true. i think this book is an expression basically of my understanding of the presidency, and also of government. he writes on the back about two points. he says, he is utterly convincing that ethical behavior is central not to peripheral to a strong presidency. what he is talking about ethical behavior? i think what he is talking about and writing about in the fact is that we have to understand our president in terms of someone who basically has an office that he has been entrusted with. a certain degree of power has been given to the president and he s responsible for its use to the american people. it is an ethical undertaking. and i think that that basically is what i m re referring to, but there s an obligation who work for the president to see to it that they act porlly in every case. are you still a fellow at the ethics and public policy center? i sure. what is that? the ethics and public policy center is a think tank in washington. this one originated ab
go to the nixon nominee haynesworth and cartswell and reagan nominee of judge doug ginsberg who is on the local appeals court here in washington. bill clinton s nomination or choice of two attorney general nominees that were knocked off. these things happen. we know so little about her that a great deal more information will pop up. we know that she is fairly inexperienced. in recent years almost all the nominees has had judicial experience, which seems to help. if some republican president nominated somebody with no judicial experience and somebody who had lived in the rarefied air at the top of the legal establishment in america, which is where she has been, all the democrats would be, they would be on a rampage against the nominee. the republicans are going to
reporter: they accompanied elena kagan, the first woman to hold the post of solicitor general to the east room. just as john stevens announced the retirement. kagan, 50, would be the numberest nominee to high court since clarence thomas who was tapped by the first president bush. advisors say president obama wanted a nominee to influence the court for a generation and go toe to toe with the conservative wing. elena is respected and admired not just for her intellect and level of achievement but her temperament, and openness to a broad array of view points. law matters, because it keeps us safe. because it protects our most fundamental rights and freedoms and because it s the foundation of our democracy. reporter: senior white house advisor david axelrod said president obama is very comfortable with her judicial philosophy, though she has never been a judge and has a thin paper trail. she has the ability to bring about consensus. reporter: as the first woman dean o