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AP source: Obama chooses Kagan for Supreme Court

Zyphlin said:
Which furthers the "Harriet Miers 2" idea

I'm going to be intrigued by this for no other reason to watch both the left and the right. Many on this board complained about Mier's first and foremost due to her having no experience judging and it basically being a pick seemingly because Bush liked the woman. Others defended it that you don't need to be a judge to be experienced. Though I will say, in the case of Miers, more of the conservatives/republicans on this forum were unhappy with the pick at the time than you would expect with most picks.

First glance, I'm thinking this is a very poor pick. I'm also thinking it may very well be a "Miers-esque" type of rope-a-dope
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I'm going to stick my neck out and predict this one isn't going to go through.
 
chevydriver1123 said:
Yea but we dont anymore, the last pick was Judge Rehnquist. Im sorry but if for the highest court in the nation you should have judicial experience. This is bull****.
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It's worth mentioning that Rhenquist had judicial experience and extensive legal experience (not just Harvard Law Dean). He was an associate Justice between 1971 before becoming Chief Justice.

Prior to 1971 -

About.com said:
Rehnquist was affirmed as Associate Justice by a 68-26 Senate vote on October 21, 1971, and as Chief Justice by a 65-33 vote on Sept. 25, 1986
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How is Rhenquist different than Kagan?

About.com said:
Rehnquist received a B.A., M.A., and L.B. from Stanford University and an M.A. from Harvard University. He served as a law clerk for Justice Robert H. Jackson of the Supreme Court of the United States during the 1951 and 1952 terms, and practiced law in Phoenix, Arizona from 1953–1969. He served as Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel from 1969–1971. While working for Justice Jackson, Rehnquist wrote a memorandum arguing against the integration of white schools during the Supreme Court's deliberations in the landmark civil rights case of Brown v. Board of Education. Rehnquist has since consistently claimed that the memo was written at the direction of Justice Jackson and expressed Jackson's opinions rather than his own.
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Experience with the law.

Biography of Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist
 
Ockham said:
It's worth mentioning that Rhenquist had judicial experience and extensive legal experience (not just Harvard Law Dean). He was an associate Justice between 1971 before becoming Chief Justice.

Prior to 1971 -



How is Rhenquist different than Kagan?



Experience with the law.

Biography of Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist
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Oh I read in Politico that Rehnquist didnt have any prior experience to being Chief Justice. Politico was wrong then.
 
chevydriver1123 said:
Oh I read in Politico that Rehnquist didnt have any prior experience to being Chief Justice. Politico was wrong then.
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Not uncommon for Politico. Rhenquists biography apparently eluded them.
 
Several quick thoughts:

1. Although Ms. Kagan has not served as a judge (like Ms. Miers, though Ms. Miers also had never argued a case before the Supreme Court and had written very little on the law), it remains to be seen whether Ms. Kagan will suffer from the same kind of inability to address questions/provide answers that plagued Ms. Miers during the "coaching" sessions. In other words, even as she lacks judicial experience, does she possess additional strengths that would allow her to overcome that lack of experience?

Concern about Ms. Miers' capability to serve on the Supreme Court was shared by liberals and conservatives alike. For example, following her withdrawal from the process, Senator Trent Lott explained, "I just was concerned that she was not strong enough, dynamic enough and had enough experience in the constitutional area to be on the Supreme Court." Some other prominent conservatives e.g., Judge Bork, were much harsher.

2. Ms. Kagan, if she is appointed, would be replacing a liberal justice. The overall tilt of the Supreme Court would not likely be impacted by her appointment, unless she proves more conservative than expected (sometimes Supreme Court justices turn out differently from what had been expected).

3. Even without judicial experience, Ms. Kagan has legal experience, including experience in the area of constitutional law, (academically at University of Chicago and Harvard Law School and also as Solicitor General and previously in private practice).

My initial guess is that some Senators may well seek to delve into an early thesis she had done on the socialist movement in New York City. But ultimately, if she can express her thoughts in a coherent fashion and demonstrate her knowledge of constitutional law, she will be confirmed, especially as her nomination does not alter the Supreme Court's balance so to speak.
 
Zyphlin said:
Which furthers the "Harriet Miers 2" idea

I'm going to be intrigued by this for no other reason to watch both the left and the right. Many on this board complained about Mier's first and foremost due to her having no experience judging and it basically being a pick seemingly because Bush liked the woman. Others defended it that you don't need to be a judge to be experienced. Though I will say, in the case of Miers, more of the conservatives/republicans on this forum were unhappy with the pick at the time than you would expect with most picks.

First glance, I'm thinking this is a very poor pick. I'm also thinking it may very well be a "Miers-esque" type of rope-a-dope
Click to expand...

I don't recall commenting on this when Harriet Myers was nominated, but let me just say that at least Kagan has Princeton and Harvard Law degrees, which means she is a very intelligent lady. Harriet Myers did not have the intellectual capacity to be a Supreme Court justice, in my opinion.

I really don't know what to make of Obama's pick. My father personally knows Kagan and thinks she's a great pick. I need to pick his brain about why she would make a good Supreme Court justice.
 
