Thursday, March 19, 2009

Obama's New Solicitor General, Elena Kagan


Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan has been confirmed by the Senate in pretty much a party-line vote of 61-31. As the new Solicitor General, she's the person charged with being 'the government's lawyer'. Among other things, her job will be to argue the government's case before the Supreme Court.

The appointment is seen as seen as a stepping stone for Kagen towards a Supreme Court appointment from President Obama, who Kagen knew back in Chicago from when Obama and Ayers were hanging tight at the University of Chicago Law School faculty in the 1990s.

Just one thing...she's an academic who has never ever tried a case in court.

Kagen was the first female law school dean of Harvard. They obviously had to do something after Larry Summers gave members of the female faculty the vapors with his semarks at a faculty meeting. While she was dean, she was credited with 'warming up the law school' whatever that means. She also eliminated grades and required students to do pro bono work (translation, staff various lefty interest group projects at the law school).

She's also an ex-Clintonista. From 1995 to 1999, Kagan served as President Bill Clinton's Associate White House Counsel and Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy.I have a feeling that this is a yet another clue about the president's main emphasis - domestic policy.

On the plus side, she appears to be a pretty decent administrator, which is actually an important feature of this particular gig.

Given her lack of practical legal experience and her inner circle Chicago connections to the president and the other Clintonistas in DC, she appears to be a perfect fit for this administration. I'm sure she'll do just fine.




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