elena kagan is just such a nominee. orrin hatch of utah sent out a statement reading in part, "i will examine her history to understand her judicial philosophy. my conclusions will be based on evidence, not blind faith. my support do not by themselves establish her qual fantastics for the supreme court nor my obligation to support her." again, a news conference with senator leahy in about 10 minutes. elena kagan just after her 50th birthday here nominated to the supreme court. she attended princeton university and among the many stops on her raise may she was a clerk for supreme court justice thurgood marshal. she served as deputy assistant to president clinton, and then, of course, last year, appointed as u.s. solicitor general. we'll take you to the news conference. until then, on this morning's "washington journal" we had comment about the nomination from a supreme court reporter. host: you say kagan is obama's supreme court pick and has national appeal. why do you say that? guest: when she was at harvard she was the

and i think she will do just fine. >> what i hear you saying is let elena kagan be elena kagan. >> absolutelylutely. >> anita hill, thanks very much for coming in. >> it's my pleasure. >> we're going to continue our discussion of this supreme court nominee when we come back. david gergen, jachlz james carville and bay buchanan are all standing by. ♪ ♪ ♪ do u gonna be there? ♪ are u sure u gonna call back? ♪ ♪ when am calling up and all that? ♪ ♪ ♪ can't u hear i'm sick? ♪ i'm lovesick ♪ can't u hear it explode? ♪ all down, all down [house] wow, i feel like a new house after my quick home energy check-up from bge. it's the closest i'll ever get to a day spa. they wrapped my pipes, installed cfl bulbs, recommended a little nip/tuck around the old windows and more. [announcer] learn to speak the language of energy efficiency at bgesmartenergy.com, and pamper your home with a quick home energy check-up. [sigh] ah... the efficient life is the good life. >>> the court is an extraordinary institution. and the work it does and in the work it can do for the american people by advancing the tenants of

and i think she will do just fine. >> what i hear you saying is let elena kagan be elena kagan. >> absolutelytely. >> anita hill, thanks very much for coming in. >> it's my pleasure. >> we're going to continue our discussion of this supreme court nominee when we come back. david gurg en, james carville and dave buchanan are all standing by. >>> the court is an extraordinary institution. and the work it does and in the work it can do for the american people by advancing the tenants of our constitution, by upholding the rule of law and by enabling all americans regardless of their background or their beliefs to get a fair hearing and equal chance at justice. >> elena kagan, the supreme court nominee speaking today after the president introduced her. probably not going to hear much from her until the confirmation hearings before the senate judiciary committee. we're joined now by james carville, our cnn contributor, dave buchanan, republican strategist and conservative activist, president of the american cause and david gergen, our senior political analyst, professor of public service at the ken

i think somebody as eventually as am bish shus as elena kagan will be a political hack.'ll be ruling for the ages to distinguish herself. >> paul: she came out and said, she opposed the argument on citizens unite this had year, a landmark supreme court free speech decision. she said she would have voted with the four liberals in this case, restricting corporate and union free speech in election campaigns. that to me is a significant sign that she's not going to disagree with the left. and it's an absolute scandal that liberals are against free speech, dependence political free speech, the core of our free speech protection for corporations and unions, but it's not a scandal that implicates kagen any more than any other. >> paul: so she's running something of a stealth candidate, but if she's declared what she thinks to some of the senators what she thinks about citizens u neat united, how can she say i'm not going to talk about row vchv wade and others, can she get away with that in the hearing. >> i think she can get a way way it. she's written a famous article on these

caller: i'm just hearing about elena kagan. i was wondering if president obama would pick a controversial choice or a safe choice. she seems to be the latter. i am open-minded. i'm more of libertarian. i did not vote for mr obama. i am willing to see what is going on. i'm willing to listen. host: according to "the new york times" lemme tell you a little bit about where she stands -- let me tell you a little bit about where she stands. we will read more of that. that is "the new york times." betting, new mexico, good morning. caller: good morning. i would like to use the sinology when discussing this. five decades ago, -- i would like to use this analogy. when jane goodall was chosen to study the primates in tanzania, she was chosen on the basis of her total lack of a science degree. i think that analogy fits this very well. i think elena kagan is a good pick. i'm not happy about her stance on enemy combatants. overall, i think it is an excellent choice. host: here is "the wall street journal." it goes through those justices and

