Elena Kagan is confirmed by the Senate and will be sworn in as a justice of the Supreme Court. That’s three women on the court, folks. I can remember when the nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor had some troglodytes wetting their pants. Hell, I can remember when local television stations began to hire women to give the weather reports (“weather girls”), and the troglodytes wet their pants over that.
It strikes me also that the Right’s usual smear campaign wasn’t nearly as visible as it was for Sonia Sotomayor. I guess a Jewish woman is not as scary as a Latina woman.
Over at the Huffington Post they feature a picture of each of the 38 Senators who opposed Kagan’s nomination along with a statement of opposition from each Senator. Although it is a moot issue now in regard to her nomination it’s worth a read, at least in the respect of looking into the minds of the opposing Senators and seeing how well they can make excuses to deflect their partisanship and prejudice.
I shouldn’t be so harsh in my judgment because I’m sure that when you have a predetermined partisan position to defend that is indefensible and no cover of true reason is readily available, you have to grasp at straws and serve up whatever lame excuse you think will fly. John McCain did an outstanding job…he used the old dementia dodge that required several reading of his statement to roughly figure out what he was trying to say..” A Judge shouldn’t rely on their own judgments”
Another major objection by several of the Senators was the Military recruiter issue at Harvard Law School.. I wonder how many students work their way to complete a degree at Harvard Law School and then follow that up by becoming a Second Lieutenant in the military. I suspect the military would have a better chance at recruitment with Regent, or Liberty University than Harvard.
“I guess a Jewish woman is not as scary as a Latina woman.”
Just wait until the first Black Woman (aka- Welfare Queen) is nominated, Sessions and Cornyn will have matching Klan outfits with the rebel flag worn like a cape. The potential justice will have triple degrees from all of the major universities, and still be called unqualified. Whereas, a white guy from the South with the same qualifications would be called, wait for it………….. a visitor 🙂
Ben Nelson was agin her cuz of guns. Guns guns guns, dammit! How else we gonna pertect the cornfields o’ Nebrasky?!
I have the strong feeling Kagan is going to turn out far less “lefty” than anyone, even the craziest McCain (toss-up there), would like us to believe.
Swami, I looked at the H-post article you referenced.
And the winner is Jim Demint: “This is precisely how liberal judges have rubber-stamped tyrannical actions by the government in the past and how they will do it in the future”? What a tool, what tryanny is he talking about, citizens united? Someone’s been watching to much Glenn BecKKK.
Related but slightly off topic —
when the nominee for California Chief Justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, is confirmed, the Cal. Supreme Court will have FOUR WOMEN — Justices Kennard, Werdegar, Corrigan and the new Chief — and three men.
The level of hyperbole regarding Sotomayor vs Kagan was amazing – 2 or 3 standard deviations off the chart vs only 1 or 2 for Kagan. I see the wingnuts today are getting excited over Michele Obama’s “glitzy” trip to Spain.
Most called the confirmation hearings a snooze fest. I found them fascinating. I think Elena Kagan has a truly remarkable talent for defusing controversy and deflecting animosity. Makes for lousy TV, but I think it will make for a much better SCOTUS.
It’s not that she’s not as scary it’s that the Repubs are frightened of pissing off the Jews too much. So she was a shoe-in. I’m happy we’ve got 1/3 women on the Supreme Court, finally, but I’m not a big fan of Kagan. Think Obama could have chosen better. I did think she was funny though when one of the Senators asked her what she was doing at Christmas. She knew exactly what he was trying to point out. Let’s let everyone know she’s JEWISH, just in case you’ve missed it 🙂
Wait – how do you tell she’s Jewish? Black, Latino, OK. But it never occurred to me she might be Jewish. where have I been?