President Barack Obama seems poised to announce his choice of Elena Kagan to replace ailing 81 year-old Justice John Paul Stevens, who announced his plan to retire later this year. All the present Supreme Court Justices have served as a Federal Judge before being nominated to the nation’s highest court, but Kagan has not served in that capacity nor has she been a judge at all. It seems that President Obama is more interested in placing someone on the Bench who thinks like he does as opposed to selecting someone who is willing to apply the rule of law when making judicial decisions which will affect the lives of millions of American citizens for generations. While Kagan might have an impressive resume and doubtless has an astute legal mind as the President of harvard Law School, still, it is not known what her judicial philosophy is, or how impartial she can be; considering the fact that she is the government’s former Solicitor General before the very Supreme Court that she wants to become a member of, and, of which would seem to be a conflict-of-interest (cronyism at the very least). No doubt the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee will subject her to some intensive questions and scrutiny, but at the end of the day, who wants to stand in the way of history as Kagan will be the third female Supreme Court Justice in this country’s history. As for experience: “FORGET-ABOUT-IT,” because a Community Organizer became President of the United States, after-all; so why not her?
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
May 10, 2010
pbks@hotmail.com