elena kagan, spent time with members of congress and ignoring the media.id sit down and answer some questions on camera. >> public service has been an opportunity to take my legal skills and to take my legal training and work on tomorrow of the really important public policy issues of our time and i did that both in the white house and or in the administration of president clinton and justice department as solicitor again in this administration. >> jon: that interview was not conducted by a journalist, but by a white house staffer. posted on the white house website. making concerns that the obama administration is making every effort to side step the press to put out an unfiltered message that tries to make the president and his people look good in every circumstance. josh, a white house reporter for politico.com joins us now from washington. josh, this has been a recurring theme of ours on news watch and i know you've done a lot of work on it as well. the white house takes its own photos and puts out its own videos and twitter feeds. where is the transpar

our solicitor general and my friend elena kagan.>> reporter: this confirmed kagan would join justices ruth bader ginsburg and sonia sotomayor as the third woman on the court, the most in its history. the president said kagan's nomination was much deserved. >> elena is widely regarded as one of the nation's foremost legal minds. she's an acclaimed legal scholar with a rich understanding of constitutional law. she's a former white house aidee with a life-long commitment to public service and a firm grasp of the nexus and boundaries between our three branches of government. she's a trailblazing leader. the first woman to serve as dean of harvard law school. and one of the most successful and beloved deans in its history. >> reporter: elena kagan is 50 years old and was born in new york city. she received her bachelors degree from princeton, her masters from oxford and her law degree from harvard. if confirmed, she would be the only justice who has not served as a judge, although she did clerk for justice thurgood marshall in the late 1

pasamos contigo, maría elena. >> gracias.eríamos contarle a toda la nación quién somos como inmigrantes. >> tú eres indocumentada? >> así es. >> y felipe también? >> sí. >> carlos, juan? >> nosotros hicimos esto porque como jóvenes tenemos el deseo de contribuir a este país, queremos la oportunidad de ser ciudadanos de este país porque lo amamos. como nosotros hay miles de estudiantes. >> no los dejaron seguir estudiando. qué pasó con ustedes, lo mismo? >> gracias a dios tenemos en miami que nos otorgó la oportunidad de ir a la universidad. carlos está ahí estudiando, pero vino aquí desde los dos años. juan rodríguez es el presidente del gobierno estudiantil, está en el -- >> tú ya te hiciste residente, verdad? >> sí. >> a través de un familiar. y felipe? >> felipe era el estudiante más destacado en el 2008, y era de los 20 mejores en la nación. >> y tú? >> yo tengo tres licenciaturas, soy profesora de niños autistas. >> y no los quieren dejar aquí? tú tienes orden de deportación? >> en este momento no, pero si yo fuera a ari

could elena kagan's history in the executive branch provide a glimpse of what she would be like on the supreme court? live from our studio in washington, this is "special report." good evening, i'm shannon bream inner for b e for bret ba. president obama says the federal government has some responsibility for the b.p. oil spill and vows things will change. team coverage, major garrett will show us the president's outburst but we start david lee miller from venice, on the efforts to stop the flow of oil. >> reporter: government and b.p. said the oil leak in the gulf is gushing at 200,000 gallons a day. now some scientists say the rate could be much higher. how much higher? 12 times as much. that would mean in excess of over 2 million gallons daily. if true, that means more oil has already spilled in the gulf than during the entire exxon valdez disaster in prince william sound in 1989. b.p. says the main focus now is containing the spill. they're trying to insert six-inch tube in 21-inch pipe spewing oil. the plan is to siphon off the oil as if it were a straw and bring it to a tanker on

i am going to start with are you thumbs up with elena kagan?i am surprised gingrich doesn't do homework whe before appears on sunday morning talk show. when she was at harvard law school there was an existing policy in the career services offices that when your company or organization recruiting on campus you are not allowed to -- if you discriminate for anybody for any reason under that policy the military was not allowed to use the resources of the career services office. she continued that policy. military recruitment was going on and continued to go on under kagan when she was dean at the law school by the harvard law school veteran's association. more people signed up when shy happened to sign up before she got there. this is not true. even scott brown interviewed her and came out friday and said she is pro military. newt gingrich is dead wrong. >> he has quite an opinion and he has facts to back it up. >> i wouldn't go as far as bill but he's right on one point this notion she took it upon herself because of her view of don't ask don't te

