"What's Wrong With Kagan's Confirmation Hearings"

[TreasonousBastard]

http://www.hnn.us/articles/128551.html


By Kathleen Gronnerud


Elena Kagan's confirmation hearings are underway in the Senate Judiciary Committee, a rite of passage for Supreme Court nominees. Right? Not so fast. There's actually no constitutional or legal requirement that nominees to the Supreme Court testify before the Senate.

The Constitution merely states that the president "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint...Judges of the Supreme Court." The first confirmation hearings were held in 1925, a voluntary gesture by President Coolidge's nominee, attorney Harlan Fiske Stone. Before then, nominees were often confirmed quickly, as quickly as the same day in the case of President Harding's nominee in 1922, Sen. George Sutherland of Utah.

History and the debates of our founders offer some sound reasons why any vetting of court nominees should become more limited and less political. Senators should consider nominees for their general fitness for the court, not pressure them for ideological confessions.

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Elena Kagan is the first nominee since William Rehnquist, nominated in 1971, who has never served as a judge. The resulting lack of judicial opinions by Kagan makes it even more difficult for those trying to ascertain her ideology, so there are calls for Kagan to answer questions about her opinions on issues likely to come before the court. The founding fathers did not think this wise.

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[Ozymanithrax]

1. Typical dog and pony show with Senator's cavorting for their constituents...

It means nothing.

We will have to wait and see how she acts as a judge.

[Skink]

2. Fiengold uncovered the fact that she is a Mets fan today.

[msongs]

3. the jew baiting was completely unnecessary but look who was doing it nt

[rasputin1952]

4. I'm sitting here watching a replay this AM on C-SPAN...

So far, Sessions has proven himself to be a moron, he's trying desperately to corner Kagan, interrupting her answers as it pleases him, and makes himself look as if he is an organ grinders monkey.

He spent 13 years in the Army Reserve, (I suppose that was Jag, since he went to a graduated from Law School), but after 13 years, never made it past Captain. That's pretty bad, since someone w/a JD would most likely enter as an Cpt...13 years and no promotion to O-4 (Major)?...he must have really sucked. If you don't make it to Field Grade, after a time, the Army sends you onto the street