount of relevant experience.
  • Ethics and Public Policy Center president Ed Whelan • Regarding Elena Kagan’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Technically, he’s right – she hasn’t been a judge unlike any of the other justices. In fact, she’s an aberration because many presidents have been wary of nominating a Supreme Court justice without a history of judicial decisions under their belt. That said, her resume is pretty stacked otherwise. We’re guessing that someone who’s worked as the dean of Harvard’s law school and as the Solicitor General probably knows a thing or two about making astute legal decisions. source

09 May 2010 22:24

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U.S.: Five reasons why Elena Kagan is an obvious SCOTUS pick

  • one She’s 50, exactly the right age to run for the court. She’d grow really old there.
  • two Loaded with a stellar resume he has an East Coast background, like other justices.
  • three She’s solicitor general. She already argues high court cases for Obama.
  • four She’s already faced the Senate already, meaning confirmation will be fairly easy.
  • five People have been talking about her getting the job like it’s already a given. source

09 May 2010 22:14

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01 May 2010 09:20

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U.S.: Elena Kagan could be the rare SCOTUS justice who wasn’t a judge

  • 1972 the last time a new justice wasn’t a judge source
  • » The nature of nominees: Many Supreme Court justices, beyond being judges already, tend to be East Coast, Ivy League, and largely have careers in government. Kagan, the current Solicitor General and a leading candidate for the Supreme Court post, fits that bill, too. She was nominated for a judicial post in 1999 but had her nomination stalled, does share other things in common with Supreme Court judges. Her career path is very similar to that of Chief Justice John Roberts, minus, you know, the judging.

13 May 2009 22:18

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U.S.: Ladies! Judges! Cabinet members! Obama plays his Supreme Court cards

  • Five of Obama’s six possible choices are women, and just one is a dude. We wonder which way he’s leaning. Clearly, it’s with the guy. Because he’s dropping tons of hints. source
  • The judicial choices are two female appeals court justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Diane Wood, and a male Calif. Supreme Court justice, Carlos Moreno. source
  • Solicitor General Elena Kagan, who argues for the government in Supreme Court cases, is also a possibility. Plus, she knows everyone on the bench already. Hooray! source
  • Outside of the courtroom are Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano, both of whom are fairly well-known. source
  • Whoever wins the race to become the next Supreme Court justice, we recommend using extra Lysol on David Souter’s chair, because who knows where that guy’s been? source