elena kagan, spent time with members of congress and ignoring the media. she did sit down and answer some questions on camera. >> public service has been an opportunity to take my legal skills and to take my legal training and work on tomorrow of the really important public policy issues of our time and i did that both in the white house and or in the administration of president clinton and justice department as solicitor again in this administration. >> jon: that interview was not conducted by a journalist, but by a white house staffer. posted on the white house website. making concerns that the obama administration is making every effort to side step the press to put out an unfiltered message that tries to make the president and his people look good in every circumstance. josh, a white house reporter for politico.com joins us now from washington. josh, this has been a recurring theme of ours on news watch and i know you've done a lot of work on it as well. the white house takes its own photos and puts out its own videos and twitter feeds. where is the tr

elena kagan has neither. unlike justice rehnquist, for instance, who was in private practice for 16 years prior to his appointment as assistant attorney general to the office of legal counsel, the job he had at the time of his appointment to the supreme court. exploring these questions is precisely what the nomination process is all about. starting today, both parties will begin the process of reviewing elena kagan's brief litigation experience, as well as our history in academia but as a professor and as an administrator. we will fill our duties to advise and consent on this throw process, and not have a rush to judgment. senate republicans will have a vigorous debate on the importance of equal justice under the law. this principle lies at the very heart of our judicial system. we will diligently review the elena kagan's record to ensure that she shares this principle and that she possesses the requisite experience to serve on the supreme court. mr. president, i yield the floor. >> now to the 2009 confirmati

kainandkagan" by elenae none of it. he said that he was just a humble supreme court justice who was retiring after 35 years. the solicitor general should give the speech. we are going to try to turn the tables a little bit and make sure that the focus remained on justice stevens tonight. the justice stevens, i think this will embarrass you greatly -- i hope it will -- but that is what we will do. if you read the newspapers, justice stevens has been in there quite a lot. you may have noticed that not only did justice stephen to announce his record -- resignation, but also that he turned 90 in april. justice stevens has himself said that he was born in april 1920, but i personally do not believe it. [laughter] it is not just that justice stevens looks so good. i said to someone last year, when that movie came out, justice stevens is starring in his own movie "the curious case of benjamin bought an." [laughter] it is not just between games of tennis, round of golf, justice stevens continues to do more work than just about

when we come back, elena kagan is nominated to the supreme court. to conservatives or liberals have the biggest gripe? and what about the white house's efforts to manage its media message? hey -- who's our best presentatioguy? carl. i thought you said carl was our best presentation guy. [ worker ] well,e is. last wk he told my team about fedex office print online for our presentations. upload it to fedex office, then they print, bind, and ship it. th presentation looks good, right? yes, but -- you didn't actually bring carl with you. good morning! but i digress. [ male announcer ] we uerstand. you need presentations done right. and right now save 20% on all online printing purchases. visit fedex.com/print. >> chris: and we are back now with the sunday group. so, president obama did what almost everyone expected, naming solicitor general and former dean of harvard law school el elena kagan the next nominee to the supreme court. has anything come out that you think threatens her nomination? >> no, nothing. the complaint you hear is she doesn't have an

when we come back, elena kagan is nominated to the supreme court. to conservatives or liberals have the biggest gripe? and what about the white >> chris: and we are back now with the sunday group. so, president obama did what almost everyone expected, naming solicitor general and former dean of harvard law school el elena kagan the next nominee to the supreme court. has anything come out that you think threatens her nomination? >> no, nothing. the complaint you hear is she doesn't have any experience and she has never been a judge. you don't even have to be a lawyer to qualify for the supreme court to be nominated. i mean there is no requirement that that be the case obviously any one who has been named has been a prominent lawyer or former judge. but i don't think anything has come out that would threaten the nomination. not with a majority this big in the congress and not with her interpersonal skills which appear to be good. no one in their right mind expected obama to name a judicial conservative. no one expects her to be anything other than a j

when we come back, elena kagan is nominated to the supreme court.nservatives or liberals have the biggest gripe? have the biggest gripe? and what about the white [ ma] let's take the garden into our own hands. soak our yards in color. get our hands a little busier. our dollars a littletronger. and our thinkin a little greener. let's grab all the bags and all the plants and all the latest tools out there. so we can turn all these savings into more colorful shades of doi. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. we've made a special buy on bonnie getable and herb plants for just $2.98 each. >> chris: and we are back now with the sunday group. so, president obama did what almost everyone expected, naming solicitor general and former dean of harvard law school el elena kagan the next nominee to the supreme court. has anything come out that you think threatens her nomination? >> no, nothing. the complaint you hear is she doesn't have any experience and she has never been a judge. you don't even have to be a lawyer to qualify for the s

