In old article, Kagan invites tough questioning

By JESSE J. HOLLAND Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's review of the book "A Confirmation Mess" is creating a confirmation mess of its own.

Kagan's 1995 commentary on the book rendered a harsh judgment on how lawmakers question Supreme Court nominees, and she criticized the confirmation testimony of three of the justices she now wants to work with.

Now, Kagan has to decide whether she will use the same tactics she derided when she appears at her own hearing, scheduled to begin June 28.

Kagan already has started backing away from her own statements. During her confirmation for her solicitor general job last year, she said she sees things differently now that she's older, no longer on the Senate staff and someone who herself faces confirmation.