Court Jester? Kagan Draws Laughs at Confirmation Hearings (Watch)
There isn't a two drink minimum at the Senate Judiciary Committee, but maybe there should be. At times Elena Kagan's hearings have felt more like Kagan's comedy club than a Supreme Court confirmation hearing.
The humor comes not from the committee's resident comedian, Sen. Al Franken, but from an unlikely source: the nominee herself.
For the past two days, questions on gun rights and campaign finance reform have been broken up by jokes about baseball loyalties, youthful mistakes, and even the movie sensation "Twilight."
"We have to have a little back and forth once in awhile or it'd be boring as hell in here," Sen. Orrin Hatch said at one point.
Perhaps the one-liner that has gotten the most attention came after Sen. Lindsey Graham asked Kagan where she was on Christmas as part of a discussion of the Christmas Day bombing attempt on a Detroit-bound airliner.
"You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant," Kagan quipped.
Earlier today on "Washington Unplugged," former White House counsel Jack Quinn, who worked closely with Kagan in the Clinton administration, told CBS News' Jan Crawford the light-heartedness is "certainly the Elena Kagan I know."
And the committee seems to appreciate her tone. Sen. Arlen Specter told Kagan she has an "admirable sense of humor."
More from Jan Crawford:
Democrats Miss Point on Campaign Spending
Why is Al Franken on Judiciary?
Low Temps on Day Two of Kagan's Grilling
Watching Kagan: Reality Check
Kagan on Military Recruiting: Reality Check
Kagan Supports Cameras in Supreme Court
Follow Jan Crawford on Twitter
Jan Crawford's Facebook Page
Washington Unplugged: How Did Kagan Do?
Pictures from the Conifirmation Hearing
CBSNews.com Special Report: Elena Kagan
