Barack Obama

White House: Kagan Is A Worthy Successor To John Paul Stevens

David Kurtz | May 10, 2010, 2:28PM

Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan

The White House is moving quickly to portray Elena Kagan as a worthy successor to the retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, emphasizing that her "leadership qualities" are what set her apart from the other contenders on the Supreme Court short list. The implication is that the President sees in Kagan someone who can be an intellectual counterweight to Chief Justice John Roberts.

"You can't overnight replace 34 years of experience," presidential adviser David Axelrod told reporters, but Kagan "shows the prospect over time of stepping into those shoes and being a leader on the court."

Axelrod and White House Counsel Bob Bauer briefed a small group of reporters in the Old Executive Office Building next door to the White House about an hour after President Obama publicly unveiled Kagan in a ceremony in the East Room.

Read more »