A huge hat tip to Media Matters! For novices like me, they have developed a terrific tool to sort the myths from the facts on Elena Kagan, President Obama's nominee for the supreme Court.
So, before you go off half cocked in your comments, take a look at this link.
Myths and falsehoods about Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination
The following is an example of how they have addressed her association with Goldman Sachs.
FACT: Kagan was a member of a Goldman Sachs advisory panel that met once a year and wasn't involved in investment decisions. USA Today reported last month that Kagan served on a Goldman Sachs "panel from 2005 through 2008, when she was dean of Harvard Law School, and received a $10,000 stipend for her service in 2008, her disclosure forms show." USA Today added that the group "met once a year to discuss public policy issues and was not involved in any investment decisions, Justice Department spokesman Tracy Schmaler said."
FACT: USA Today also reported panel was part of Goldman group that "was not involved in the conduct being challenged by the SEC." From the USA Today article:
The Global Markets Institute, Goldman Sachs' public policy research unit, was not involved in the conduct being challenged by the SEC. The council Kagan served on is a group of outside experts called on to organize discussions and examine public policy issues. The institute provides analysis and advice to Goldman Sachs and its clients.
Whelan: Blaming Kagan for alleged Goldman wrongdoing is "ludicrous." Even Whelan, a conservative critic of Kagan, noted, "It would strike me as ludicrous for anyone to suggest that Kagan's advisory role on the Goldman Sachs GMI panel had any causal connection to whatever wrongdoings Goldman Sachs is alleged to have committed."
They have done the same myth/fact with several topics including:
Military recruiters
She is a radical
She's a socialist
she's unqualified
she will rubber stamp "war on terror" policies
These plus many more are listed here:
see entire list of subjects