Kagan Coverage Continues

Seeing this article shot me back a couple weeks ago when we discussed the type of coverage that Kagan was receiving upon the announcement of her nomination. In contrast to many of the articles that came out then- this article from slate examines the nomination process, and Kagan's upcoming confirmation hearing. All substance, no fluff- the article tackles the hard issue of how a nominee for the supreme court gets through a grueling confirmation process. My favorite passage is:


"What she will likely talk about—if she's anything like other recent nominees—is that, if confirmed, she promises to become Kagan the Robot. She will find 100 different ways to assure us that when deciding cases she will do nothing more than mechanically apply the law to the facts. And this is where Kagan needs to throw away the script. The absence of any dialogue on substantive law at these hearings is regrettable, but the political theater of discussing judging as mere law-to-fact application is truly alarming in that it goes to the heart of the public's understanding of what it is Supreme Court justices actually do. That's why Kagan needs to talk to the American people honestly next week about the job for which she is applying and why she is so qualified to get it.


So, props to Sonja West for a truly objective look at the process- no skirt/pearls discussion at all!