Quoth Kagan:
Kagan herself has expressed a profound scorn for Senate confirmation hearings, which she described as empty "lessons of cynicism" — a "vapid and hollow charade" that replace important legal discussions with repetitive platitudes.
Here at long last is something she, I and apparently Franken can agree on. Yet here's a radical idea! Don't give a canned speech, ask a hard question. What do you think of the Slaughter-House Cases and why? What about the Prerequisite Cases? Really? How does that square with Black Elk vs US? What about Miranda? Rightly decided or not? Roe vs Casey? Does eliminating the trimester rule effect the basic principle established in Baird vs Connecticut? Justice Taney's view of substantive due process, does it have merit? If so is Dredd Scott good law?
For Gods sake make the appointee sweat! Its the best job in the legal community. The interview ought to be at least as hard as your first year Con law exam. Note to Senators: No one cares what you think. Do your job and hold their feet to the fire. If you don't ask questions that will either reduce them to a stammering wreck if they are unprepared or give them a chance to shine if they are, you have a very different attitude towards exams than I do.
FQ13 who gives orals to his seniors and has mastered the art of giving a blank face at the end of a thesis defense and asking, "Well, that was informative I suppose, but do you have anything else to add"?

I am an evil SOB, but it does weed out the sheep from the goats. A confident NO is the right answer, stammered BS indicates it needs more work, we'll reschedule for next week. For SC nominees,, there is no rescheduling.