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Elena Kagan REACTIONS: First Thoughts On Supreme Court Nominee

Huffington Post     First Posted: 05/10/10 02:19 PM ET   Updated: 05/25/11 05:25 PM ET

The first reactions to Elena Kagan being nominated for Supreme Court justice are streaming in now that President Barack Obama has formally announced her nomination.

Here's a compilation of initial statements in response to the Supreme Court nomination.

Vote on the merit of each of these Elena Kagan reactions and discuss in the comments below.

Deval Patrick: Kagan Has Proven Ability To Build Bridges
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"The court does seem very divided, and I think Elena has shown her ability to build bridges, and she showed that in spades at the Harvard Law School faculty. And if you haven’t seen divisions, have a look at the Harvard Law School faculty! So I think she’ll bring an aptitude and a record as a bridge builder. And she’s certainly as bright as they come." -- Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick -SOURCE
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The first reactions to Elena Kagan being nominated for Supreme Court justice are streaming in now that President Barack Obama has formally announced her nomination. Here's a compilation of initial st...
The first reactions to Elena Kagan being nominated for Supreme Court justice are streaming in now that President Barack Obama has formally announced her nomination. Here's a compilation of initial st...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
lyingdognews
06:55 AM on 05/11/2010
Is there no justice in this world?...

LINK BETWEEN TIGER WOODS AND SUPREME COURT JUSTICE NOMINEE ELENA KAGAN DISMISSED BY WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON, DC — Tiger Woods is reported to have had 21 mistresses. Could Supreme Court Justice nominee Elena Kagan be number 22?

[...]

Full story: http://lyingdognews.net/?p=2341
01:10 AM on 05/11/2010
RNC, GOP, REPUBLICANS are a bunch of A-HOLE FRAT-BRATS
trying to destroy America as they push to enrich their corporate owners!

It's time for a brain like E. Kagan to give those "conservatives" a kick in
their pompous arses! Eenough of their lies already.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Juanmanuelsotoarg
01:10 AM on 05/11/2010
Patrick Leahy has it right!!! the Repubs would oppose anyone! anyone...Obama needs to say behind closed doors: you delay things too much you wont go home for August recess
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
wattnot
I'm a Lumberjack and He's OK.
12:23 AM on 05/11/2010
I think it has to be said that US senators are so far up themselves they have come out the other side. The only correct conservative view is that nobody who is not already a supreme court judge can possibly be considered for the role of judge on the supreme court. Anything else is simply taking unconscionable risks. Unless, of course the Republicans were to nominate the candidate, and then even Sarah Palin would be a good choice, or the CEO of BP, who is currently looking for work.
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09:29 PM on 05/10/2010
So quick to judge! So easy to take a position! How many of you at this site really know anything about Elena? Have you truly researched who she is? At this point in time, I am going to trust the president I voted for and believe that she has qualifications to be on the supreme court. Does she meet my personal qualifications? Honestly, I won't know until I really read, listen and research respectable sources. Then I'll form my opinion. But right now, I'm happy that she was nominated.
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07:16 PM on 05/10/2010
Why is geography and regional representation never brought up in the Supreme Court nomination process?

The western US is known for being more independent and populist politically, yet this is not represented on the court.

Of the nine current Justices only two were born west of the Mississippi and none of them went to law school out west. Is the curriculum and instruction at all western US law schools inferior to institutions in the East? or just the connections?

Currently, the Midwest has two Justices, one is retiring and it looks like his replacement will be someone from New York who went to Harvard.

Also, why are there no Americans of asian descent on the Supreme Court? Has one ever been nominated? and no atheists? and why is not one protestant christian on the court in a country where protestantism is the majority faith?

John Roberts- b. Indiana, went to Harvard law.

John Paul Stevens- b. Illinois, went to U. of Chicago BA and Northwestern Law.

Antonin Scalia- b. New Jersey, went to Georgetown BA and Harvard Law.

Anthony Kennedy- b. California, went to Stanford BA, the London School of Economics and Harvard Law

Clarence Thomas- b. Georgia, went to Holy Cross(Mass.) BA, Yale law.

Ruth Ginsburg- b. New York, went to Cornell BA, Columbia law.

Stephen Breyer- b. California, went to Stanford BA, Harvard law.

Samuel Alito- b. New Jersey, went to Princeton BA, Yale law.
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07:30 PM on 05/10/2010
why is there such a lack of diversity on the court?

6 Roman Catholics, 3 jews. No atheists, no buddhists, no eastern orthodox, no mormons, no protestants, no muslims.

No non ivy league law school graduates.

Say no to group think!
07:49 PM on 05/10/2010
while i agree with the spirit of what you're saying here, i think there is an inherent problem at this point.

1. there are only 9 justices - which to be frank, isn't enough to please every kind of view point that exists in our society

2. consider how long it takes for true equal rights progress, and remember that these justices get appointed for LIFE.

I'm not saying I'm anti-progress, OR that I think it should happen swiftly - simply that the current set-up sort of ensures that it will be a slow process
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Buffyboy
Here it comes, Senior
10:44 PM on 05/10/2010
Two reasons are Arizona and Utah.
07:13 PM on 05/10/2010
"Solicitor General Kagan has a strong academic background in the law. I have been generally pleased with her job performance as solicitor general, particularly regarding legal issues related to the war on terror." – Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Judiciary Committee member.

This brings me pause. This, to me, means she is pro MIC, pro war, pro not bringing the Bush Administration to justice, and pro not doing a real investigation into 911.

http://rawstory.com/2010/03/revealed-ashcroft-tenet-rumsfeld-warned-911-commission-line-should-cross/
07:08 PM on 05/10/2010
Can we start defining people more by their positions than the extremely limited choices of right and left and liberal and conservative? This is the downfall of American politics. In many states of Europe they have lots of parties whose names describe exactly what their positions are.
06:55 PM on 05/10/2010
I don't like her experience with the Clintons. Just like at their repulsive pardon list.
06:56 PM on 05/10/2010
just look

correction
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
Billyguitar
Disgusted by politics since John Anderson lost. In
05:29 PM on 05/10/2010
The quotes above in favor all seemed much more well informed than the ones that opposed her. Based on that, I think she'll make it.
04:38 PM on 05/10/2010
HEY Fellea! Where are comments from the millions of women, who must be cheered by President Obama's choice? We definitely need Ms. Kagen.
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SpinDizzy
This Space for Rent
04:21 PM on 05/10/2010
The sound of so many axes being ground is deafening.
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DudleysPa
Squirrel!
04:17 PM on 05/10/2010
"It's that "unknown" Elena Kagan who has gun owners particularly concerned at the moment, not only because she's Obama's favored choice but because evidence for her beliefs on gun control is extremely scarce." -Chuck Norris -

And he went on..."So without knowing diddlysquat about her, I'm going to immediately leap to a paranoid conclusion...perhaps with my signature knee-jerk leg kick."
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
LDF
That's me in the red coat
05:55 PM on 05/10/2010
Well, if Chuck Norris is opposed to her, that's enough for me. Case closed.

LOL.
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SpinDizzy
This Space for Rent
03:58 PM on 05/10/2010
"The Kagan I know is a progressive. But we should be careful about precisely what that term means today." -- Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Professor Of Law

Spoken like a true lawyer. It's like trying to nail down a blob of mercury.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Arthur Brown
Facts Matter.
02:07 PM on 05/10/2010
Why does anyone care about What Chuck Norris has to say?
02:23 PM on 05/10/2010
Ha. That was my exact thought.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
Olaugh
If you are sure, you've stopped listening.
03:46 PM on 05/10/2010
For that matter, why does anyone care what NOM has to say?