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Kagan nominated to SC

President Obama nominated Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court to fill the seat of Justice Stevens.  Kagan is presently the Solicitor General of the United States. She has had a distinguished career as the former Dean of Harvard Law and a professor at the University of Chicago.   She also served during the Clinton administration as White House Counsel. 

Clinton had nominated her to the federal bench in 1999.  She was nominated to the U.S.  Court of Appeal for District of Columbia Circuit.  But Orrin Hatch refused to schedule the hearings and so it ended her nomination!  Bush then went on to nominate John Roberts for this seat and of course he eventually became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Kagan if confirmed would be the eighth Jewish justice in the history of the court! And she would be the third woman on the court at this time with Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sonia Sotomayor.  And only the fourth woman on the court.  Ginsberg and Breyer are also Jews on the court at this time.

I only hope that the typical partisan rancor isn’t evident. But I am sure that it will be. Already Orrin Hatch who squelched her appointment to the bench under Clinton has been vocal that he will not vote to confirm her.  This even before she has answered any questions before the Judiciary Committee. 

It is this kind of obstructionism that keeps Washington and our government in such bad shape.  Let’s hear from her and let’s get her confirmed to the bench!

She has written on Hate Speech, on the confirmation process and on the presidency.

She has had an impressive career at the young age of 50.  This is the kind of mind we ought to have on the Court!