Doessupremecourtnomineeelenakaganhaveanaxetogrindwithoneofthehighcourtsninesittingjustices?Inaphonecallwithdemocraticsen.Arlenspectertoday,kaganrepeatedhercriticismofthenominationprocessasanemptycharade,accordingtospecterandthensingledoutonejusticefornothavingsupplied"appropriate"repliestosenators"queriesduringtheconfirmationprocess."Shestoodbytheword"charade."Andsheidentifiedaspecificjusticewhoshethoughtwasnotappropriateinresponses,"spectertoldnbcskenstrickland."I"mnotgoingtotellyouwhoitwas,buti"mgoingtotakealookatthatrecordinpreparationforthequestioning."Accordingtothehill,spectersaidthejusticekaganwasreferringtowas"recentlyappointed."Sowhoiskagantalkingabout,andwhyisshecriticizingapotentialcolleague?Kagansviewsontheemptinessofjudicialnominationsarelong-standing:shefirstcalledintoquestionthenominationprocessina1995universityofchicagolawreviewarticle,whichshewroteafterservingasastafferduringtheruthbaderginsburghearings.Ginsburginvokedtherulethatshedidnthavetoanswerquestionsonanyissuesthatcouldcomebeforethecourtbecauseitcoulddamageherobjectivity.Kaganarguedthatnonomineehadbeencandidincharacterizinghisorheractualbeliefssincethecombativehearingsthatrejectedreagancourtnomineerobertborkbecauseofhisalleged"ideological"approachtointerpretingthelaw.Inthatpiece,shecalledoutjusticesginsburgandstephenbreyerbothclintonappointeesfordodgingtoughquestions."Isuspectthatbothappreciatedthat,forthem(asformost),thesafestandsurestroutetotheprizelayinalternatingplatitudinousstatementandjudicioussilence,"shewrote.(Heresalinktothearticle.)Itspossiblethattherecentlyappointedjusticeshecriticizedtospectercouldbesoniasotomayor,butthatseemsunlikely,bothbecauseitwouldbeexceptionallyimpoliticforkagantolayintoafellowobamanominee,andsincesotomayorwasntespeciallyevasiveduringherconfirmationquestioning,particularlyonhot-buttonissuessuchasabortionandgunrights.Kaganslikeliertarget,then,wouldbeoneofthetwojusticesgeorgew.Bushnominated,samuelalitoorchiefjusticejohnroberts.Bothwerecriticizedforevasiveanswerstoquestioningduringtheirhearings.Awashingtonposteditorialsaidalitoofferedonly"platitudes"whenaskedaboutexecutivepowerandthatthehearingswere"lessilluminatingthanonemighthavehoped."Petershane,aprofessoratohiostateuniversityslawschool,wrotethatalitoshowed"resolutedeterminationtosayrelativelynothingthatwouldshedlightonhisconstitutionalphilosophy.Mypersonalfavoritemomentinthiswashisinsistencethat,after15yearsonthebench,hehadnotgivensufficientthoughttothequestiontoopinewhethercongresscouldeliminateallfederalcourtjurisdictionoverfirstamendmentcases."Fewcriticsattackedrobertsforevadingthesubstantiveissuesraisedbyhissenatequestioners.Butheconsistentlyportrayedhimselfasahumble,modestjudgewithareverenceforjudicialprecedent.Kagan,whoassolicitorgeneralarguedagainstthecontroversialcitizensuniteddecision,whichallowedcorporationstoinfluencecampaignswithunlimitedfunds,maythinkrobertsmisrepresentedhisphilosophy,sinceroberts"criticsnowcontendthatincitizensunitedheendorsedanactivistapproachthatoverthrewlong-standinglegalprecedent.Onecouldbolstertheadmittedlycircumstantialcaseforrobertsaskaganstargetbynotingtheotherexchangespectermentionedtoday."Wetalkedaboutthecitizensunitedcase,andshesaidshethoughtthecourtwasnotsufficientlydeferentialtocongress,"hesaid.Onesenatorlookingforkagantobreakrecentconfirmationprecedent,ironicallyenough,willbespecterhimself.Hevotedagainstconfirmingherassolicitorgenerallastyearbecausehesaysshewouldntanswersomeofhisquestions.Lizgoodwinisanationalaffairswriterforyahoo!News.!Andjoinusonfacebook(click"like"). Skin Care and Aging HEALTH PROMOTION !,Becomeafanonfacebook |4444444444444444|
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