On the recordAugust 5, 2010
I have concluded that General Kagan should be confirmed as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. General Kagan would succeed Justice John Paul Stevens who has served our country as a decorated war veteran, a distinguished Federal appellate judge, and a Supreme Court Justice for nearly 35 years. I appreciate his service to our Nation, and believe that all of us in public service can learn from his dignified manner and sound advice to 'understand before disagreeing.' It has been said that, of all the entities in government, the Supreme Court is the most closely identified with the Constitution--and that no other branch or agency has as great an opportunity to speak directly to the rational and moral side of the American character; to bring the power and moral authority of government to bear directly upon the citizenry. The Supreme Court passes final legal judgment on the most profound social issues of our time.
