WASHINGTON, DC —
U.S. Senator John Thune today made the following statement regarding Elena Kagan's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court:
"After meeting with Solicitor General Kagan and after careful deliberation, I cannot support her confirmation to the Supreme Court. While Ms. Kagan's background in academia is impressive, I have deep reservations about her ability to serve on the nation's highest court with impartiality.
"Ms. Kagan's lack of judicial and courtroom experience, combined with her partisan political background, leads me to question her ability to separate her personal political beliefs from her duty of objectivity while on the bench. While judicial experience is not a prerequisite for serving on the Supreme Court, a record of impartiality throughout a career is an important factor to consider, especially when concerns are raised about a nominee's partisan past.
"Throughout her career, Ms. Kagan has shown a strong commitment to a far left ideological belief system. We have only her word-and nothing else-to indicate that she will apply the law to the facts, and not her ideology to the law. For these reasons, I do not believe Ms. Kagan meets the standard to serve on the Supreme Court, and I cannot support her confirmation."
"After meeting with Solicitor General Kagan and after careful deliberation, I cannot support her confirmation to the Supreme Court. While Ms. Kagan's background in academia is impressive, I have deep reservations about her ability to serve on the nation's highest court with impartiality.
"Ms. Kagan's lack of judicial and courtroom experience, combined with her partisan political background, leads me to question her ability to separate her personal political beliefs from her duty of objectivity while on the bench. While judicial experience is not a prerequisite for serving on the Supreme Court, a record of impartiality throughout a career is an important factor to consider, especially when concerns are raised about a nominee's partisan past.
"Throughout her career, Ms. Kagan has shown a strong commitment to a far left ideological belief system. We have only her word-and nothing else-to indicate that she will apply the law to the facts, and not her ideology to the law. For these reasons, I do not believe Ms. Kagan meets the standard to serve on the Supreme Court, and I cannot support her confirmation."