Elena Kagan confirmed

Elena Kagan was confirmed yesterday.  Since she is replacing another liberal I cannot get too worked up over it.  Conservatives need to save the big fight in case a conservative justice must be replaced during Obama’s presidency.

The usual RINO suspects voted to confirm Kagan. 

Only five Republicans voted in favor of Kagan’s nomination. Last year, just nine Republicans voted for Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Obama’s first Supreme Court appointee.

Today’s yes votes included Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the lone Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee to support Kagan when the panel recommended the nomination to the full Senate on a 13-6 vote. Other GOP yes votes came from Richard Lugar of Indiana, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, and Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.

Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass, one of Kagan’s home state senators, voted against her. 

It would be wise for conservatives to start putting pressure on these RINOs now, so that in the event a major appointment battle comes, these bone heads won’t capitulate like they always do.

Via: Michelle Malkin

Obama to nominate Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court

It has been widely speculated that Obama was going to pick Elena Kagan to replace Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. It is thought that she is a safe pick because she was confirmed to Solicitor General by a 61-31 Senate vote. 

MSNBC: WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will nominate U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan to serve as an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, NBC News’ Pete Williams reported late Sunday night.

Kagan, 50, served as the Dean of Harvard Law School from 2003 to 2009. Obama nominated her to serve in her current post as solicitor general early in 2009, and she won Senate confirmation by a vote of 61-31. She is the first woman to serve as solicitor general of the United States. 

Kagan is not without issues. Both the left and the right will take note that her resume is rather thin for the Supreme Court. The right will take note of her opposition to on campus military recruiting because of Don't Ask Don't Tell. The left will certainly take issue with her defense of expanded presidential powers during the Iraq war. To get more detail on Elena Kagan check out Michelle Malkin. If you are wondering about the Elena Kagan gay or Elena Kagan lesbian rumors check out The Other McCain, he has the Google bomb on that issue.

There is also another issue bubbling up on the left. It seems to hint at Kagan being a racist for not having enough diversity in her hiring practices. Depending upon how much the left hates her, this charge may become more explicit. Time will tell.

Tammy Bruce has linked to a series of Cspan videos with Elena Kagan. They ought to give you some idea of who she is and where she is coming from.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: MSNBC News

Via: Legal Insurrection

Via: Michelle Malkin

Via: The Other McCain

Via: Tammy Bruce

Chief Justice John Roberts: Scene at SOTU “very troubling”

At the last State of the Union address only six of the nine Supreme Court Justices attended, I have a feeling the attendance will be a little lower next time round. During a Q and A session at the University of Alabama, Chief Justice John Roberts was asked his opinion on the Alito incident at the State of the Union.  Roberts said: 

"So I have no problems with that," he said. "On the other hand, there is the issue of the setting, the circumstances and the decorum.

"The image of having the members of one branch of government standing up, literally surrounding the Supreme Court, cheering and hollering while the court — according the requirements of protocol — has to sit there expressionless, I think is very troubling."… 

Roberts told the students he wonders whether justices should attend the speeches.

"I'm not sure why we're there," said Roberts,… 

Sounds like Roberts might be channeling his inner Clarence Thomas on this matter.  As I mentioned before on this blog, the State of the Union is really becoming such a childish exercise. It isn’t something that started under Obama either, it was bad under Clinton and Bush as well.

Since partisanship is driving much of the childish behavior, I think it would be better for future presidents to simply give the address from the Oval Office, where there can be no silly standing ovations, cat calls or outbursts.  Let the viewers at home make up their own minds as to whether or not the president is saying anything noteworthy. 

More reactions at Sister Toldjah and Scared Monkeys.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Associated Press

False alarm of the day: Chief Justice Roberts stepping down

Radar Online gave conservatives the scare of a lifetime, by announcing that conservative Chief Justice Roberts would be stepping down from the Supreme Court. Radar then updated to say the rumor was NOT true.

Thank God for that. Any conservative justice resigning between now and 2012 will allow Obama to change the balance of the court towards the left. Right now the only justice Obama might get to replace is Justice Ginsberg who is currently holder her own against cancer. Replacing her with a radical lefty would be a wash. 

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Radar Online

UPDATED: SCOTUS knocks down parts of McCain Feingold

In a 5-4 ruling the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that corporations (and that means Unions too) are free to spend whatever they want on campaign ads. The part of McCain Feingold that was affected was the part where corporations are not allowed to run ads in the closing days of a campaign.

I am not a fan of campaign finance reform.  Money is like quicksilver, you shut off contributions in one area and it simply flows to a new path. What would be far better reform, would be truth in advertising. So many of these campaign ads hide whom the real people are who are pushing these ads. With the use of PACs and advocacy groups, it is hard to tell who really is running the ad.  What I would like to see is at the beginning of a campaign ad a very clear and honest statement of who is running the ad. Not just telling me who the PAC or advocacy group is, but who really is paying for that ad.

Another thing I would like to see is on each candidate’s website, a clear list of all the corporations and groups they accepted money from with links to those groups or companies. This way you know exactly who is financing these jokers without having to dig for it. If someone could figure out how to do these things, then we could have some real reform.

Read the full details of the decision here.


UPDATE: The left goes crazy over SCOTUS ruling


Wow, when I posted this, I had no idea how much it would effect the left. They are screaming bloody murder over this ruling. I guess after spending a year bashing corporations, they know those corporations are going to bash them right back come November.  Sucks to be them. Just when the Democrats are about to face the toughest elections of their lives,  big business can now run a ton of campaign ads against them. 

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The New York Times

Ruth Bader Ginsberg taps the brakes.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has temporarily delayed Chrysler's sale to Fiat. Ginsburg says in an order Monday that the sale is "stayed pending further order."

I have to admit that this move by Ginsburg surprised me. I had heard that the Indiana benefits plan's case coming before her. However, I suspected that Ginsburg was going to rubber stamp the deal for Obama. Well surprise, surprise, surprise. I hope that the Supreme Court gives the Obama administration a real hard slap down over all these crazy TARP shenanigans.

If the Supremes rule that, all this direct government intervention into the private sector contracts is unconstitutional, then maybe we won't ever have to worry about the Pay Czar, government control of banks or ugly little cars from the new GM!

Quick Thoughts on Souter

Here are my quick thoughts about Justice Souter's departure.

1. Since he voted lefty his departure doesn't change anything.
2. Souter was a liberal at heart. He waited for a liberal president before he resigned in order to maintain the balance of power on the court.
3. Damn, Obama jumped on this quick, the man isn't leaving until October.
4. I expect Obama to pick a real moonbat for his replacement, and why not? Whoever he picks will sail through, and this may not be the case after 2010. Plus, Obama's "empathy" comments tells me his pick will be clueless about the Constitution, but will have all the right "feelings" about the law.
5. I expect Obama's moonbat choice to be a Politically Correct first. I expect that to translate into a minority or if white, openly gay.
6. Also, since Obama is looking to move the nation left, I also expect his pick to be young. This way his pick will have a good long run on the court.
7. Souter puzzled me. He isn't fond of Washington and loves his private life, so why did he go through all that subterfuge to get the job in the first place?
8. Look for the MSM to use Souter's resignation and Specter's jump to paint a picture of a crumbling and demoralized Republican party. Don't fall for it!