Senate Begins Debate on Kagan Nomination

The Senate has begun debate on the nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court.

A decision is expected by the end of the week, the Associated Press reports. A few Republicans are expected to join most of the Senate Democrats in voting for confirmation.

The AP story calls Kagan “a safe bet for confirmation.”

Meanwhile, a poll by CNN and the Opinion Research Corporation found that about 54 percent of Americans support Kagan’s confirmation, CNN reports. A similar percentage supported Sonia Sotomayor and Samuel A. Alito Jr. in the days before their confirmation.