Kagan is the Supreme Court nominee

The Party of No is already gearing up their "we oppose everything" campaign, but President Obama's nomination of United States Solicitor General Elena Kagan should go relatively smoothly. They seem to be stressing the fact that she has never been a judge, all the while conveniently ignoring that many Supreme Court Justices have not been judges prior to their appointment to the Court.

Including John Roberts, the current Chief Justice, a Bush II nominee.

Apparently the phenomenon of IOKIYAR isn't just confined to Arizona.

While the confirmation process promises to be a colorful one, particularly given that this is an election year with its incentive for partisan posturing, expectations are that Kagan will be confirmed.

From the email sent out by the President announcing his pick -

Today, it is my great honor to nominate our Solicitor General, and my friend, Elena Kagan, to be the next justice of the United States Supreme Court.

As I send my nomination to the Senate, I wanted to record a special message for you that I hope will help us launch a national discussion.

Take a minute to watch this video, and then help me to introduce Elena to your friends and family by passing it on.

Elena is widely regarded as one of the best legal minds of her generation -- earning praise from across the ideological spectrum throughout her career. Above all, she is a trailblazer. She wasn't just the first woman to serve as dean of Harvard Law School -- she was one of its most beloved and successful leaders, building a reputation for openness to other viewpoints and skill in working with others to build consensus. These were some of the many reasons why I selected her to be my Solicitor General, the nation's chief advocate -- the first woman to hold that post as well.

Her work as Solicitor General has allowed me to see firsthand just why Elena is particularly well-suited to the Court: She has not only a keen understanding of the law, but also one that is rooted in a deep awareness of its impact on people's lives. Last year, she made that clear -- choosing the Citizens United case as her first to argue before the Supreme Court, defending bipartisan campaign finance reform against special interests seeking to spend unlimited money to influence our elections.

Now, I look forward to the prospect of Elena taking her seat alongside Justice Ginsberg and Justice Sotomayor. For the first time, our nation's highest court would include three women, ensuring a Court that would be more inclusive, more representative, more reflective of us as a people than ever before.

When Justice Stevens wrote me to announce his retirement, I knew that the Court would be losing a standard bearer. 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. 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.

Please watch the message -- and share it with others:

http://my.barackobama.com/ElenaKagan

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Later...