And The Nominee Is...

Kagan?

President Obama is on Monday expected to name Solicitor General Elena Kagan as his nominee to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court, two sources close to the process said.

The announcement at the White House is expected around mid-morning

Kagan, 50, a New York native, was widely reported to be the front-runner for the nomination. She was a finalist for the high court vacancy last year when Justice Sonia Sotomayor was selected to replace the retiring David Souter.

Let me get this straight. The Democrats excoriated George W. Bush for nominating Harriet Myers for the Supreme Court, yet Øbama's pick has never even served as a judge? She's had - according to the CNN article itself - two years experience in the private sector in her more than two decades as a lawyer, and has only argued cases in front of the USSC in the past year since becoming Solicitor General.

Look, she may very well be qualified. She certainly seems bright enough, and she carries all the requisite check boxes - Harvard Law School Dean, taught at the University of Chicago (at the same time as Øbama, go figure), etc. Yep, no charges of cronyism here, like with Harriet Miers. It's not that Kagan is necessarily unqualified for the USSC - it's the stark difference that a mere give years makes.

And the political affiliation of the President, of course...

That is all.