Why Elena Kagan Is A Terrific Choice

[NJmaverick]

By John Kerry - May 11, 2010, 7:52AM

Massachusetts has been Elena Kagan's adopted home, but it's not for such home state boosterism, parochial reasons why I think she's a terrific choice.

No, it's because I got to know her well not in Boston, but here in the Senate. In the spring of 1998, Elena was hard at work in the Clinton White House, and I was handed the assignment on the Commerce Committee to work on a bi-partisan tobacco bill - an uphill fight if there ever was one, back in the days when we were in the minority. It was a tough issue for both caucuses because the tobacco industry had jobs on the line in both red and blue states.

John McCain and I were partnered together on legislation that would've restricted tobacco advertising targeting kids, brought in billions to help treat people who were sick as a result of smoking, given the FDA the ability to regulate nicotine as a drug, and so on.

Elena Kagan was the Clinton Administration's point person for me, my team and our lawyers, and the Republicans helping us find a place of common sense. Heady stuff where we had to balance building a bill that could pass a difficult Senate, with the reality that neither left nor right could turn the bill into a Christmas tree of favored causes - even causes that were personally important to me.

MORE

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/11/why_elena_kagan_is_a_terrific_choice/

[vaberella]

1. Thanks for the info. n/t

[patrice]

2. Not exactly pro-Corporation that. nt

[Democat]

3. John Kerry is a smart guy!

Too bad the right wing extremists and liars tried to disgrace his good name a few years ago.

[ProSense]

4. I trust Kerry's opinion on a SCOTUS nominee.

He has better grasp of the law and implications of scholarly opinions than most. His analyses of Roberts and Alito were classic and spot on.

[NJmaverick]

5. Ouch that hurt, if only more Senators had listened to Sen Kerry....

:-( how much of a better situation our nation would be in

[zipplewrath]

6. The problem being, her way of thinking

"She was as tough as nails, and flat-out brilliant. She had a knack for knowing how to win people over, not out of a sense of compromise, but with an ability to make people see the wisdom of the argument. She could think strategically about how to present arguments that would sway folks over to her way of thinking."


The problem of course for some of us is her way of thinking.

[goclark]

7. ? Her way of thinking made it work

is the way I read it.

[zipplewrath]

9. Actually, it didn't

The effort never passed. It got close, but never got there. He suggests that they got as close as they did because she was able to sway people to "her way of thinking". Of course, if you don't like people who want to ban partial birth abortions, you may not be all that impressed by their ability to sway people to "their way of thinking". If you don't like civil rights being sold to the "highest bidder" you might not like "their way of thinking".

[NJmaverick]

8. Her way of thinking is sound. Otherwise she wouldn't be endorsed by so many

impressive people and organizations.

[zipplewrath]

10. Sound, but wrong

It can be sound, and I can still disagree with her. It is sound thinking to sell off peoples rights to the highest bidder, but I don't accept it as correct.

[NJmaverick]

11. Sound or wrong either way if you were correct we wouldn't see the impressive list of endorsements

[zipplewrath]

12. Sure we would

All manner of people can get "impressive" lists of endorsements. Lieberman did.

[ProSense]

13. "It is sound thinking to sell off peoples rights to the highest bidder"

No, but neither is making baseless accusations.

[zipplewrath]

14. She was cornered

She could defend the Harvard policy of not allowing military recruiters to come on campus because they were a bigoted organization, or she could take the money. She took the money. This from a school with one of the largest endowments in the world.

[NJmaverick]

16. The school lets their law dean decide on the loss or gain of hundreds of millions of dollars?

That seems like a very remote possibility at best

[ProSense]

17. Yeah, she should have resigned.

The notion that the decision was her' alone to make is ludicrous.

[zipplewrath]

18. She's a DLC'er

That's the point

[ProSense]

19. Yeah, they all are. n/t

[HughMoran]

20. Ahh, the old "DLC" trump card!

:rofl:

:crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

[zipplewrath]

21. Didn't know there was one.

Apparently, the DLC is becoming pejorative?

[HughMoran]

22. ...for quite some time now actually

DLC is a naughty word :D

[zipplewrath]

23. Lot's-o-people defending them today

Truth is, the whole PUMA crowd was basically DLC'ers. They gotta be feeling pretty good about right now.

[Cha]

24. I'll take John Kerry's endorsement and all the

others who know her and are speakly highly of Elena Kagan over anonymous interneters who spout "dlc" "dlc" "dlc"..etc, etc, ad infinitum.

[zipplewrath]

25. Fine

Appeals to authority are fine. A logical fallicy, but we all do them none the less. I was just commenting that Kerry's endorsement was based upon her ability to get folks to see things her way and I'm not particularly a fan of "her way". Clinton's complaint was always that the GOP falls in line, and the democrats want to "fall in love". Guilty as charged I guess. I want to agree with someone, not just have them be "one of us".

[HughMoran]

31. Just having fun taunting people I see

I get what you're doing - have fun with it :rofl:

[zipplewrath]

34. I don't taunt

I'm sorry you can't see that. A lack of blind loyalty isn't "taunting"

[HughMoran]

35. You know that you're just provoking people you know aren't going to agree with you

Please. :eyes:

[zipplewrath]

37. No, I'm discussing things in a discussion forum

I occasionally will attempt to give folks a chance to remember that it is a discussion forum, not just a soap box, nor a cheering section.

[HughMoran]

39. "She's the devil" um no, "she's Satan", no wait a minute, "she's from Hell"

It all sounds the same to me. Random attack generation.

[zipplewrath]

41. I said none of that

Apparently you're sitting in a room of strawmen.

[Renew Deal]

32. Prove it.

When was she ever a member of the DLC?

[HughMoran]

15. Such a great compliment to her in that quote

your comment is irrelevant due to a lack of a reference point.

[zipplewrath]

26. What kind you looking for?

The one where I'm not crazy about protecting Saudi Princes that funded the 9/11 attacks?

[HughMoran]

28. Just throw as much shit against the wall as makes you happy

it's your shit.

[zipplewrath]

29. You mean she didn't?

Does Obama know?

I take it you don't believe there is any legitimate oppostion from the left on any candidate that Obama proposes.

[HughMoran]

30. Utterly ridiculous statement

"I take it you don't believe there is any legitimate oppostion from the left on any candidate that Obama proposes." :wtf:

:crazy:



You aren't a person to be taken seriously.

[zipplewrath]

33. Then remember that.

I don't need you wasting my time on a discussion forum, not discussing the topics.

[HughMoran]

36. lol

ummm, yeah :eyes:

Random attack phrases are wonderfully 'on topic'.

:eyes:

[zipplewrath]

38. So you don't want to discuss the topic

The forum prefers terse posts. That's another reality.

[HughMoran]

40. you certainly can provide those 'terse' posts

They're so terse that they don't leave any room for a rebuttal as YOU SUPPLY NO BACKUP to your ridiculous accusations.

[zipplewrath]

42. Look, I'm either worth the time or not

Which is it? I'm certainly not going to spend time assembling links for someone who doesn't want to discuss it.

[politicasista]

27. Nah. Peeps are too busy screaming and bashing because you endorsed

a GOP turned Dem (Specter), not counting those with rational, civil disagreements on this deal, but others who will look for anything the find fault and bash the senator.