by Neera Tanden, The New Republic
6.4.10
“People who complain about Max Baucus seem to forget that not so long ago the likes of James Inhofe chaired Senate committees. And if you worked in a Democratic administration, those folks made your job a tough slog. Back in the Clinton White House, I was a middling staffer on the Domestic Policy Council, working on issues ranging from the adoption tax credit to media violence and its effect on children. One of my bosses, as it happens, was Elena Kagan. And I had pretty good vantage for watching her as she crafted policy that could survive those political times.”
What Tanden gets across is that Kagan not only made strategic decisions that were incredibly strategic in the moment, but also showed unbelievable foresight. This is a fantastic quality for a Supreme Court Justice who might sit on the court for twenty-five years and have her legacy felt for over a century.
http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/75304/what-makes-elena-kagan-tick
