Thread: Kagan new US Justice

President Barack Obama's nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court won Senate approval on Thursday, his second appointment to the highest U.S. court that decides abortion, death penalty and other contentious cases.

The Democratic-led Senate voted largely along political party lines, 63-37, to confirm the former Harvard Law school dean as the fourth female justice in U.S. history and the 112th high court member.

Kagan was Obama's solicitor general, arguing government cases before the Supreme Court, when he named her in May as his choice to replace the retiring liberal Justice John Paul Stevens.

The 50-year-old Kagan, who will be the third woman on the current court, is not expected to change the ideological balance of power on the closely divided panel, which for years has been dominated by a 5-4 conservative majority.

All the Democratic senators but one voted for her, two independent senators voted for her and five Republicans voted for her. All the other Republican senators opposed her nomination.

Source: Reuters

Would you have voed for her?

Thoughts?

The Senate should defer to the president on his SCOTUS picks. A nominee shouldn't be blocked unless they are extremely unqualified.

Originally Posted by Macduff

The Senate should defer to the president on his SCOTUS picks. A nominee shouldn't be blocked unless they are extremely unqualified.

I would have voted against her as I think she is highly unqualified.

Originally Posted by Shooterman

I would have voted against her as I think she is highly unqualified.

And you are led to this conclusion by??????

Originally Posted by NiteGuy

And you are led to this conclusion by??????

Well she doesn't have any direct experience as a judge; though she was extremely well regarded at Harvard and as solicitor general.

well, since there is no set in stone interpretation of the Constitution, a judge being conservative or liberal is just a way to cause flak. She's fine.

I think it was an extremely unwise move for Scott Brown to join his party in voting against Kagan:
1. Her confirmation was un-avoidable anyway (his negative vote was wasted)
2. Brown must run for reelection in less than 2 years in liberal Massachusetts. The more distance he can put between himself & straight GOP party-line votes...the better his chances are for reelection.

He should have voted with the Dems.(maybe he is to dumb to remain a U.S. Senator after all)