great to see you. >> thank you. >> you had a meeting with elena kagan. you described her as delightful. what can you tell us about the meeting? >> it was a lot of fun. we had practice long discussion just the two of us. i didn't press her to make commitments on any issue that talked about her history and her approach to things. i thought it was a good discussion. >> let me ask you, there has been criticism of her that she doesn't have enough experience. she hasn't been a judge and some folks are turning that around and saying, well, republicans didn't have a problem when harriette mires was nominated and they're comparing their experience levels. how do you respond? >> compared to sotomayor, her experience level is exceedingly thin. i said at the very beginning, sotomayor had an excellent background, private practice, a prosecutor, atrial judge and an appellate judge. that was president obama's first nomination. the harriette miers had 25 years of law practice and a big firm, full time practice, a leader in the texas bar and experience in the white house

i give you elena kagan, the solicitor general of the united states. [applause] >> thank you so much. thank you everybody. thank you for your hospitality here. thank you all for your hospitality here. when i was first asked it to come and speak at this event i thought, how terrific. i love chicago. i love the seventh circuit. it would be my honor to do so. i thought i would speak about my job as solicitor general and tell you a little bit about what it is like to have the second best job in the united states. in light of recent events, i thought that would not be the right thing to talk about. the only appropriate subject tonight is justice stevens and his extraordinary career. [applause] all you need to know about justice stevens is what he told you about my exchange with him earlier today when i was coming out here and i looked at the program, and i saw on the program, "remarks by justice stevens," and, "addressed by elena kagan." i thought the order did not make any sense at all. i tried to communicate that to him, but he would have none of it. he i

ladies and gentlemen, the solicitor general of the united states, elena kagan. [applause] >> thank you so much. thank you for the invitation. thank you, judge, for that wonderful introduction. i'm not even going to attempt to be that funny. we have two terrific panelists here to discuss the supreme court term so far. and as the judge says, i will moderate the proceedings. i figure in my regular life, i answer questions all the time, and so it was actually something of a relief when she said we have a great gig for you. you don't have to answer any questions. you can just do the asking of them. i said i would be delighted to do that. we have two marvelous people here who know an extraordinary amount about the supreme court. to my immediate left is the founding dean of the university of california irvine school of law. as a former dean myself, i can tell you that just dean-ing is hard enough. but to be the founding dean of a law school is a special kind of challenge. and he is doing a simply extraordinary job. it is the talk of the law school world, in fact, what

our solicitor general and my friend, elena kagan.applause] [applause] elena is widely regarded as one of the nation's foremost legal minds. she is an acclaimed legal scholar with a richer understanding of constitutional law. she is a former white house aide with a commitment to public service and a firm grasp of the boundaries between our three branches of government. she is a trailblazer in leader, the first woman to serve as the dean of harvard law school and one of the most successful and beloved beans in its history, and she is a superb solicit -- beloved deans in its history, and she is a superb solicitor general. . [laughter] while she had a brilliant career in academia, her passion for the law is anything but academic. she is often referred to supreme court justice thurgood marshall. she credits him with reminding us that the hon law there are stories. there are stores are people's lives that might be changed by the law. that understanding of the law, not as an intellectual exercise forward on a page, but with respect for the

muy buenos tarde maría elena eso es a el presidente obama homenaje oe a a la comunidad hispana y mencionó este año tiene que empezar a trabajarse para tratar el buscar una solución al sistema migratoria >>> reconoció que el sistema actual está roto >>> además dijo sobre la ley de arizona, que la gente en estados fronterizos tienen razón fl estar frustrado, pero dijo que el abuso que sospechas sobre grupos en particular no es el camino correcto y que hay que cerrararle la puerta a esfuerzos sin ciertos como esto >>> y repitió lo que dijo la semana as pasado en su gobierno de justicia seguirá monitoreando no que pasa en arizona y aunque no dio detalle de los pasos que pueden seguir en su gobierno han adelante >>> y dice que necesita apoyo bi partidario y no quiso asegurar que lo iba aprobar este año >>> pero dijo que iba a empezar a trabajar en estos momentos y bromeo también del temo de arizona >>> el uniforme que diga" los sans" >>> y también es importteo que pasará el jueves porque arizona sigue creando repercución cuando se anuncié junto a sindicato un boicot en contra la economía de ar

