Posted on 07/12/2010 2:50:39 PM PDT by Maelstorm
WASHINGTON — While Solicitor General Elena Kagan remains almost a dead-certain lock to be confirmed, and likely sometime before the August recess, as of right now she's down in the vote count 2-9.
Al Franken was the first senator to commit to voting yes, which he did during a news conference call while in Vietnam. Sen. Mark Udall, a freshman Democrat from Colorado, is the only other committed yes vote so far.
Nine Republicans, all of whom opposed Sonia Sotomayor, are now on record as saying they'll oppose Kagan, according to National Journal's The Hotline, which is tracking official statements of commitment and opposition.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar hasn't yet made her vote official, but she like almost every Democrat is expected to vote yes. In a news conference to promote Kagan held before the confirmation hearings began, Klobuchar concluded with the line "And that's why it's so important to add Elena Kagan to the bench."
The one question mark on the D side of the aisle is Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who opposed Kagan for solicitor general last year when he was still a Republican.
Specter is a Judiciary Committee member, but with a five-vote Democrat advantage on that panel, even if he flips and Republicans unite against her she'd still clear committee easily in a vote likely to come early next week. And given the Dems' 58-41 advantage in the Senate, confirmation isn't a question, if she gets that far.
The lingering question remains: Who from the GOP will buck the emerging party line and beat back a filibuster attempt, if one is launched?
Eight Republican senators remain of the nine who backed Sotomayor (Florida's Mel Martinez was replaced by George LeMieux). USA Today surveyed each of their offices and found none willing to commit either yes or no at the moment.
Snarlin’ Arlen strikes me as vindictive enough he just might do that to the Dems.
Who are we kidding here people. Sotamayor was as pure a racist as you’ll find in government today and she breezed through.
Bam will just appointment her by EO or seat her during the August recess. The hell with rules. Then he will dare anyone to challenge him.
Franken was in Vietnam? Did he see Kerry?
Specter voted NO on Kagan for Inspector General. I’d be surprised if he voted Yes for USSC.
That said, Sonia Soto did not (to my knowledge) fraudulently add language to a medical determination with regard to partial birth abortion.
She’s a far left lib, a knee jerk jerk but Kagan is pure evil. There is a slight difference, IMHO.
If Arlan doesn’t find her to be “Kosher”, THAT is a Flag raiser!!!
Obama owed Arlen for turning on the republicans and left Arlen in the lurch.
When the chips are down, Specter will do what he’s always done. Vote liberal.
Hey Vietnam! You can keep Franken. He’ll fit in with you guys just fine. We’ll take a couple of cheap t-shirts in trade.On second thought, keep the t-shirts and keep Franken too. Consider it our treat.
Specter is not going to cast the deciding vote against Kagan. As his final middle finger gesture to the GOP, he’ll probably vote for her and tell us that if he were still a Republican, he’d have voted against her.
“Sure,I voted for the pro-partial birth abortion,book banning,military hating,oversized manly girl feminazi Bolshevik to be a SCOTUS judge.”
Yeah,that’ll getcha re-elected!
Was Kerry in Viet Nam? I hadn’t heard that before; I must have been kite boarding...
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