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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 12, 2010)
Page 2 il,lf fdortkinb (Dbseruer May 12, 2010 Obama Picks Insider Nominee would give high court three female members O FF TH E GRID ENVMONNENTAL AWARENESS CONCERT (A P) -- President Barack O bam a nom inated Solicitor G eneral Elena K agan to the Suprem e C ourt on M on day, dec laring the former Harvard Law School dean "one o f the nation's fore m ost legal m inds." She w ould be the court's youngest justice and give it three female members for the first time. T he nom ination to replace liberal retiring Justice John Paul Stevens set the stage for a potentially bruising confirm ation battle, though m ath em atically D em ocrats should be able to prevail in the end. A t 50, K agan is relatively young for the lifetim e post and could help shape the high court's decisions for decades. If confirm ed by the Senate, she w ould becom e only the fourth fem ale justice in history. O b a m a c ite d w h a t he c a lle d K agan's "openness to a broad array o f v ie w p o in ts " a n d h e r " fa ir m indedness." Standing beside the president in Elena Kagan the East Room o f the W hite H ouse, K agan said she w as "honored and hum bled by this nom ination." "I look forward to w orking with the Senate in the next stage o f this pro cess, and I thank you again, M r. Presi dent, for this honor o f a lifetim e," she said. R epublicans are expected to criti cize her for attem pting to bar m ilitary recruiters from the H arvard Law cam pus w hile she w as dean. That issue w as used against her by critics during her confirm ation hearing last year for her current post. Bridge Deck Replacement Project N Lombard St - Columbia Slough PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE St. Johns Community Center 8427 N Central St Wednesday, May 19 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM ■ Please join us to learn more about the project. ■ The purpose of the project is to replace the deteriorated bridge deck that carries traffic on N Lombard Street over the Columbia Slough near Kelly Point Park. ■ Prelim inary design drawings will be available to view. ■ The Columbia Slough bridge will be closed and detours will be in effect during construction, (see m ap) The project is anticipated to be constructed in the Spring of 2011. D em ocratic officials said K agan w ould begin m aking the rounds o f senators' offices on W ednesday. W ith control o f 59 votes in the Senate, D em ocrats should be able to w in confirm ation. H ow ever, if all 41 Republicans vote together, they could delay a vote w ith a filibuster. R epublicans have show n no signs in advance that they w ould try to prevent a vote on K agan, but they are certain to grill her in confirm ation hearings over her experience, her thin record o f legal w ritings and her deci sions at Harvard. The senator w ho will preside over her confirm ation hearing, D em ocrat Patrick Leahy ofV erm ont, said, "The Senate should confirm Ms. K agan before" Labor Day. "O ur constituents deserve a civil and thoughtful debate on this nom i nation, follow ed by an up-or-dow n vote," said the chairm an o f the Senate Judiciary Committee. Week in The Review City Makes Diversity Pledge T he S pringfield C ity C ouncil has unanim ously ap p roved a goal to "create a positive en v iro n m ent that values diversity." M onday's vote cam e three m onths after city officials learned o f racist and crude e-m ails circulating in the city's m ain ten an ce division. Walters Needs Heart Valve B arbara W alters says she w ill have surgery later this w eek to replace a faulty heart valve. T he 8 0 -y e a r-o ld te le v isio n leg en d said she's know n ab o u t her co ndition for a w hile and thought the tim e w as right for the surgery because she can take the sum m er o ff and "can co m e ro aring back in Septem ber." Biden’s Son Suffers Stroke V ice President Joe B iden's oldest son, the D elaw are atto rn ey general, had a m ild stroke T uesday and w as transferred to a P hiladelphia hospital, w here he w as recovering. B eau B iden, 41, w as ex p ected to recover, his d o cto r said. Second Try for Spewing Oil A second, sm aller oil co n tain m en t box is being b ro u g h t to the site o f a b low n-out w ell in the G u lf o f M exico. E ngineers hope to avoid the sam e kind o f ice crystal buildup that stym ied their first attem p t at using a larger box. M ore than 4 m illion gallons o f oil have spew ed from the w ell since the drilling rig exploded A pril 20. Dolphins Wash Up on Gulf Federal w ildlife officials are treating the deaths o f six dolp h in s on the G u lf C oast as oil-related even though o th er factors m ay be to blam e. I If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Cameron Glasgow at 503-823-9726. n tm P ortland y T ransportation BLIUAl Of Whale Stuns Scientists For ADA Title II or Civil Rights Title VI Accommodations, Translation/ Interpretation Services, Complaints, or for additional information, call 503-823-9726, or City TTY 503-823-6868, or use Oregon Relay Service 711. The app earan ce o f a grey w h ale sw im m in g o f f the c o a st o f Isra e l has s tu n n e d s c ie n tis ts , in w h at w as th o u g h t to be the first tim e the g ian t m am m al has been seen outside the P acific in several h u n dred years.