any thoughts on elena kagan? >> i want to preface everything by saying gender isn't an issue for me. i would never only and solely endorse somebody because of their gender or -- with elena, as we are finding out with miss kagan nobody knows a lot about her. the track record she does have the mainstream media hasn't develop edell ofed in and found out -- hasn't delved in and found out what it is. there's not a lot of information about her that is a dangerous thing when we don't know. >> greta: some people might say the same about fiorina. >> she campaigning, putting it on the line. her life is open book. versus miss kagan where the only in-depth interview to find out anything about her is that propaganda coming out of the white house where obama and his people and his people have interviewed her and tried to tell the american public who she is. >> greta: i think she has a long paper trail when she was in the white house in the clinton administration where she wrote memos coming out now. >> yeah, but my point is. m

. >> este es su noticiero univisión con jorge ramos y maría elena salinas. >> la noticia del día es el desastre ecológico en el golfo, se cumplieron 35 días del defderrame petrolero y la presión está aumento punto que el gobierno se preocupe, parece ser que solamente firmas petroleras tienen la capacidad necesaria en este momento para detener el desastre. >> la administración está bajo creciente creación para detener el derrame petrolero que continúa 35 días después a 5.000 pies bajo el agua, el principal ejecutivo de bp aseguró en louisiana que limpia rana hasta la última gota de petróleo admitió que su reputación está en juego. >> reconocemos la ira y la frustración estamos haciendo todo en nuestro poder y lo más rápido posible. la empresa ha perdido una cuarta parte de su poder. también en la corte de louisiana este es un desastre horrible, al medio ambiente y no descansaremos hasta que se haga el trabajo, intentará sellar la tubería este miércoles. >> vamos a ver si tiene éxito lo que den mica en inglés que es tratar de acumular una cantidad de y material de cemento para ver la fug

solicitor general elena kagen must convince the senate.vely thin paper trail never having served as a judge. that's why the confirmation could be key, it will be key. already there are no shortages of opinions about her qualifications. here is what we heard on the sunday talk shows. >> she doesn't have judicial experience, but she has a lot of experience, a lot of practical, hardly a blank slate. i have no reason why you would apoint an anti-military supreme court justice. >> i think that's nonsense, i think it's gingrich hyper bowl and hope no one would fall for that. >> do you think there's any chance that republicans will try to filibuster this nomination. >> the filibuster should be relegated to the extreme circumstances and i don't think that elena kagen displays that. >> juliet: we shall see. while they appear open for the nomination, lawmakers are waiting to review tens of thousands of documents related to her role with president clinton. >> the white house sent a letter to the national archives asking for expedited release for the

wait until you hear what liz has to say on the media coverage of elena kagan.homping at the bit for a chance to try and interview supreme court nominee elena kagan. but each time we've seen her before the cameras or the lawmakers, she kept her thoughts pretty much to herself. here is some of what she shared with the media this past week while visiting with members of the senate judiciary committee. >> this is not very animated. it's the end of a long day. >> for me, too. thanks, everybody. >> everybody has been very gracious. >> there is the interview. it's a piece of art, really. >> it's beautiful. >> it's a hand made flintlock. beautiful. >> gorgeous. >> joining us as she does every week at this time with a commentary, liz trata. good morning. >> good morning. >> eric: what's the media to do? >> all this laughing, the media doesn't know what to do. nobody know what is kind of justice she's going to be. each side, liberals, conservatives are afraid that she's a trojan horse, that she'll go in there and violate their ideals as she has never indicated before. so

we're taking a day longer for elena kagan than for john roberts or sonia sphoeur. to do it -- or sonia sotomayor. to do it exactly the same we'd have to start it on sunday, and i didn't think it was fair. we're starting on monday. i only note, mr. president, that when a republican president nominated a man to the supreme court, the schedule was fine. when a democratic president nominated women to the supreme court with exactly the same schedule, suddey it's not a fair schedule. well, maybe i'm old-fashioned, maybe i'm influenced by my wife, my daughter, my three granddaughters. but i think the rules ought to be the same for men and for women. and so that's why her schedule is the same, save that pefbgy sunday, which -- pesky sunday, which means it will take a day longer than john roberts. but we got as close as we could. and let's stop the crocodile tears on the other side about the schedule. they didn't complain when it was a republican man being nominated with that schedule. don't complain when a democratic president nominates a woman and it's the same schedule.

