KAGAN HEARINGS A FARCE
Allen L Roland
The Kagan hearings are a farce and everyone, including Elena Kagan herself, knows it. It's Kabuki theater at its best ~ an elaborate stylized judicial dance-drama that fools no one except the American public who long ago settled for less than substance in their leaders.
Elena Kagan is Obama's Harriet Miers, with an Ivy league education, but no judicial experience or judicial philosophy for that matter. It was Kagan who once wrote in a 1995 book review "When the Senate ceases to engage nominees in meaningful discussion of legal issues, the confirmation process takes on an air of vacuity and farce, and the Senate becomes incapable of either properly evaluating nominees or appropriately educating the public." But here are some meaningful legal issues that were never asked at her confirmation hearings ~
New Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan has described retired Israeli Judge Aharon Barak as her “judicial hero.” Barak is sometimes described as a liberal, but a review of his decisions reveals that he has always sided with the Israeli government in cases where arbitrary behavior by the state was being challenged. He also established the legal guidelines that enabled torture by the Israeli authorities. Kagan herself is of a like mind, favoring government prerogatives, executive privilege and secrecy even when there is no clear legal reason to deny access to information. " http://tinyurl.com/executiveprivilegeabuse
If executive privilege, torture and secrecy are not legal issues worthy of discussion, particularly after the judicial abuses of power by the Cheney/Bush administration, than Democrat progressives are either brain dead or on life support.
So the Kagan confirmation farce continues ~ only Jon Stewart captures its true essence calling the Kagan hearings the most awkward in American history. Video 7 Minutes http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/07/02/daily-show-kagans-nomination-hearings-are-the-most-awkward-in-american-history/
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Allen L Roland http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/kagan-hearings-farce.html
Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations allen@allenroland.com
Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net
Cartoon courtesy of Pat Oliphant / Washington Post
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