Will Kagan face a short road to confirmation?

>> a new liquid gel.

>>> the white house today is pushing back at critics calling elena kagan inexperienced.

>> even senators who approved of kagan for solicitor general say she shouldn't expect a free pass to confirmation to the court. joining us now, orrin hatch , a republican, one who voted for kagan in her nomination to solicitor general. i'll ask you, senator, i assume you haven't made up your mind. are you inclined to vote for her again or does the analysis change because now we're talking about a lifetime appointment?

>> it's too early tolifetime appointment . that's what the difference is. there are a lot of good things about elena kagan and some things that where questions have to be asked. my mind's not made up on this by any measure. i'm going to try to give her a fair and impartial hearing. a lot depends how she answers the questions and whether she's going to be fair and impartial when she gets to the court rather than becoming somebody who's partisan and there for a particular agenda.

>> you know, in your career, it was very surprising considering your career in the senate when you voted against justice sotomayor. i believe it was the first confirmed supreme court justice that you had voted against in your time in the senate. what is it, what advice would you give elena kagan to not do that sonia sotomayor did so that shoo she can earn your vote?

>> i anguished over that. but number one advice i would give to elena kagan is tell the truth. no matter how much it hurts, just tell the truth. people will respect you for it. number two, i think that she's got to convince us she'll be fair, impartial and honest on the court.

>> senator, i have to ask you, are you suggesting you feel like sotomayor was not truthful or candid with you?

>> she's on the court. i'm not going to get into that at this time. i have to say i was disappointed in some of her answers knowing what i knew. that bothered me a great deal. like i say, i still anguished over voting against her but in the end, i decided to do that. i hope she problems me wrong. it would make my day. it would make my whole tenure here if she just proved me wrong. so far i haven't seen that.

>> let's clear up up with thing. it sounds like you want to hear more about where she stands on issues and ideology. some of your republican colleagues have suggested she doesn't have the qualifications or the resume to be confirmed. what's your position on that diskretd issue?

>> we'll have to wait and see. i think she has -- she probably has the qualifications because in the sense she certainly is a very intelligent woman. has served bowing in the public and private sectors, was dean of one of the great law schools in this country, certainly somebody who understands the law. the question is, does she have the qualifications that are necessary for the supreme court . that's a question that has to be answered through a thorough, fair, complete examination. and that's why the -- that's why we have these confirmation hearings to go into these type of matters. this is one of the most important positions in our country. there are only nine supreme court justices . we ought to scrutinize these justices in a very intelligent and fair and thoughtful way. i think she understands that. and i think is happy to submit herself to that type of thorough examination.

>> i've got to ask you about what just happened to your colleague in utah. if you were running for re-election this year, could you survive given the political climate in utah's republican party right now?

>> well, we're different people. i felt very badly for senator bennett because he's a pine senator with a great ability. and would have become the republican leader on the banking committee within a couple of years and high up on the appropriations committee . those are things that take years and years to do. fortunately the two that are left to run off in a primary are both excellent individuals but going to be starting all over again. but they're excellent. either one you have them would make a good senator. and i have to live with whatever the population says. now, if i had been up this year it would have been very difficult for anybody this year. people are mad and justly mad. i mean this country's being run right into the ground. we're going to be $20300 billion in national debt by 2020 according to president's own actuaries. a $900 billion deficit, $1.3 billion deficit according to actries, $900 billion of which will be interest against the national debt . that's got to scare anybody to death. these are things that are real, real issues.

>> senator hatch, before we let you go, trivia time. which senator has written songs that were recorded by gladys knight ?

>> who is it, senator.

>> i know him really well and he's a great songwriter. gladys knight 's a wonderful singer and i was happy she sang two of my songs.

>> that's pretty fun. good for you, senator hatch. thanks for coming on and sharing your views. we'll see you next time.

>> nice to talk to you.

>>> all right. the attempted times