American said:
I'm going to stick my neck out and predict this one isn't going to go through.
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good, because this is the prime opportunity to inform you now that she will be confirmed
 
justabubba said:
good, because this is the prime opportunity to inform you now that she will be confirmed
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Sadly, I believe you are right, but solely because the Democrats have such a large majority in the Senate, it would be difficult for the Republicans to sustain sufficient opposition for an extended period of time, even if the committee hearings reveal that such opposition is highly warranted...
 
chevydriver1123 said:
Why the hell would he pick someone for the Highest Court in the nation that has no experience as a Judge? Ugh, Im pretty sure I know the reason but I would love to to hear it from Obama himself. Hell Sotomayor had a ton of experience (which was one of the few good qualities about her).
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Ya ever notice....how some of the 'Libertarians' sound and act like Republicans?

Just sayin'.

LINO= Libertarian in name only
FLIBS
 
hazlnut said:
Ya ever notice....how some of the 'Libertarians' sound and act like Republicans?

Just sayin'.

LINO= Libertarian in name only
FLIBS
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Yes anyone who doesn't agree lock-step with Obama and you, are fakes. We know.
 
hazlnut said:
Ya ever notice....how some of the 'Libertarians' sound and act like Republicans?

Just sayin'.

LINO= Libertarian in name only
FLIBS
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Ya ever notice how close to Navy Pride this statement of yours was. Seems a lot like his "left-wing friend" bit he calls anyone who disagrees with him.
 
As a liberal, I am very disappointed by Obama's pick of Kagan. Specifically for two reasons:

(1) The legacy of Justice Stevens deserves a true liberal to fill his vacated spot.

(2) Appointment of a true liberal is essential to balance out the far right picks that GWB put on the bench.

(3) Obama wimped out in his first appointment with a moderate, Sotomayor.
Kagan is another centrist who is only going to contribute to the court moving further to the hard right.


I hope the Republicans filibuster and derail this nominee so that Obama will appoint a true liberal in this seat. America deserves balance on the court.
 
Today it was made official that Obama has picked Kagan. Honestly I am strongly appalled with his pick.

Kagan is an open socialist and has zero judiciary experience. Obama has clearly demonstrated that he is incompetent and unfit to make wise decisions. Seriously, he has nominated a judge who has no judicial experience and has advocated for socialism.
 
digsbe said:
Today it was made official that Obama has picked Kagan. Honestly I am strongly appalled with his pick.

Kagan is an open socialist and has zero judiciary experience. Obama has clearly demonstrated that he is incompetent and unfit to make wise decisions. Seriously, he has nominated a judge who has no judicial experience and has advocated for socialism.
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Oh please....Kagan is so far from "socialist" it's laughable to make that statement.

We could pray that Obama would pick someone who was leftist.....:doh
 
disneydude said:
As a liberal, I am very disappointed by Obama's pick of Kagan. Specifically for two reasons:

(1) The legacy of Justice Stevens deserves a true liberal to fill his vacated spot.
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No.
We need people that follow The Constitution.
Stevens might be a lib, but was nominated by and R.

Another dumb-ass move by the CCR's faction.

.
 
disneydude said:
Oh please....Kagan is so far from "socialist" it's laughable to make that statement.

We could pray that Obama would pick someone who was leftist.....:doh
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So who is the leftist you'd pick?
 
disneydude said:
Oh please....Kagan is so far from "socialist" it's laughable to make that statement.

We could pray that Obama would pick someone who was leftist.....:doh
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Or we could pray that Obama picks a logical interpreter of the law and Constitution without trying to legislate a left-right political agenda :doh

Kagan is a socialist, here is an excerpt from a book she wrote.
And then Ms. Kagan issues her call to action, her call for Socialists to unite in order to defeat "the entrenched foe." She writes, "Through its own internal feuding..the SP [Socialist Party] exhausted itself forever and further reduced labor radicalism in New York to the position of marginality and insignificance from which it has never recovered. The story is a sad but also a chastening one for those who, more than half a century after socialism's decline, still wish to change America. Radicals have often succumbed to the devastating bane of sectarianism; it is easier, after all, to fight one's fellows than it is to battle an entrenched and powerful foe. Yet if the history of Local New York shows anything, it is that American radicals cannot afford to become their own worst enemies. In unity lies their only hope." (pp. 129-130).
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Source: Solicitor General Elena Kagan has called for Socialists to unite...(Catholic Caucus)
 
zimmer said:
No.
We need people that follow The Constitution.
Stevens might be a lib, but was nominated by and R.

Another dumb-ass move by the CCR's faction.

.
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I would agree with you except for the fact that GWB appointed two extreme far right justices with a hard right social agenda.

Dating back to O'Connor, I have supported pretty much every pick (except Bork and Alito), I even lukewarmly supported Roberts nomination because I felt that, although he was far right, he brought some balance to the court.
 
disneydude said:
Oh please....Kagan is so far from "socialist" it's laughable to make that statement.

We could pray that Obama would pick someone who was leftist.....:doh
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Chavez already has a gig, and Castro is too old.....


j-mac
 
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