The White House, which has shown it can use its own Web site to promote news and views, has a well-researched piece up on its blog today offering a clear explanation of the Elena Kagan Harvard military recruiting issue, along with a string of supportive comments from military and political types.

The piece again corrects the misconception that Kagan banned military recruiters from Harvard Law School during her time as dean:

“A common claim from these critics is that the military was 'banned' from the campus altogether during Kagan's tenure as Dean - in fact, not only was the military allowed to continue to recruit in classrooms on campus and through the Harvard Law Students Veterans Association, a review of the recruitment figures has shown that recruitment kept completely on pace with previous years during Kagan's time. Even more absurdly, some have claimed that Kagan's upholding of Harvard's nondiscrimination policy somehow violated the law - in fact, there has never been a law requiring that campuses allow military recruiters, only that the government was empowered to deny federal funds if military recruiters were not given access, so this claim is preposterous on its face. As the New York Times reported, 'Her management of the recruiting dispute shows her to have been, above all, a pragmatist, asserting her principles but all the while following the law.'"

In addition, the blog item provides a series of supportive comments from officials ranging from a West Point brigadier general to Republican Senator Scott Brown. “I do not feel that her judicial philosophy will be hurting men and women who are serving,” Brown said after meeting with Kagan, according to the item.