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The Spectacle Blog
President Obama just formally announced his appointment of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, touting her ability to understand the law intellectually while remaining aware of how it “affects lives or of ordinary people.”
Obama praised her temperment and her openess to different viewpoints, citing her recruitment of conservative professors when she served as dean of Harvard Law School. He also singled out her work as solicitor general on the losing side of the Citizen’s United free speech and campaign financing case.
On the personal side, Obama emphasized that Kagan was the granddaughter of immigrants whose mother served as a public shool teacher and father served as a housing lawyer representing tennants. He also described her as a “die hard Mets fan.”
Kagan echoed Obama’s general theme in her own statement, expressing her love for the law, “not because it’s challenging and endlessly interesting…but because law matters. Because it keeps us safe. Because it protects our most fundamental rights and freedoms. And because it is the foundation of our democracy.”
She thanked her two brothers, both school teachers, who were on hand for the announcement, while expressing sadness that her parents didn’t survive to be there. She reiterated that her parents were children of immigrants, and that her father worked to “represent everyday people” and to improve the community while her mother served her students.
View all comments (29) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/05/10/obama-kagan-understands-how-la
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Pingback| 5.10.10 @ 11:10AM
Twitter Trackbacks for Obama: Kagan Understands How Law "Affects Ordinary People" [s links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Eric Cartman| 5.10.10 @ 12:03PM
touting her ability to understand the law intellectually while remaining aware of how it "affects lives or of ordinary people."
This from a guy who doesn't even understand the affects his own Obamacare would have on the country. What an ass!
Roger Cotton| 5.10.10 @ 12:25PM
Presumably, ALL competent judges understand how the law affects ordinary people.
She needs better qualifications than that!
Enough with identity politics. Nominate QUALIFIED people with experience.
Teresa| 5.10.10 @ 3:03PM
Agreed! Hire qualified people. President Obama would never have been considered qualified to be the CEO of a major company based on his experience. It stuns me that he is somehow going to successfully run the most powerful country in the world.
Nate| 5.10.10 @ 11:25PM
The Constitution is pretty clear on this matter, Teresa. It clears up all your questions.
The president does NOT need to be qualified -- according to you -- to be a CEO. He only needs to get elected, and that, my dear, he did.
Case closed.
Nick| 5.10.10 @ 11:46PM
Why can't you answer some simple questions, Nate?
tommy651| 5.10.10 @ 1:02PM
what is an ordinary person? i thought that in the eyes of the government all people were suppose to be the same.
Oldefarte| 5.10.10 @ 1:16PM
I wonder if those 'ORDINARY PEOPLE' of her concern are dominated by those of the HOMOSEXUAL VARIETY; and whether she will COME OUT OF THE CLOSET in her campaign for the SC??????????????
JohnD| 5.10.10 @ 2:54PM
The fact is that this pick might be as good as we could get from this President. Kagan is obviously not Alito, Roberts, or Thomas, and is certain to take a seat on the liberal wing of the Court, but I would suggest the pick could have been worse.
John Herlick| 5.10.10 @ 4:19PM
There is a lesson in all of this for conservatives. If we had done a better job of trying to elect John McC ain and GOP senators, we just might have had an opportunity to get a fifth and sixth real conservative on the court.
Nick| 5.10.10 @ 4:32PM
Mr. Herlick,
Not unless they carried Stevens out on a stretcher.
The only way we are going to get a "fifth and sixth conservative on the court" is if a liberal justice dies while there is a "conservative" president.
Pingback| 5.10.10 @ 5:31PM
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Obama: Kagan Understands How … » Articles K links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Nate| 5.10.10 @ 6:25PM
I'm not sure I understand the obsession of people on the right with this notion that judges ought to be able to think out the "real world" effects of the laws they enforce and uphold.
Have none of you ever read Measure for Measure?
Law is a very complicated business. Judges do NOT simply call balls and strikes. Judges weigh different a variety of interests and issues when deciding the most difficult cases -- precisely those cases where the law is vague, unclear, or unsettled.
Just relax. Obama just meant that she thinks about how the law will shape and matter to society when she settles cases. This is entirely appropriate for a Supreme Court justice.
Nick| 5.10.10 @ 7:14PM
Nate,
Where have you been hiding?
Do you always run away from a debate when you are losing?
Or, did you finally realize how stupid it was to compare terrorist Nidal Malik Hasan's killing of 14 people, and wounding of 30 others, to a"workplace shooting?"
Nick| 5.11.10 @ 12:51AM
See how Nate the coward won't debate honestly.
Flee| 5.11.10 @ 2:07AM
Does she have to give preference to those entering the court from less than optimum station in life or is justice blind as it was designed? I often thought it might be better to have the litigants identities hidden during the proceedings and to limit coverage to help preserve non-prejudicial review or judges or juries. This would make strict following of the Constitution a much surer way of judging outcomes than so-called empathy for the less privileged. Why are they not touting her girl of the streets background like Sotomayor?
Pingback| 5.10.10 @ 7:24PM
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Obama: Kagan Understands How … : PlanetTalk.ne links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Yosemeti Sam| 5.11.10 @ 8:14AM
BHO: " ... touting her ability to understand the law intellectually while remaining aware of how it "affects lives or of ordinary people." ...."
From on the job training judicial ivory tower high!
Shucks - that be another wise empathizer for them bitter clinger folks, right?
To whom utmost cynical regard is bestowed!
Pingback| 5.11.10 @ 11:41AM
How can I get internet service for my laptop away from home? | Personal services links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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Turning Good Intentions Into Action | money making blog links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
josh| 6.27.10 @ 11:41AM
It 'IS NOT' about "how the law 'affects certain people'", it is about following the Constitution no matter Who the person is! The "Equal Protection Clause" of the Constitution has already been shattered by the Hate Crimes Bill. New "Specal Classes of People" offered MORE protection under the law than others! Want Equality? Then treat "EVERYBODY EQUALLY", under the law as the Constitution states... Period!