Elena Kagan Will Be Obama's Supreme Court Pick: Mike Allen

[onehandle]

President Obama is expected to nominate Solicitor General and former Harvard Law dean Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court on Monday, Mike Allen reports.

Kagan has long considered the frontrunner to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, even as questions have emerged about the limited public record of her legal opinions and how she compares ideologically to Stevens, a Gerald Ford appointee who has nonetheless been the high court's flagship liberal justice for decades. President Obama seems to have few doubts, however, Allen reports.

"The pick isn't official, but top White House aides will be shocked if it's otherwise," Allen says. "Kagan's relative youth (50) is a huge asset for the lifetime post. And President Obama considers her to be a persuasive, fearless advocate who would serve as an intellectual counterweight to Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Scalia, and could lure swing Justice Kennedy into some coalitions."

The White House may leak the news as early as this weekend, according to Allen.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/07/elena-kagan-will-be-obama_n_567456.html

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. "swing Justice Kennedy" HA! now that's funny. This prick is an integral part of

the 5 crazies.

[Hutzpa]

26. wrong reply. n/t

[Phx_Dem]

2. I have no faith in the media's insider knowledge .

[LittleBlue]

3. Terrible mistake, if true. She supported crap like indefinite detention.

No way is she a good choice. Pick someone else.

[joeybee12]

4. I agree...but I think she's from Chicago...and that would kind of seal

the deal for her.

[Sebastian Doyle]

5. Fuck Chicago

They were useless after Terry Kath died.

Seriously though...... why the FUCK does everybody have to be either "from Chicago" or "from Harvard" or both?

It's as bad as the Bush Crime Family appointing a bunch of idiots "from Texas".

The Supreme Court is supposed to represent the entire country. Has there EVER been a justice from the West Coast?

[tritsofme]

7. Earl Warren comes to mind.

As a West coast justice, of quite some consequence you might say.

[Sebastian Doyle]

9. Yeah, he was alright

..despite that horrible travesty of justice "commission" that bore his name.

But here's the further irony.... Warren (like Stevens) was a Republican, and appointed by a Republican president (Eisenhower, in this case).

Why the Hell can't a "Democratic" president appoint someone from the LEFT Coast? The only name I've even heard mentioned this time around is Pamela Karlan, who is currently located at Stanford, but she's not even a West Coast Native (Virginia, I think). But she has "teh gay" so they took her off the list anyway :evilfrown:

[Hawaii Hiker]

6. Yeah, but Diane Wood teaches at University of Chicago

where Obama did as well in the late 1990's...

Diane Wood would be such a better choice than Elena Kagan, :banghead:

For a Democratic president who has 59 Dems. in the senate, the pick of Kagan is absolutely baffling...

[MilesColtrane]

13. While the strategy of picking someone with very little public statements about...

judicial philosophy may make for an easier confirmation, it seems to be unnecessarily dangerous to install an unknown quantity.

Everyone knows how the gang of four (Roberts,Thomas, Scalia, Alito) will vote on any given issue.

We need someone who will clearly side against them every time.

[Hawaii Hiker]

20. That's one thing that's been confusing to me during this process

when President Obama (and his staff) talk about finding a nominee who can persuade the other justices...

Like you said, there is NO doubt where (Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, & Ailito) are going to vote on an abortion case, or a case that might involve a disputed election, etc...There is NO WAY any Obama appointment is going to persude these 4, ain't happening...

That's why, IMO, he should just pick a solid liberal (Karlan, Koh, Wood) and give progrssives a reliable vote for 25 years or so....Forget about the powers of persuasion, because they will do little good against the aforementioned 4 conservative justices...

[MilesColtrane]

21. Very true.

Kagan couldn't convince the Fascist Bloc when she argued the Citizens United case before them.

Just because she dons a robe and sits on the same bench with them won't make them hold hands and sing Kumbaya with her.

[davidpdx]

28. I'm rooting for Koh

It is an unusual pick and will be the first Asian American as well as a Korean. Over here in Korea it will be huge news if it happens.

[QC]

18. I'm just relieved he's not appointing Orrin Hatch.

Just think how postpartisn/bipartisan that would be.

[monmouth]

8. I'm a Granholm fan myself. I'd like to see her seriously considered..n/t

[MilesColtrane]

10. The more I read about her, the more wary I am of her possible appointment.

Is it too much to ask for a real, dyed-in-the-wool liberal justice to replace Stevens?

How about somebody who will bring balance to the court, and who believes in checking this out of control, Unitary Executive bullshit that was advanced by the Cheney administration?

Some of us don't think the President should be able to start illegal wars, torture, wiretap citizens, or indefinitely detain them.

Yes, Mr. Constitutional Scholar in the Oval Office, I'm talking to you.

[QC]

17. Is it too much to ask for a real, dyed-in-the-wool liberal justice?

Yes.

[polichick]

11. I'm all for another woman, but a TRUE BLUE LIBERAL PLEASE!

[indepat]

12. Would this not mean the court would likely be moved significantly to the right?

:scared:

[MilesColtrane]

15. I don't think anybody who doesn't personally know her could give you a definitive answer to that.

She's never been a judge before and her job for the past year has been to defend the administration's interest in Supreme Court cases.

I'd bet often times a lawyer doesn't personally agree with the position he or she is paid to advocate.

[indepat]

16. Good points!

:-)

[onehandle]

14. 'intellectual counterweight to Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Scalia'

As opposed to Justice Thomas who is more of an intellectual paperweight.

I rarely respond to my own posts, but the joke just occurred to me and the editing period is over.

[QC]

19. Excellent.

[LeftyAndProud60]

22. I'm tired of Obama making the safe pick for everything. All of the conservative activist on the

court. We need a real liberal not this woman.

[polichick]

23. Me too - this prez has been given an amazing opportunity but refuses to take it. nt

[LeftyAndProud60]

25. I didn't mind Sotomayor becuz I do believe she's liberal, she's just not as open w/ her views as the

conservatives are. Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and the others are very open about their views. It seems like liberals have to pretend to be conservative to get appointed.

It also bothered me hearing stories that Obama had to be talked out of voting for Roberts. WTF?

[Thrill]

24. Very Blah pick. A chance to make a huge mark on the court

and he picks Kagan. Very disappointed. Huge majority in the Senate and he won't pick a strong young liberal. This is a very weak and disappointing pick if true. I don't see how Axelrod can say what he said last week and Kagan be the pick. Jeesh

[Hutzpa]

27. Please nooooooooooo.

Damn O, c'mon dude.

[smalll]

29. Um, OK, but why in a thread about Kagan do you give us a pic of Elizabeth Warren?

Kinda confusing. :shrug:

[Jennicut]

31. onehandle always has that pic in posts, no?

[FrenchieCat]

30. So now Politico does Pres. Obama's announcements?

That's new, no? :shrug: