Kagan Could Rule on Health Reform, other Obama Policies If Confirmed to Supreme Court
Coming at a time when some of the Obama administration's policies may be challenged in the Supreme Court, President Obama's choice of Solicitor General Elena Kagan as a nominee for the Court has conservatives worred, Washington Post reporter Karen Tumulty said today on "Washington Unplugged."
"The immediate criticism, which may or may not be warranted, is that essentially Barack Obama was looking to his own solicitor general to be what conservatives were calling a 'rubber stamp' for his positions before the court," Tumulty told moderator Sharyl Attkisson.
For instance, Tumulty said, the court may review whether certain facets of the president's new health care plan, particularly the mandate for all Americans to purchase insurance, are constitutional.
Conservatives are also concerned, she said, about the way Kagan would come down on "the larger questions that have been raised about what is the role and scope of government under the Constitution."
Both liberals and conservatives, Tumulty noted, are concerned about "the degree to which [Kagan's] judicial philosophy is a mystery at this point."
Still, she said, "barring any great surprise, I think this is going to be a relatively easy confirmation."
"There's just not a lot of ammunition to use against her," Tumulty added.
Watch the full interview above, plus a discussion with CBS News' Juan Zarate about Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to Washington.
"Washington Unplugged," CBSNews.com's exclusive daily politics Webshow, appears live on CBSNews.com each weekday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click here to check out previous episodes.
More on Elena Kagan's nomination:
Obama Nominates Elena Kagan to Supreme Court
Elena Kagan Takes Center Stage in 2010 Campaign Battles
Sessions: Kagan Won't Shift Court on Abortion
Chip Reid: Why Kagan? In A Word: "Leadership"
Washington Unplugged: Elena Kagan Beyond the Gavel
Jan Crawford: Kagan Is a Strategic, Not Political Pick
Kagan "Honored and Humbled" by Nomination
Peter Maer: Obama Seeks to Frame Kagan Debate on on His Terms
GOP Hits Kagan's Lack of Judicial Experience
The Left Struggles to Define Elena Kagan
Obama Says Kagan "Embodies Excellence"
Photos: Elena Kagan
CBSNews.com Special Report: Elena Kagan
