WASHINGTON–Democratic Illinois Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias, with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is one of the first November contenders to make support of President Obama soon to be nominated Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan an issue. On Monday morning, just after Obama officially taps Kagan–a former University of Chicago Law School professor–Giannoulias and Schakowsky will bolster her nomination during a press conference at his campaign headquarters in Chicago.
Kagan will be the third woman and third Jew to sit on the current court. GOP Senate nominee Rep. Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.) is looking for support from the Jewish and abortion rights communities. The Giannoulias-Schakowsky presser comes just before Kirk delivers a major speech at the City Club of Chicago at Maggiano’s 111 W. Grand in Chicago. While Kirk may lay out his case against Giannoulias–and for himself–in the speech, it will be interesting to see if he will take an early stand on Kagan–and perhaps anger his GOP base–play it out–or be supportive. Kagan is expected at this point to get some cross-over GOP confirmation votes in the Senate.
