The Senate confirmed Elena Kagan to a seat on the Supreme
Court on Thursday, giving President Obama his second
appointment to the high court in a year, and a political
victory as the Senate neared the end of its business for the
summer.

Ms. Kagan, a former dean of the Harvard Law School and a
legal adviser in both the Clinton and Obama administrations,
was approved by a vote of 63 to 37 after hearings and floor
debate that showcased competing views of Democrats and
Republicans about the court, but exposed no significant
stumbling blocks to her confirmation.

She becomes the fourth woman ever named to the court, and
will join two other woman currently serving, including
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Obama administration
nominee, who was confirmed almost exactly one year ago.

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ANother milestone on the path to recovery.



A