Attack Kagan News Today

Who argues for the white house before the supreme court. 50 years old, which would make her the youngest justice. if confirmed the court for first time would have three women among its nine members. not since william rehnquist has someone with zero experience as a judge been confirmed to the nations highest court. some critics see too big of an experience gap. the president sees something different. >> elena is respected and admired not just for her intellect and record of achievement but also f...

Any republican goes on that side and starts voting, they may pay a price. >> you feel that on capitol hill. republicans are trying to be careful in their initial response to kagan. but the conservative activists, theyre not kidding when they say theyll be watching this vote. >> it means how much the conservatives might be ruling the republican party. it could put them in a very bad position from the general election because thats not where mainstream america is. maria, you stay there. later, our...

The administration doesnt like this term -- but sherpa. just like sherpas mountain guides help climbers up mt. everest, shell help kagan through the treacherous process to the confirmation process. to dealing with reporters, the paparazzi. you get the picture. when davies talks, kagan might want to listen. she worked for justices kennedy and breyer and president clinton, just like a sherpa, davies succeeds if we never hear about her again and kagan reaches the pinnacle of her career. three peopl...

Shes well known on the hill. you need someone to get the feedback. >> lets stay on this subject but change topics a bit. republican party chairman michael steele found a reason to attack kagan earlier today. the press release hits a kagan article back in 1993 supporting someone who said that the united states constitution as originally drafted and conceived was defective. who said that, justice thurgood marshall who was talking about slavery. >> you would think that the democratic party is payin...

Pennsylvanias senate primary. joe ses ak rutak rushed out a statement that arlen specter voted against kagan when nominated for counsel general. he may back out of this in order to help himself in the primary election. but the people of pennsylvania have no way of knowing where he will stand after may 18. taking a stance here. cant blame him i guess. >> he voted against elena kagan when he was a republican -- not just a republican, but the ranking republican on the senate judiciary committee. he...

Know more about her now. shes done a great job as solicitor general. >> ive been convinced, ive seen the light. one more in. there will be a republican primary in utah. the states three-term senator wont be on the ballot. he didnt make the cut at utahs republican convention. when he was here last week, senator robert bennett seemed to have a sense this might be coming. >> the anger is palpable. the ang ser strong and thats why im in trouble. if i meet with the delegates, if i spend time with the...

>> the criticism is that she was somehow not only against the policy but anti-military. >> well, i think this is fair game for the senate hearings. i think shell have a good answer. because the reality was she was against discrimination against her students. we had students at harvard -- and i was on the committee that proposed this policy. students were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. we thought that was unfair. the dean supported that idea of not allowing someone to ...

Clinton to support compromise legislation on late-term abortions. it would have banned some late-term abortions. do you know her views on abortion? >> again, she was trying to influence what president clinton was doing. it was his policies that were being pushed forward. that legislation was coming forward from the hill. there was a lot of discussion and debate about that, but i would say that, you know, i believe that her view, shell have to explore this in hearings as professor ogletree was su...

Say one of the main avenues of inquiry they want to propose looking at is what happened on this whole incident of the military recruiters on the harvard campus. she opposes dont ask, dont tell. shes been very clear about that. when she was at the school -- because this can be confusing -- she reinstated a policy banning military recruitment because the military discriminated against gay americans. she did not let them have their central office that they once had on campus. the government threate...

Importance of understanding how the world works and how ordinary people live. ms. kagan has spent her entire professional career in harvard squire, hyde park and the d.c parkway. this is not places where people learn how ordinary people live. seemed to suggest shes an elitist. >> interesting that theyre out attacking her today rather than letting her kind of answer questions, speak for herself, look at a tremendous career of public service that shes had. but if you come back and look at what she...