The Senate opened Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Elena Kagan Monday. The actual grilling of Kagan by senators probably won’t begin until Tuesday. The first day of the Elena Kagan confirmation hearings could be spent by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee making their own statements. Remarks in favor or opposed to President’ Obama’s nomination of Elena Kagan are expected to be traditional arguments that fall along party lines.
Article source: Elena Kagan awaits grilling; Supreme Court senate hearing begins by Personal Money Store
Elena Kagan’s not a judge
Elena Kagan is Obama’s choice to replace the Supreme Court Justice who is retiring, John Paul Stevens. She has been serving as the administration’s solicitor general, who is the person charged with arguing the administration’s point of view in cases that go before the Supreme Court. Kagan doesn't have experience as a judge like the rest of the members of the Supreme Court. However, various of these justices have become members of the Supreme Court without having served as judges, including former chief justice William Rehnquist.
Elena Kagan with some Republican opposition
Some analysts have said that Kagan’s lack of experience gives Republicans absolutely no record of decisions to use against her. But Voice of America reports that one of the few straws the Republicans have to grasp is asking Kagan about her tenure as dean of Harvard University Law School in Massachusetts, and in unique her decision to bar military recruiters on campus because of the U.S. military policy of barring gays from openly serving within the armed forces.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearings follow script
When Kagan sat down before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, senators stuck to the script. The Associated Press shows a summary of what to expect from both sides of the aisle. Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who is the ranking Republican on the panel, sought to incriminate Kagan with her college thesis on socialism, which he said “seems to bemoan socialism’s demise.” Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley said she’d been a “political lawyer.” Her choice of judicial heroes was complained about by Arizona Republican, Jon Kyl. Utah Republican Orrin Hatch wondered if she would be controlled by the Constitution or try to control it.
Coming from Kagan are Democratic counterpunches
Kagan watched Democrats make an effort to block Republican punches. Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy who’s of Vermont called her legal credentials “unassailable.” California’s Dianne Feinstein called her lack of experience as a judge “refreshing.” Russell Feingold of Wisconsin spoke of her “thoughtfulness and openness.” Charles Schumer of New York said her “brilliant” record was clear and complete, declaring: “The only thing as far as I can tell that we don’t have is her kindergarten report card.”
The last resort of Kagan filibuster
Before Kagan speaks, each of the committee’s 19 members – you will find 12 Democrats and seven Republicans — will spout their party’s line. It was reported by USA Today that the Democratic majority within the Senate, 58 votes to 41, makes Kagan’s confirmation a slam dunk unless Republicans decide to launch a Kagan filibuster, the last resort of a minority to block a nomination by debating it to death.
A lot more data available at these sites:
Voice of America
www1.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Kagan-Supreme-Court-Confirmation-Hearings-Begin-Monday-96990134.html
Associated Press
google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jy6DGVufkhmuT82WvaBTWTrV2a_wD9GKERIO0
USA Today
usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-06-28-kagan-senate-hearings_N.htm?csp=34news
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