. >> a few years ago, elena ramirez was a struggling home-based daycare provider using an outdated record keeping system. >> i have to write everything on paper and sometimes because i lost some papers, so it was misplaced everything and when i get the help from meda, it was everything in computer, so they gave me, they teach me how to use a special technique to have my bookkeeping in there. >> in addition to setting up an accounting system, teresa garcia and the meda staff also helped ramirez secure funding so she could expand her business. >> i increased my income double, and my clients also doubled, and i still have a waiting list. i have license for 14 children, but i just have 12 because i think it's more than enough, i definitely feel that after getting help from meda it makes me feel more secure of what i'm doing. >> for small business owners such as elena ramirez, technical assistance and business training has never been more important. in this tough economic climate, meda and ledc are hearing from many more entrepreneurs who need help to keep their businesses afloat. last year 55

. >> this week on "america and the courts" supreme court nominee elena kagan moderates a discussion on the recent supreme court term at the 6th circuit judicial conference. panelists include university of california irvine law school dean irwin shimarinski and former u.s. solicitor general paul clement. last week president obama nominated elena kagan to replace justin john paul stevens who's retiring at the end of the term. "america and the courts" today at 7:00 p.m. eastern on c span. >> this week on the communicators, a discussion on cyber security with phillip ridinger of the department of homeland security. >> phillip ridinger, what are your duties as undersecretary of national protection at the department of homeland security? >> so my duties fall into sort of three categories. first i'm the deputy undersecretary for the national protection and programs director, which means i'm the number two in a fairly large organization that is bigger than just cyber. so within mppd or the national protection programs director is also infrastructure protection which is all about protecting the

elena kagan did not do that. if you had to pick practical experience that would help you be a good supreme court justice, running a large law school is probably a pretty good one. you have to meet a budget. you have to bring people together. you have to practice the best of your decisions. >> she actually brought up the fact that, if she is confirmed, there will be four new yorkers on the court. he said that would be too much. what is your reaction? >> quality of people, that should be the primary thing, not where they come from. in new york, we have a lot of quality people. >> [unintelligible] >> i talked about some of those issues and her answers were thoughtful. we mainly talked about who she was and where she comes from an d with the area of being a justice. >> [unintelligible] >> are we faced with the supreme court, everybody? >> yes. >> did you discuss the nominees in front of the judiciary committee? >> yes. >> did she criticize any of the sitting judges? >> she did not. i told, for instance, when miguel e

elena kagan did not do that.experience that would help you be a good supreme court justice, running a large law school is probably a pretty good one. you have to meet budget. you have toringeople together. you have to practice the best of your decisions. >> she actually brought up the fact that, if she is confirmed, there will be four new yorkers on the court. he said that would be too much. what is your reaction? >> quality of people, that should be the primary thing, not where they come from. in new york, we have a lot of quality people. >> [unintelligible] >> i talked about some of those issues and her answers were thoughtful. we mainly talked about who she was and where she comes from an d with the area of being a justice. >> [unintelligible] >> are we faced with the supreme court, everybody? >> yes. >> did you discuss the nominees in front of the judiciary committee? >> yes. >> did she criticize any of the sitting judges? >> she did not. i told, for instance, when miguel estrada, if you asked him if the sky

sestak is also hitting specter saying he would support elena kagan though he was the only democrat to pose her for solicitor general last year. >> he takes his decision on the supreme court justices how they affect the electoral process. >> reporter: facing questions about the flip-flopping character and principle, specter says he needs skin thicker than a rhinoceros. >> it does not irk me. i'm in a tough line of work and used to being challenged. >> reporter: when specter kwit the g. quit to g.o.p. to be a democrat, he shot to the top of the polls and democrats said the seat was thois lose but it looks like he may lose it. last year he cut the g.o.p. and this year, the democrats may quit him. in philadelphia, carl cameron, fox news. >> shannon: we're joined by terry medana from politics a and public affairs from franklin and harris college. thank you for your time today. >> hi, shannon. >> shannon: talk about the latest poll and give people a chance to look at the numbers and see how close the race is. democratic primary on tuesday. joe sestak and arlen specter. they're split, 38% sa

