OUTPOST

A couple of weeks ago we speculated who might take over associate Justice of the Supreme Court John Paul Stevens position. Well, the waiting is over, out of the three front runners, Solicitor General Elena Kagan, who turned 50 since being shortlisted will be nominated to the position which the senate must confirm. The Democrats have 59 votes, one vote short of preventing Republicans from delaying the process.

Kagan, who has no previous judicial experience with the US Supreme Court, is a person used to setting precedents as she was the first female Dean of Law at Harvard and with her appointment to the high court its youngest member. Kagan’s appointment also marks the fist time in US history that three members of the High Court are female.

MSNBC reports that the motivation behind Kagan’s appointment was her ability to ‘bringing together people of competing views and earning their respect’. When we discussed this issue a couple of weeks ago we wondered if Obama would make a statement with this nomination. Well with no politically controversial decisions in her past (apart from a decision not to allow military recruitment on campus due to its ban on openly gays & lesbians from entering the armed forces which went against the University’s anti-discrimination guidelines) and conservative views on a number of issues including executive power and terrorist detainees it would seem Obama has chosen that safe option.

Members of the Obama camp who have voiced fear that the President is moving too far to the center will not be please with the appointment of a moderate. This appointment could come the symbolize the frustration of what some see as another wasted opportunity of his Presidency, a symbol that considering the relatively young age of Kagan could  highlight these frustrations long after Obama has left the White House.