Surprise: Snowe to vote for Kagan

“Throughout my tenure in the Senate, I have applied a uniform standard for evaluating nominees for the United States Supreme Court, under both Republican and Democratic administrations. I find that Ms. Kagan has met that standard with the strong intellect, respect for the rule of law, and understanding of the important but limited role of the Supreme Court that I believe is required of any Justice. On that note, she has testified and spoken about the necessity of courts to maintain a fidelity to the law, and of the essential requirement not to pre-judge any case, stating during her hearing that judging is about ‘…what the law says, whether it’s the Constitution or whether it’s a statute…the question is always what the law says…it’s what the text of the Constitution says…what the law says, not a judge’s personal views.’ It also is significant that, for her work as Solicitor General, Ms. Kagan has won the support of all ten Solicitors General who have served since 1985, including five Republican appointees, and she has also earned the support of over fifty deputy and assistant solicitors general who have served over the last forty-two years. Indeed by all accounts — including those from conservative former Solicitors General Ken Starr and Ted Olson, and Assistant Solicitor General Miguel Estrada — General Kagan has a clear reputation for a sound judicial temperament.