. >> ifill: we follow up on the nomination of elena kagan to the supreme court with a look at how it's playing with karen tumulty of the "washington post" and tom goldstein of scotus blog. >> lehrer: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> this is the engine that connects abundant grain from the american heartland to haran's best selling whole wheat, while keeping 60 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year. bnsf, the engine that connects us. monsanto. producing more. conserving more. improving farmers' lives. that's sustainable agriculture. more at producemoreconservemore.com. chevron. this is the power of human energy. the national science foundation. supporting education and research across all fields of science and engineering. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> lehrer: there was a fast- moving transition of power in

>> i want to welcome elena kagan to the capital. i know this will be a challenging process to go through. it always is for the lifetime appointment of this consequence. i want to assure her and the public that we intend to go through a thorough process. it is not a rush to judgment. we will have an opportunity to examine the credentials and evaluate that. welcome to my office. i look forward to talking to you. >> thank you. >> thank you, everybody. >> thank you, everybody. >> thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you, everybody. >> thank you. thanks, folks. >> someone will ask a wild question. that is what they do. >> it just ignore it. >> yes. if they can get all the shot they want. we all have hideaway offices. mine has a balcony overlooking a pretty spot. does everyone have everything they need? >> to me ask a question about being on the other side of the fence? >> elena kagan and die are going to be -- and i -- thank you. i will talk about that after. thank you all. [unintelligible] you know we are going to have a hearing. than

elena kagan is to replace retiring judge stevens. much of the paper trail is covered up. they want to push up the release of more than 160,000 pages of paper, including e-mails. lawmakers will review the documents for kagan's confirmation hearing this summer. >> president obama making a fresh push for a sweeping overhaul since the great forest. in a weekly address today, he says wall street needs to be better regulated for the sake of main street. he made the case how the legislation is working it's way through congress will benefit americans. >> first and foremost, you have a stake in it if you've ever been treated unfairly by a credit card, misled by pages of fine prints or ended up paying fees and penalties before. you have a stake if you took out a home loan, car loan or student loan and targeted by the predatory practices of unscrupulous lend zblirs in addressing that, the other goal is to prevent another financial crisis like the one in 2008. the bill is supposed to establish to red flag risks in the financial system. right now they are debating the legislation and

if you go to this website, tyke elena kagan. you can see her and her work over the years, for a better idea of her thinking and positions. that is the c-span video l ibrary. we can give you all the information there. ft. meade, maryland. caller: i think this choice is very good. this may actually be an advantage. >> one question has that there is not much to look at . so what would you like to see? >> she was working for thurgood marshall, and in general, her career. she also knows a lot -- much about the financial aspects. you see that she knows this person or that person. maybe she can help us get out of this. and as far as constitutional law, when you have arizona and requesting papers, and things of that nature, she would be a great asset to the court. >> washington, your next. caller: i am thinking that she is a good choice, and most of the supreme court justices that have been made in the past, much of this was made by the republicans. i was surprised when the republican secretary was coming out and saying that there would

. >> with the confirmation hearings for elena kagan starting june 28, learn more about the nation's highest court in disease and's latest book -- "the supreme court -- in c-span's latest book about the supreme court, available now in hardcover and also as an e book. ms. week on "the communicators," the discussion about expanding broadbent -- this week on "the communicators," the discussion about expanding broadbent in the united states with jonathan adelstein. >> he is now the administrator of the rural utilities service. he is joining us this week on "the communicators." also joining us are our guest reporters. mr. adelstein, what to the rural utilities service is do and what is their role? >> there were founded in 1935 -- >> there were founded in 1935 --

the supreme court's role in our democracy has become ever deeper and richard. >> the next step for elenas her appearance before the committee. find out more about her at the c-span video library. watch what you want, when you want. every weekend, booktv features 48 hours of nonfiction books. this weekend, the former cia officer talks about life in agency before and after 9-11. find the entire weekend schedule at booktv.org. >> the ucla professor joyce apple be discusses why capitalism as a cultural system, not just an economic one. >> elena kagan was on capitol hill today, where she continues her visit with senators ahead of her confirmation hearing. among the senators, arlen specter and charles schumer as well as scott brown. this is about 15 minutes. >> could morning. -- good morning. >> the publication is about four new yorkers. do you think there is zero little reader a -- a little [unintelligible] i will tell you one i will tellt relates to your newspaper. in 1967, he said, i have to go. he could not get his ticket to fenway park. he said, i will get your ticket for $14. $47. >> you

