Nomination jolts Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate campaign
-
U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan speaks during a panel at the Newseum in Washington.
Share with others:
WASHINGTON -- The selection of Solicitor General Elena Kagan for the vacant Supreme Court post, formally announced Monday by President Barack Obama, further shook Pennsylvania's tumultuous Democratic Senate primary race.
Last year, Sen. Arlen Specter -- then a Republican -- voted against Ms. Kagan's nomination for solicitor general, but said Monday that he would keep an open mind on her confirmation for this "distinctly different" post.
The contrast offered a clear opportunity for Mr. Specter's Democratic senatorial primary rival, Rep. Joe Sestak of Delaware County, who has surged ahead in polls in recent days as his campaign aired a television ad showcasing the incumbent's ties to two Republicans, former President George W. Bush and former Sen. Rick Santorum. With one week left until the primary, Mr. Sestak has honed his attacks on Mr. Specter as a man with questionable Democratic credentials who acts with purely political motives.
In a phone interview, Mr. Sestak called Ms. Kagan an "excellent pick" and questioned Mr. Specter's motives in the Supreme Court nomination process. "I don't think it's a campaign point as much as it's one of, frankly, disappointment in our senator and how he approaches his responsibilities on judicial nominees," Mr. Sestak said. "We will expect him, Arlen Specter, to backtrack from his earlier [vote] on Ms. Kagan against her and be supportive, because he views it affecting his electoral prospects."
Ms. Kagan won confirmation as solicitor general by a 61-31 vote, with seven Republicans voting to confirm her. Having been through the process once before likely helped her standing with Mr. Obama, who chose the former Harvard Law School dean over federal appeals court Judges Merrick Garland, Sidney Thomas and Diane Wood.
"During the last year, as I have served as solicitor general, my long-standing appreciation for the Supreme Court's role in our constitutional democracy has become ever deeper and richer," Ms. Kagan said Monday at the White House, flanked by Mr. Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden.
First Published May 11, 2010 12:00 am
