When Frank Sinatra sang that making it in New York meant you could make it anywhere, apparently "anywhere" meant the Supreme Court.
After their private meetings with Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan today, senators were asked about the justices' geographic diversity, or lack thereof. Reporters pointed out that if Kagan is confirmed, four of the nine justices will hail from New York City, representing every borough except Staten Island.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) began his remarks with a pre-emptive strike, highlighting Kagan's ties to Chicago, where she lived while teaching at the University of Chicago Law School, and saying they discussed her favorite haunts, including Wrigley Field. "This is a vacancy near and dear to those of us from the Midwest," Durbin said, alluding to the fact that retiring Justice John Paul Stevens hails from Chicago. Asked the diversity question (which also included a reference to the lack of Protestants on the Court), Durbin said, "I don't think we are going to be looking for quotas."
He also pointed to Kagan's ties to the Boston area, saying she had warmed to the Red Sox during her time on the Harvard Law faculty (a preference that could cause friction with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a known Yankees fan).
Other senators fielded the same question. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that New York "is a great place, but there are other places in the nation, too."
Kagan hasn't met with either New York senator yet.
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