Eliot Spitzer on Kagan: 'She Will Get the 5th Vote'

Run time: 04:31 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xaTD4r2Qik   Posted on YouTube: May 10, 2010 By YouTube Member: CBSNewsOnline Views on YouTube: 121   Posted on DU: May 10, 2010 By DU Member: tomm2thumbs Views on DU: 2029

 

Spitzer was a former law school classmate of Elena Kagan's and offers his insights.

The former Governor offers that Kagan is "unbelievably smart and thoughtful and careful, the sort of perfect qualifications to be a justice of the Supreme Court -- somebody who will look at every case, think about the constitutional issues and do what is right for the country. She is not an ideologue from the left or the right, and that is clear from what she did as dean of Harvard Law School - just a perfect temperament to be a justice."

"...I guess you could say (she is) a moderate, but I would say she's really thoughtful and passionate about what she believes, but very careful about what she believes. And that is why it's very hard to pigeonhole her."

Spitzer notes Kagan can be very persuasive.

"She will get the fifth vote. To put this in the context of the Supreme Court, when she is on the court and she's looking for a fifth vote because she needs to get the majority, she will argue for a perspective that will get -- whether it's a Kennedy or a Scalia, whomever it may be, she will be persuasive to get that vote."

:patriot:

:sarcasm:

He is so sharp and knowledgeable on so many issues. Compared to what other politicians have done, he really deserves a second chance.

:thumbsup: :headbang: :yourock: :applause: :patriot:

He is one of my favorites.

Eliot Spitzer should make a comeback, but also LOVE the wonderful lady in this picture. Ms. Warren would be an awesome pick for SCOTUS.

I think he should just be nonapologetic about it like the Republicans. People seem to like that attitude.

but hey what do I know

... those votes aren't ever going to come back from the far-right edge of the cliff.

He should be doing more, he should hold office in some important capacity.

this can't really be compared to Bush appointing Souter. i don't think Bush personally knew him.

in Obama's case he does. and i can't see them knowing each other all this time and never discussing issues.

there is no way Spitzer would be speaking favorable about Kagan if he thought she would lean to the right.

court, Kagan, who colors herself a centrist, will turn slightly right and rule that way. The fifth vote direction will always be right. I think she will be instrumental in ending entitlement programs. This is all simply my opinion. If it is wrong, I will readily admit error, unless I am gone, which is most likely the case.

and you have a more accurate appraisal of her leanings?

Interesting! Since Obama and Clinton have both worked with her, and all the other Senators have more information than we all do about her bona fides.

used as a tool. She'll be confirmed rather easily, so we should know soon who was correct.

judgment of wise men and women over a crystal ball.

run from experts as quickly as I can. From investments to home repairs to cooking to child rearing, I stay well clear of experts. To each his/her own.

(and I mean that sincerely)

What is your guess educated by?

The one thing that is nearly universal about Kagan around these parts is that we don't know much about her. Certainly our personal experiences have not brought us into much contact with her, and it is doubtful our professional experiences have either. She has a sparse publishing record, and her positions of employment have not left a trail that makes deciphering how she willtreat the job of a SCOTUS Justice clear.

So, what we're relying on to learn about her -- those of us actually trying to do so and not knee-jerking based on the latest right-wing attack ad disguised by a seemingly objective news or opinion piece -- is listening to what others who have worked with or knew her are saying.

What educates your guess in a way that leads to a different educated guess by people who actually know or worked with her?

judicial background? What important papers has she published? Why is Obama choosing her over a real progressive? My educated guess includes abstractive thought that has nothing to do with who experts or those who have worked with her huddled in conference think. I have suspicions of alternative motives, and will wait until I see three or four of her decisions that are if not progressively slanted than at least not conservatively founded. Not having anything substantive to learn her bias or lack thereof, I shall remain undecided. There are many political decisions I have made in the last two years that I deeply regret. I don't want this to be another one. Had I to do this over, I would not have made my initiating post here. It seems more of the Bush "if you're not with us you're against us" modality.

... but the right would make a fuss if he'd nominated Robert Bork for the simple reason Obama is the one doing the nominating.

I'm afraid I find no coherence in the rest of your statement. The phrase "educated guess" has a meaning, but you seem simply to be throwing it out as a manner of attempting to validate what is more appropriately labeled suspicion. I can't (no one can) argue against your suspicions, so I'll leave you to them.

loud and busy enough to avoid perceived underattack, but one enough aggrieved enough to retain their identity. Let's hold this indictment of me util the woman is sworn in and gets a couple of votes and opinions under her belt. I never cared for John Edwards either. Et' tu?

This is about your comments, which are beginning to amount to a string of non sequiturs. (John Edwards? He is relevant how?)

You made a statement that you had an "educated guess" that Kagan would be used as a "tool." I questioned the validity of your saying your guess was educated by requesting information regarding the basis of that guess. You provided me with what amounts to a hunch that seems derived from an emotional response.

Since I know about as much about Kagan as anyone else who is reading the news, I initially thought you might have some other source or at least a chain of rational logic that would justify the use of the phrase "educated guess," but I was disappointed.

relevant to the sort thinking by which most people make decisions, ostensibly, including you. 2. What an educated guess is is subjective to the person making the educated guess, as subjective as the word "educated" itself. 3. Sorry for your disappointment. But less sorry than I'll be should Kagan turn out to be a jurist who changes streams once she obtains an assignment from which she can never be terminated.

Out.

You seem to think I was the one passing judgments about individual people on this forum. I swear sometimes DU reminds me less of a political forum than it does a group therapy center for people engaged in chronic projection.

In any case, I really just wanted to have a discussion about Kagan, not John Edwards or "abstractive" thought processes.

If you have some information about her or some substance that backs your suspicions, I'd be glad to hear it. Until then, good day to you.

Right, haven't had enough hours of Glenn Beck and Bill O'Rly and Sean Hannigan yet, so how can they actually THINK for themselves?

Only about 15 prominent Republicans came out so far and made foolish statements. And, to you, this is SOMEHOW important in forming YOUR predictions? Give them a few more days to catch up,and start crying foul after they digest their Faux Noise pablum, like good whining babies.

relatively small segment of the population. I want to see how the vote goes. You and I have different decision-making processes.

her and the intelligent leaders who nominated and are for her over an anonymous interneter who says "tool".