Kagan Fever: It's Time To Pretend To Catch It
The Elena Kagan confirmation hearings have almost officially opened! Nothing but dead Robert Byrd and fearsome hurricanes on the cable news at the moment, with C-SPAN showing some Finance Committee hearing from last week and a 2005 tribute to Robert Byrd. But you can apparently click the CSPAN ad appearing here on Wonkette to see "Web Video" of the hearings, once there's something to watch. We have never been more excited about anything, is the point. But what if it all goescrazy?
That's very unlikely, unless by "crazy" you mean "a few Republicans will say some typically obnoxious things."
The real issue is Kagan's dismissive remarks about the Important To Democracy process of having politicians read prepared remarks that will have no bearing on her confirmation as Supreme Court Justice:
Kagan's sharp review of Yale law professor Stephen L. Carter's 1995 book, The Confirmation Mess, has gleaned some media attention because of her complaint that confirmation hearings, and especially Supreme Court confirmation hearings, have become -- as she puts it -- a "vapid and hollow charade, in which repetition of platitudes has replaced discussion of viewpoints and personal anecdotes have supplanted legal analysis."
Why does liberal Elena Kagan hate our nation's Precious Freedoms? And why haven't Republicans come up with a way to stop her dangerous nomination? Experts say it's because she's bland and moderate and her appointment isn't going to change the current idiot court's 5-4 split, so who even cares. [ Washington Post ]