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Poll: Majority want Kagan on Supreme Court
A majority of Americans favor Solicitor General Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court even though the public still has concerns about her background, according to a poll released Tuesday.
The CNN/Opinion Research survey shows 54 percent want her to serve on the court, 36 percent do not want her on the court and 11 percent have no opinion.
Kagan enjoys majority support despite qualms with her professional past.
Fifty-two percent of respondents said they are less likely to back the former Harvard Law School dean because she has never served as a judge. Forty percent said it makes no difference, and only 8 percent said it makes them more likely to support her.
Several high-ranking senators, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said that they like Kagan because she comes from "outside the judicial monastery."
Kagan's enforcement of Harvard Law School's policy of banning military recruiters from the Office of Career Services also does not help her. Nineteen percent said they are more likely to back her because of it as opposed to 40 percent who said it makes no difference and 39 percent who said it makes them less likely to back her.
Still, the three newest Supreme Court justices enjoyed majority support heading into their confirmation hearings. The only nominee who did not enjoy majority support, Harriet Miers, withdrew her nomination during the Bush administration.
Sixty-three percent also said they believe she is qualified to serve on the court, despite not having been a judge.
The survey polled 1,023 Americans between May 21 and 23 and has a 3 percent margin of error.
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