Senate Opens Debate on Kagan

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"The Senate on Tuesday opened floor debate of on the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Democrats praised her as a sagacious legal mind and a refreshing choice from outside the usual ranks of federal judges, while Republicans denounced her as a liberal partisan who would use her perch on the high court to bend the law to her political views.

Ms. Kagan, the solicitor general and former dean of Harvard Law School, was chosen by President Obama to replace the retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. She is all but certain to be confirmed, with the Senate Democratic majority virtually unanimous in support and Republicans pledging not to filibuster. A vote is planned by the end of this week, and may happen as soon as Thursday.

Many senators have already said how they planned to vote, including five Republicans who said they will support Ms. Kagan. Still, the floor speeches were expected to be contentious, as Republicans seized on Ms. Kagan’s work as a domestic policy advisor to President Clinton and her lack of prior experience on any federal or local bench to paint her as a risky choice.

Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, opened the proceedings by heaping praise upon the 50-year-old nominee. “Having heard from Solicitor General Kagan at her confirmation hearing five weeks ago,” he said, “I believe the American people have a sense of her impressive knowledge of the law, her good humor and her judicial philosophy."

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[Tx4obama]

1. Here's a Live-Stream link for the debate

http://cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN2.aspx

Debate time on the Kagan nomination will be controlled as follows:

- Chairman Leahy -first 30 minutes

- Ranking Member Sessions-next 30 minutes

- 10:30 until 11am equally divided and controlled between the Leaders, or their designees

- 11-12:30pm equally divided and controlled, with the Majority controlling the first 45 minutes;

- 2:15pm-8:15pm divided in one hour alternating blocks, with the Majority controlling the first block

- 8:15pm and beyond continuing to be divided in one hour alternating blocks of time.

[Scurrilous]

2. Thanks.

:thumbsup:

[a kennedy]

3. and again how many votes for confirmation does she need???

:shrug: and thanks

[Tx4obama]

4. For cloture to end debate 60 votes. For confirmation 51 votes. n/t

[Tx4obama]

5. Here's a CNN Live-Stream link below

http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream1

[SpiralHawk]

6. "Blah blah blah blah blah. No." - Republicon Homelander Obstructionistas

[SoCalDem]

7. What an utter waste of time.

Dems: "You republicans would hate anyone Obama chose & we know you will claim she's unqualified & should not be approved..so we accept that claim from you all without the need to waste time bloviating about it..put it on paper & we'll add it to the record..."...now let's just vote