Memos reveal Elena Kagan's centrist side

[usregimechange]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan urged President Bill Clinton to take centrist stances in several battles over issues like abortion and family leave when other administration officials or allies were pressing for a more aggressively liberal approach, according to documents at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library.

The memos reviewed by POLITICO suggest that, during her time as a White House deputy domestic policy adviser, Kagan fit comfortably within a cadre of Clinton aides known for centrist impulses. And Clinton often appears to have sided with Kagan’s approach.

However, the documents could underscore concerns among some liberal activists that Kagan was an advocate of the policy of triangulation in the Clinton White House and thus might not be a reliably liberal vote on the high court.

A 1998 memo shows that Kagan was among advisers encouraging Clinton to deny Medicare funding for abortions in cases in which a woman’s health was at risk — in part to avoid a messy battle with Republicans.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37119.html#ixzz0nlGANAKL


Should we Miers her?

[peacebird]

1. she is certainly NOT a progressive, tho why would we expect anything more from Obama?

I never thought he would be progressive, though I admit to disappointment in how much he seems to crave the acceptance of the repub right....
I *get* that he is trying to heal the rift, and bring us back to the era of "agree to disagree without being disagreeable" politics - there was a time when partisanship was not so blatant, and people did seek commonality instead of differences.
That said - I *do* wish he was a bit more of a leftie.... and a lot less centrist.

[midnight]

2. Are there other Candidates that have judicial experience that are not supportive of the

Federalist mind frame for any reason ?

[amborin]

3. Kagan advised Clinton to deny Medicare funding for abortions where woman's health at risk....

Wow!