WASHINGTON—Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan won praise from a former critic Thursday, when Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania emerged from a private meeting calling her solid candidate.
Mr. Specter’s reaction suggested Ms. Kagan, the solicitor general who President Barack Obama named to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, could win a convert in her campaign for the votes she needs to be confirmed.
Even without Mr. Specter’s support, Ms. Kagan is likely to be confirmed this summer by a Senate where Democrats have more than enough votes to prevail and Republicans are showing little appetite for a Supreme Court showdown. But Ms. Kagan and the White House are leaving nothing to chance.