RPV Chairman Pat Mullins issued the following statement:
Unlike every other current member of the high court, Elena Kagan has never been a judge on any court. She has virtually no legal paper trail to show Senators how she views the role of the judiciary or her interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. She issued no decision, wrote no opinions. Until she was appointed to her present post, Kagan hadn't even argued before an appellate court.
The only real insight we have into Kagan's legal thinking is an amicus brief she signed while Dean of Harvard Law School, in which she defended the practice of banning military recruiters from college campuses. While that insight is limited, it is troubling.
At a time when Americans are more concerned than ever about the Federal government intruding into their daily lives, I think Virginians will have some real concerns about her ability to serve as a genuine check on an out-of-control Washington, D.C. and strictly adhere to the U.S. Constitution. I call on Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb to ask the tough questions and get some real answers about her judicial philosophy, rather than simply rubber stamp President Obama's nominee.
Solicitor General Elena Kagan is for the most part a legal blank slate - an uncertain gamble for the Senate to take given the high court's life tenure, and something that Senators Warner and Webb need to seriously consider.
###
Republican Party of Virginia
Chairman Pat Mullins
115 East Grace Street
Richmond, VA 23219
www.rpv.org
804-780-0111