speaking of the device, do you have any advice or recommendations for elena kagan as she goes through this process? >> no. [laughter] actually, we are very distant from it. there are a number of times that i have known the nominee, but according to our tradition, you did not contact them. you would think if there are a good friend you contact them, but the rule is we have no contact with the justice, if and when there is a confirmation we call within the next 10 minutes. >> how does the court dynamic change when someone leaves and when a justice retires or a new justice comes in? i know with justice stevens -- >> michele, you have tried jury cases. it is a group dynamics. your place one person on the jury, -- you replace one person on the jury, it is a different group. justice paul was the junior justice 11 years. arguing, thinking, discussing, mediating, reconciling, finding it. suddenly, a new person. it is a new table, a new court. it will be a new court. the dynamic will change. we are a very happy court. there are some points in history where the court was not happy. roh warned c

asking her thoughts on the president's choice for the next supreme court justice, elena kagan. listen. >> how do you feel about president obama naming elena kagan to be, if she's confirmed, the third woman justice serving on the supreme court at the same time? >> i think it's great. i'm really glad that there will be three if she's confirmed. i like to have women on the supreme court. >> you think it makes a difference? >> i think it does make a difference. i just like women to be represented in all pants of parts -- parts of american and civic life. >> you can watch the interview tomorrow, check your local listings. >> new reports of a criminal probe launched in connection to last month's deadly mine blast in west virginia. the justice department apparently trying to figure out if there was, quote, willful criminal activity by the company that operates the mines. that company is performance coal, subsidiary of massey energy company, which owns the mine. last month f.b.i. agents interviewed nearly two dozen current and former massey employees. 29 workers died in the explosion.

chairman, we are both friends of elena kagan, and i do not think we're willing to go beyond that. [laughter] >> i am sure you would be relieved to know that that is not what i had in mind. i think depth -- i think that these kinds of discussions between the two parts of the federal system should be encouraged. in a, after all, there are -- you know, after all, there are two levels to every subject matter. one is the substantive part, the untitled matter that we are considering. but there is another psychological area 3, and that area is -- psychological area, and that area is the personal feelings about human beings that we all have toward one another. what that means to me is that, if you really understand, if you really have a disagreement of the substance that is not personal and does not go beyond the agreements or the differences that exist, we are all in a much better position to come to a probably more reasonable conclusion when we are operating on that level. all too frequently in the only system i know, a democracy like this, it is so easy to move from the substantive to

. >> with the confirmation hearings of elena kagan starting june 28th, learn more about the nation's highest court in our book, "the supreme court." it is available now in hard cover. . . >> this the state opening of parliament. of their warm welcome to our audience here on college green. this is where the queen will be arriving all later, just a few yards away the sovereign interests and there she will be presenting the government's platform for the year ahead. the most radical program in the nation's 4200 years. will be talking with people about the new political landscape with just a few weeks ago. today we want to underline a blend of past and present. this is a ceremony -- in five centuries of tradition. >> picked up. lances. march. >> the yeoman of the guard have already performed their search of the palace. all set to work for the queen when she arrives. they take credit for pulling the gunpowder plot back in 1603. more modest security arrangements here ahead of the rival. this is the main ceremony. the queen takes away from buckingham palace. inside the house of lords, a cham

do you have any device for elena kagan as she goes through this process? >> no.ctually, we are very distant from it. our tradition is that we do not contact them. the rule is we have no contact with the justice if and . if they are confirmed, we will call within the next 10 minutes. >> how is the dynamic changed when a new justice comes then? i know -- when a new justice comes in? >> it is group dynamics. you replace one person and it is a different group. we were together for 11 years, arguing, thinking, discussing, mediating, reconciling, and then suddenly a new person come ans in. it will be a new court. the dynamic will change. we are a happy court. there are some times when the court is not happy. earl warren came in 1953 to a very unhappy court. he was able to change that. we are a very happy court. we will miss john stevens. he and i both tried cases and we both missed the practice of law, as i indicated earlier. he did not follow standards of professional excellence, he set them. [applause] >> if elena kagan is confirmed, it will be the first time without