Grassley’s comment on Kagan tactless

Could Sen. Chuck Grassley have been any more condescending in his Monday comment regarding U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, stating how important it is “to determine that Ms. Kagan truly understands the constitutional role of a Supreme Court justice”?

For Pete's sake, she's a constitutional scholar, clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall and passed muster to become dean of Harvard Law School and U.S. Solicitor General. I think she gets it. Apparently it doesn't take that much of a pedigree, or judicial experience, to sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee and pass judgment on the capacity (and, let's be honest, political leanings) of others.

Certainly, confirmation hearings are called for - in accordance with Article II of the Constitution - and one always hopes that the scrutinizer's agenda, as well as that of any nominee, takes a back seat to that document and our body of law.

Betsy Cassatt

Marion