Goodbye, Hello

I don't really have time to do a proper send-off, but let's say goodbye to classy, talented Lena Horne, and one of the most recognizable illustrators of our time, Frank Frazetta.

Meanwhile, President Obama, as everyone expected, nominated Elena Kagan to fill Justice Stevens' slot on the Supreme Court. Predictably, some on the right have attacked her for being too liberal. Somewhat less predictably, some of the left have attacked her for not being liberal enough. I think this is silly. It's true she has a scant record, but she's been consistently on the left all her life, and her slight feints otherwise hardly convince that she's a stealth centrist. Unless she reverses her hardcore liberal positions on a lot of things, I can't see her moving the Court to the right after Stevens.

Will she get through the Senate? Yes.

Sickeningly, when announcing her appointment, President Obama repeated his belief that if you organize yourself the wrong way, the First Amendment doesn't apply to you. I certainly hope just because the President has trouble with freedom of speech that Justice Kagan allows all to speak, even if they happen to be in corporations or other organizations.

This will mean the Court consists of three Jews and six Catholics, all Ivy Leaguers. This isn't a big deal since no one really cares about diversity.

I met Kagan at least once when she was at Chicago, but I wouldn't say I know her.

I'm now going to repeat something a friend sent, even though it's grossly unfair. He noted that when Sarah Palin was chosen to be McCain's running mate, Tina Fey figured it was time to return to SNL. Well, someone should be calling Jon Lovitz today.