Hyper-Partisan Elena Kagan’s Road to the High Court

Human Events ^ | 7-2-10 | Gary Bauer

[Wolf13]

In introducing his last Supreme Court nominee 13 months ago, President Obama gushed forth like an out-of-control oil spill about what he saw as Sonia Sotomayor’s main qualification—her “wisdom accumulated from an inspiring life's journey.”

Obama lavishly praised her “distinguished career,” which included having worked “at almost every level of our judicial system.” All this courtroom time, he assured us, provided Sotomayor “with a depth of experience and a breadth of perspective that will be invaluable as a Supreme Court justice.”

“Walking in the door,” he continued, “she would bring more experience on the bench and more varied experience on the bench than anyone currently serving on the United States Supreme Court had when they were appointed.”

Not surprisingly, in introducing Elena Kagan as his nominee to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, Obama spent a great deal less time touting her judicial experience—that’s because she has none. Obama did, however, refer to Kagan as a “trailblazing leader.”

And in one sense, he’s right. Kagan would be a pioneer of sorts, at least among the current justices. She would be the first Supreme Court justice who has spent his or her life not applying the law but rather crassly manipulating it for political ends.

Remember the to-do about John Roberts’ wife’s affiliation with the non-partisan Feminists for Life? Well, Kagan’s resume overflows with left-wing politics.

She’s worked in academia and as an advocate and policy advisor in two Democratic administrations and on Democratic political campaigns. And, as the Boston Herald put it, she’s been a “faithful Democratic donor over the past decade, lavishing nearly $15,000 on candidates from Barack Obama to Al Gore.”

Kagan’s professed heroes include Barack Obama as well as unabashed judicial activists Thurgood Marshall and Aharon Barak, the former Israeli Supreme Court president.

[Skared2deth]

One might have thought that the founding fathers would have been more specific and demanding of qualifications for SCOTUS nominations.

[Venturer]

Another first for Obama.

The first President to appoint two Lesbians to the Supreme Court.

[paul51]

maybe they figured no one would ever be idiotic enough to propose a nominee that was never a judge nor would anyone ever be stupid enough to vote for a nominee that was never a judge.

[Verginius Rufus]

I figure that Kagan will wait until after she is confirmed to acknowledge that she is a lesbian—then Obama can take credit with Democratic activists for appointing the first openly lesbian justice, and the senators who vote for her can claim that they had no idea.

[rhema]

Kagan lends her vast medical expertise to ACOG.