Kagan hearings near end

WASHINGTON (AP) — Her confirmation all but assured, Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan neared the end of a final grueling day of Senate questioning Wednesday, fielding GOP challenges on abortion, gays in the military and other divisive issues while sidestepping Democrats’invitations to blast conservative decisions by the court she's hoping to join.

Kagan, prompted by Democratic supporters on the Senate Judiciary Committee, gave a blunt denunciation of “results-oriented judging,” the adjusting of judicial reasoning to fit a preconceived conclusion, but she refused to join them in applying the criticism to the current court under Chief Justice John Roberts. “I'm sure that everybody up there is acting in good faith,” she said.

“Solicitor General Kagan will be confirmed,” Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the panel chairman, confidently declared during a break in the hearings.

Republicans, despairing of their inability to get President Barack Obama's nominee to reveal her legal views or say anything that might threaten her confirmation, acknowledged as much.

“I assume she will be,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

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