Rossi would oppose confirming Elena Kagan

Pressed by Jerry Cornfield, a reporter and columnist for the Everett Daily Herald, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dino Rossi said late Monday that if he were serving in the U.S. Senate today, he would not vote to confirm White House Solicitor Elena Kagan, President Barack Obama‘s nominee to a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Elena Kagan’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee left many unanswered questions about her past work, and, more importantly, about how she views the Constitution and the role of a judge,” Rossi said in a statement. “I am not convinced that Ms. Kagan will limit herself to interpreting the Constitution and will instead substitute her own beliefs for laws with which she does not agree personally.”

Rossi said he admired Kagan’s “personal accomplishments” and could support her appointment to a lower court. “But a lifetime appointment to the nation’s highest court doesn’t strike me as the right starting point for someone who has served as a political advocate rather than a neutral, unbiased arbiter,” Rossi said.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, who is locked in a close primary race with Rossi, endorsed Kagan last week, calling her highly qualified, thoughtful and fair-minded. The Senate is expected to vote on Kagan’s nomination this week.

Kathie Durbin