Senior Advisor to President Obama, Valerie Jarrett

In an interview this afternoon on FOX News Channel’s (FNC) America Live, Senior Advisor to President Obama, Valerie Jarrett spoke about the president’s announcement this morning nominating Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Jarrett explained that she feels Kagan is a good nominee as “She’s received applause from around the country and from around the spectrum, in terms of conservatives and liberals and centrists.”  Interview excerpts are below:

ON RECEIVING SUPPORT FROM ACROSS THE AISLES:

“She’s received applause from around the country and from around the spectrum, in terms of conservatives and liberals and centrists.”

“She is somebody who listens, who respects the constitution, who honors it and is passionate about respecting it.”

“The fact that she received bi-partisan support when she was before the Senate for Solicitor General; the fact that so many conservatives have stepped up and said that they respect her because they understand that she thinks in a very disciplined way, that she is open to all ideas.”

ON KAGAN NOT HAVING ANY EXPERIENCE AS A JUDGE:

“I think that’s a good thing.”

“She’s had a wide range of experiences.”

“Elena Kagan is nationally recognized as an expert lawyer, not only in constitutional administrative law but she was obviously the dean of Harvard Law School and Right now, Solicitor General representing the United States of America and all the American people – the most important job as a lawyer in our country.”

ON THE CONTROVERSY OVER HER TREATMENT OF MILITARY RECRUITERS AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL:

“There were military recruiters on campus all the time… she has great relationships with many of the veterans.”

“They were simply not banned from coming to appear on campus. What they were not able to do, which she continued the practice of her predecessor, is to work with the specific office within Harvard that did recruitment. But they had full access to the campus.”