A First look at the Kagan Documents

June 4, 2010

By Carrie Severino

The first dump of documents from Elena Kagan’s years in the Clinton Administration came out today, and already her true colors on a host of hot-button political topics are starting to show through.  Here’s a survey of what these documents show: 

1. Guns.  There are lots of documents showing Kagan was in the loop and relevant to decisions on policy affecting gun rights.  A document she co-authored with Bruce Reed told the president they would be “outlining an aggressive strategy for administration officials and Democratic Members of Congress to press for quick passage of our gun control proposals…”  She lauded a “terrific” New York Times article that “perfectly” conveyed their intended message.  It described their strategy to push gun control legislation through as quickly as possible in the wake of the Littleton, CO school shootings before the NRA or Republicans could disrupt their momentum.
   
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