Factbox: Supreme Court nominee Kagan in her own words

(Reuters) - Here are some of the responses by President Barack Obama's U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan during the first day of questioning in her Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

Is she a "legal progressive?"

"I honestly don't know what that label means. I worked in two Democratic administrations .... You can tell something about me and my political views from that ....."

"My politics would be, must be, have to be, completely separate from my judging."

Military recruiting at Harvard Law School

"Military recruiters had access to Harvard students every single day I was dean .... I'm confident that the military had access to our students and our students had access to the military throughout my entire deanship."

"That's incredibly important, because the military should have the best and brightest people it can possibly have in its forces."

Does she agree with complaints that the Supreme Court favors corporations?

"I would not want to characterize the current court in any way -- I hope one day to join it."

Abortion and health of the mother

"I think that the continuing holdings of the court are that the woman's life and that the woman's health must be protected in any abortion regulation."

High Court ruling Monday extending gun rights all states

"There is no doubt ... that is binding precedent entitled to all the respect of binding precedent. ... So that is settled law."

Where was she was on Christmas Day when a failed plane bombing threatened U.S. lives?

"Like all Jews, I was probably in a Chinese restaurant."

Asked about having called retired Israeli Supreme Court justice Aharon Barak, a liberal, "my judicial hero"

"I will not (look to Barak as a model for deciding cases). ... I do admire him. ... He was central in ensuring that Israel, with all those kinds of liabilities, would become a very strong rule-of-law nation."

"I admire Justice Barak for what he's done for the state of Israel in ensuring an independent judiciary."

Judiciary and other branches of government

"Courts do police these constitutional boundaries, do ensure that Congress and the president don't overstep their role, don't violate people's individual rights."

"But when it comes to policy ... it ought to be Congress and the president that do the policy-making. And the courts ought to respect and ought to defer to that."

Retiring liberal Justice John Paul Stevens

"I do very much admire Justice Stevens .... He has been a simply marvelous justice, in his commitment to the rule of law, in his commitment to principle."

"That's not to say that Justice Kagan, if I'm so lucky as to ever be called that, Justice Kagan would be Justice Stevens. It's just to say that I have great admiration for the contribution that Justice Stevens has made ...."

Whether to televise Supreme Court proceedings

"I think it would be a terrific thing to have cameras in the courtroom .... It's an inspiring sight....

"All nine justices, they're so prepared, they're so smart, they're so thorough, they're so engaged .... You're really seeing an institution of government at work ...."

"On almost every issue I'm open to being persuaded that I'm wrong. But on this one, I have expressed a real view, and it's the one I hold, is that it would be a great thing for the court and it would be a great thing for the American people."

Parents

"My father ... was a lawyer for ordinary people."

"I learned from him was just the value of public service ... to help other people and to serve the nation ...."

"My mother ... was a kind of legendary teacher. She died only a couple of years ago.... we expected a small funeral .... Instead, just tons and tons of people showed up .... Saying, 'At the age of 12, your mother taught me that I could do anything.'"

What kind of Supreme Court justice would she be?

"You can look to my whole life for indications ....

"I hope (it) will show is a person who listens to all sides, who is fair, who is temperate ... who has made good and balanced decisions, whether it's as solicitor general or whether it's as dean of Harvard Law School or in any other capacity."

(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro and John Whitesides; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)