Obama 'to nominate Elena Kagan for Supreme Court'

[Happy Face 29]

US President Barack Obama will nominate Solicitor-General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, US media reports say.

 

The White House has not yet commented, but Mr Obama is scheduled to announce his choice at 1000 (1400 GMT).

 

If confirmed, she would be the youngest member and third woman on the current court as well as the first justice in many years not to have been a judge.

 

The 50-year-old former dean of Harvard Law School has spent much of her professional life in academia.

 

Early in her career she was a clerk for a US Court of Appeals judge and later for former Justice Thurgood Marshall. And like Mr Obama, she worked on the prestigious Harvard Law Review as a student.

 

The president was forced to choose a nominee due to the retirement of one of the Supreme Court's leading liberals, John Paul Stevens.

 

Non-ideological writings

 

The BBC's Richard Lister in Washington says that as solicitor-general, Ms Kagan is already well known and she went through a fairly smooth confirmation process in the Senate for her current job this year.

 

There had been speculation for some time that she was Mr Obama's preferred choice and her appointment would maintain the current political balance of the Supreme Court, he says.

 

Although regarded as a liberal on most issues, she has worked with conservatives and has even attracted a liberal backlash against her support for continuing Bush administration policies on state secrets and the use of military commissions to try terrorism suspects, our correspondent adds.

 

Her staunch advocacy of gay rights may concern Republicans, who have also expressed concerns about her lack of judicial experience. She would also be questioned as to whether she was qualified.

 

Ms Kagan's academic writings are largely non-ideological, and she would have no paper trail of judicial opinions available for scrutiny.

 

With 59 votes, Senate Democrats would have enough to confirm her, but they would be one short of being able to halt blocking or stalling tactics by any Republican senators. When she was confirmed as solicitor-general, only seven Republicans backed her.

 

Our correspondent says that selection of a Supreme Court justice gives a president the opportunity to influence US public life for decades, as the justices are not bound by term limits

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8671668.stm

 

Stevens was the most liberal member of the court for decades. He's being replaced by an executive power supporting centrist at best.

 

Sad day for progressives in the US.

Edited May 10, 2010 by Happy Face

[Jusoda Kid 1]

Sad day for the toontastic football forum as well.

[NJS 4436]

Unless she intends to sentence the fat cunt to the electric chair, this is in the wrong place.

[Happy Face 29]

 

"Whoopsy Daisy!"

[Happy Face 29]

Board moderation is a disgrace these days like.

 

The world cup threads would have been merged and this thread would have been moved in a flash if I was running the show.

 

Sort it out someone.

 

ta

[ChezGiven 0]

People in glass houses and all that mate.

[Park Life 71]

Board moderation is a disgrace these days like.

 

The world cup threads would have been merged and this thread would have been moved in a flash if I was running the show.

 

Sort it out someone.

 

ta

 

There will be no more board moderation till the board breaks even.

[spongebob toonpants 4180]

First the election

 

Then the "club statement"

 

now this - I dont know how much more I can take

[Monroe Transfer 0]

Unless she intends to sentence the fat cunt to the electric chair, this is in the wrong place.