奥巴马总统的回信

我很快接到了奥巴马总统的回信，因为信太长，内容很多，还没有捉摸透他的意思。他说当天刚提名了一名自己的好朋友（女性）为联邦最高法庭的法官，并高度赞扬了这位女性的品行和能力，还建议把此案在全国范围内讨论。我想，还不如在全世界范围内讨论呢，现在中国人都比美国人先知道此案，种族问题和人权问题牵涉到两国人民之间的感情和信任。

不管怎么说，我很感谢奥巴马总统对我案件表达的关注和及时给我的回复，感谢他的任何关怀和努力。不论此案会不会最终提到联邦最高法庭，他能否对我有所帮助，我都表示很感谢。

Friend --

Today, it is my great honor to nominate our Solicitor General, and my friend, Elena Kagan, to be the next justice of the United States Supreme Court.

As I send my nomination to the Senate, I wanted to record a special message for you that I hope will help us launch a national discussion.

... ...

Elena is widely regarded as one of the best legal minds of her generation -- earning praise from across the ideological spectrum throughout her career. Above all, she is a trailblazer. She wasn't just the first woman to serve as dean of Harvard Law School -- she was one of its most beloved and successful leaders, building a reputation for openness to other viewpoints and skill in working with others to build consensus. These were some of the many reasons why I selected her to be my Solicitor General, the nation's chief advocate -- the first woman to hold that post as well.

Her work as Solicitor General has allowed me to see firsthand just why Elena is particularly well-suited to the Court: She has not only a keen understanding of the law, but also one that is rooted in a deep awareness of its impact on people's lives. Last year, she made that clear -- choosing the Citizens United case as her first to argue before the Supreme Court, defending bipartisan campaign finance reform against special interests seeking to spend unlimited money to influence our elections.

Now, I look forward to the prospect of Elena taking her seat alongside Justice Ginsberg and Justice Sotomayor. For the first time, our nation's highest court would include three women, ensuring a Court that would be more inclusive, more representative, more reflective of us as a people than ever before.

When Justice Stevens wrote me to announce his retirement, I knew that the Court would be losing a standard bearer. And I felt a responsibility to nominate an individual capable of being that same guiding force, a consistent voice of reason on the Court.

I am certain I have made the right choice. As you learn more about Elena, I am confident you'll see what I do -- that she is a voice we need on the Supreme Court.

... ...


Thank you,

President Barack Obama