HolyCoast: Top GOP Senators Target Kagan and Obamacare
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Saturday, November 19, 2011

Top GOP Senators Target Kagan and Obamacare

I think this will be a wasted effort because we can never expect a liberal to do the right thing:
Top Republican senators said late Friday the Justice Department has been stonewalling their request for more information on Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, and said her previous work as solicitor general “may satisfy both requirements for recusal” from the upcoming health-care case.

The senators, led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, are demanding Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. comply with requests for more documents about Justice Kagan’s role in planning the administration’s defense, and said unless he provides the information it could undermine confidence in the court’s eventual ruling on the case.

“President Obama chose to nominate a member of his administration to the Supreme Court knowing it was likely that, if confirmed, she would be in a position to rule on his signature domestic policy achievement,” said the four senators, who also included Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona; Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee; and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.

The Supreme Court announced early this week that it would hear a challenge to the health-care law, which Mr. Obama signed last year. Questions have floated for months over whether Justice Kagan could rule impartially in the case. She was solicitor general at the time the law passed, and acknowledged during her confirmation hearing that she attended at least one meeting where litigation was discussed.

Justice Kagan said at the time her role was not “substantial,” but the senators said that’s irrelevant to the law. They said the law requires recusal if a government official participated in any matter that is the subject of litigation.

The senators also pointed to emails that suggest Justice Kagan was kept in the loop on discussions over how to defend the law. The letter was released to the press late Friday evening. A message left seeking comment from the Justice Department wasn’t immediately returned.
The Senators have no tools to force Kagan off the case any more than the lefties can force Justice Thomas off the case because of his wife's activities. Kagan will hear the case and will vote to uphold Obamacare and the individual mandate. That's a foregone conclusion. We just have to hope she doesn't have much influence on Justice Kennedy who is sure to be the swing vote in all of this.

1 comment:

Larry said...

“They said the law requires recusal if a government official participated in any matter that is the subject of litigation.”

That right there makes it sound as though recusal isn't voluntary. Are there any consequences if Kagan fails to take a mandatory course of action?