Obama makes personal appeal to supporters
Washington (CNN) - Just hours after President Obama named Elena Kagan as his pick to replace Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court, his political operation sent an e-mail to 13 million supporters featuring the president urging them to rally support for her nomination.
Obama spoke directly to the camera in a four minute video accompanied by a note that was sent to his Organizing for America e-mail list. Readers were encouraged to click on a link in the e-mail that directed them to a campaign style website promoting Kagan's nomination.
In the video, Obama lauds Kagan as "one of our nation's foremost legal minds," and "an acclaimed legal scholar." He also described Kagan, the current solicitor general, as "superb."
"I hope that the Senate will act in a bipartisan fashion as they did in confirming Elena to be our solicitor general last year," Obama said in the video. "And that they will do so as swiftly as possible so that she can take her seat in time to fully participate in the work of the court this fall."
Kagan was confirmed by the Senate as solicitor general in March 2009.
"When Justice Stevens wrote me to announce his retirement, I knew that the Court would be losing a standard bearer," Obama wrote in the accompanying note. "And I felt a responsibility to nominate an individual capable of being that same guiding force, a consistent voice of reason on the Court."
"I am certain I have made the right choice," Obama added. "As you learn more about Elena, I am confident you'll see what I do - that she is a voice we need on the Supreme Court."
OFA is the organization that grew out of Obama's presidential campaign in 2008 and is now housed at the Democratic National Committee.
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Thank you, President Obama!
I don't see, now that I find out that she has only done 6 cases in court, and has never been a Judge how she can serve as a Judge in the Supreme Court.
If she's such a foremost legal mind and acclaimed legal scholar then why is she not serving as a Judge already?????
How can she be a guiding force with no Court experience, no opinions recorded?
"Legal Scholar" is about all she is.....
Her actual "Judicial" experience is nil.
This is the media's president not mine...
Typical obama socialistic ways, "think like I do" she must be qualified or I wouldn't have chosen her.
A pick that matches Obambi's experience. None!
The right wing doesn't like Kagan because she clerked for Justice Marshall, who found defects in the original Constitution. You see, her critics think that the original Constitution that only allowed white male property owners the right to vote was just perfect.
The President continues to embarrass himself. Why would he even consider appointing someone to the Supreme Court who has never been a judge? What an insult to the Office and the Country!
Kagan is a very centrist choice. I don't even listen to republicans anymore because they just lie as loud as possible to intimidate. We are getting very tired of republicans distorting the truth and feigning outrage when they are called liars.
why don't you keep her for a while as a solicitor general to see some results. Moving from one job to another one gives the individual little chance to prove his/her capacity. Like being a State senator without doing much. Give her some time in the current position.
Support a woman who has never set on a bench as a judge to the most important court in the US. What a joke by this great president. Someone please help this country before it's to late.
The people can not vote for her. Why would he ask them to support her? Does he think they'll call their representatives? I don't think he has too many supporters left. Plus, the nominee has no experience.
Funny isn't it that one of our nations foremost legal minds has never been a judge, but then Obama didn't have any experience when we elected him, and see how that's turned out? Oops! Maybe that wasn't the best example! Also isn't it funny that Obama wants bipartisanship, but when it came to Supreme Court justices when he was in the Senate his standard was that even though Bush's nominees were qualified he wouldn't vote for them because they would vote on the Supreme Court the way he would vote. How do you spell HYPOCRITE: O B A M A !!!!!
"One of our nations foremost legal minds". That from our least!