I'm no Kagan fan. But Justice Scalia told the story that he was talking to David Axelrod after Justice Souter announced his retirement that while he (Scalia) shared no illusion that Obama would nominate someone with a viewpoint similar to Scalia, he hoped he would send them someone smart. He then further said he meant Elena Kagan. He asked Axelrod to pass this on to President Obama.
If Antonin Scalia thought Kagan was smart, she is.
Obama, of course, ignored Scalia's advice and named Sotomayor to the high court. IMO, she is a candidate for the dumbest justice in modern history. Obama did then nominate Kagan to succeed Justice Stevens a year or toe later.
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