Barack Obama has made his pick and pissed of people on the left and the right. I suppose there may be some merit to the thought that if you're pissing off both sides, you're probably doing something right. I don't buy that. Frankly, I think the most ideological suspect position in the world is centrist.
That said, I don't have any real strong position on Elena Kagan. I don't know fuck all about her. Over at Firedoglake that seems to mean she's an empty vessel. Rush Limbaugh evidently agrees because he can fill up that empty vessel with some crazy shit and pretend that Elena Kagan believes it.
That said, who knows? Barack Obama knows her and evidently thinks real highly of her. I like him. He's a smart guy. I think she'll probably be fine. But, let us never forget that the justice she's replacing, the liberalest liberal that every liberaled, was appointed by one Richard Milhouse Nixon. These are lifetime appointments. By 2040, Elena Kagan may be prepared to gay marry the shit out of everyone. Or she may end up jailing reporters for being insuffiently American.
You know what I do know? There are probably a good 100 people in the US qualified to sit on the Supreme Court. And, I'm low-balling that number. The idea that there's one person who can do it, and putting a priority on seating women and minorities is somehow robbing a more qualified man, is pernicious, narrow-minded, and just flat out stupid.
I don't know what kind of justice Elena Kagan will be. But I'm happy to see another proud vagina-American sitting on the court. And any boo-hooing over the Ballad of the Poor, White Man should be met with ridicule. Or, if you're Jon Stewart, a full on Go Fuck Yourself gospel choir.
