Of the handful of Supreme Court hopefuls said to be on President Obama’s short list, Elena Kagan was thought by the administration to be one of the safer picks: much less outspoken ideologically, and able throughout her career to swim among conservatives and liberals alike. That reasoning may have paid off on day one: GOP senators have been congratulatory, and in some cases positive, about her nomination. But, as is common for the minority during Supreme Court fights, they are leaving themselves plenty of room to revisit their position, if and when they decide to turn the debate over the nomination into a full-bore political fight.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=126737