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Obama Nominates First Hispanic Woman to Supreme Court; Leahy Praises Sotomayor's "Long and Distinguished" Career; Republicans Will Look for Past Even-Handed Rulings; Longtime Friend Calls Sotomayor "Methodical"

Aired May 26, 2009 - 09:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning. The Supreme Court, where the law of the land is shaped, and a president's legacy is molded. Minutes from now, President Obama will announce his choice to replace retiring Justice David Souter.

Sources tell us that nominee will be federal judge Sonia Sotomayor. His nominee, I should say. Let's get the very latest from now from CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, who is inside that room. We have live pictures we're looking at right now of the East Room. This is, of course, where the announcement will be made. We're about 15 minutes away. Suzanne, good morning.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Heidi. Obviously really a who's who inside the east room this morning. Among those gathered here, Attorney General Eric Holder as well as Marian Wright Edelman, Reverend Al Sharpton, all of them waiting for the announcement to come within just moments or so.

I just spoke with a senior administration official to get a sense of the president's thinking behind this choice of Sonia Sotomayor. And this senior administration official saying that the president was looking for someone with a balance of skills, someone who was very, very smart and independent thinker, highly regarded for integrity and commitment to the law. He found all of those things with Sotomayor, including his goal of selecting someone with the empathy factor, real world practical experience, understanding of how people affect - of how the law rather affects people. And that's one of the things we heard from the president in former weeks. That he really wanted to strike a balance.

And in choosing Sotomayor, the president is confident that he has. In talking with White House officials this morning, they say she has bipartisan appeal. She was nominated by George H.W. Bush for the federal District Court at the Southern District of New York. And also nominated by the former President Bill Clinton for the Second Circuit. This is a moment that the president, the administration believes he has a chance to make history to burnish his legacy with the first Hispanic on the court.

And it's a two-for for them, as well. It was a lot of lobbying and some pressure even to choose a woman, as well. So, they feel confident that she is going to get through that nomination process.

COLLINS: All right. Very good. Quite the scene there. Suzanne Malveaux, we are looking at these live pictures inside the East Room as everyone is starting to starting to get settled for this official announcement of President Barack Obama's nominee for Supreme Court justice. Again, replacing David Souter. His pick is Judge Sonia Sotomayor. So, we're talking about that this morning.

And at this moment, we want to bring in Roberto Ramirez. He is the president of the Puerto Rican Bar Association from New York. Roberto, I know that Judge Sotomayor actually belonged to this organization, is that correct?

ROBERTO RAMIREZ, PRESIDENT, PUERTO RICAN BAR ASSOCIATION (via telephone): That is correct. Judge Sotomayor has been a member of the organization now for well over a decade.

COLLINS: And what do you know of her? Do you know her well?

RAMIREZ: Well, I do know Sonia Sotomayor, as many of us who come from New York are familiar with her career, her academic achievements, her work as a judge. All of us in the state have been privy to her ascendancy and to her accomplishments. And a number of us have been hoping that this day will come and that she, in fact, President Obama would see fit to nominate her. And I cannot tell you how pleased and proud I think I speak not just for the Puerto Rican Bar Association, but for the state of New York. This is quite an achievement.

COLLINS: Well, yes, and that's exactly what I wanted to talk with you about. The feeling in the community. As you mentioned, very, very proud.

RAMIREZ: Yes, there is no question. Certainly when it comes from the Puerto Rican community. A woman who comes from the Bronx, who comes from very honorable and humble beginnings, who accomplishes so much and then gets to a point in the federal court where peoples like Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Patterson have spoken very eloquently about her. Schumer sending a letter to the president. You begin to realize the magnitude and the significance of what today means.

I think not just for the Puerto Rican community, but for the Supreme Court and for this country. I think President Obama has done an amazing decision. Because I believe she would have been on anyone's short list. But the fact of the matter, I believe that the president has chosen the best potential next United States Supreme Court judge.

COLLINS: Roberto Ramirez, we certainly appreciate your thoughts this morning, from the Puerto Rican Bar Association in New York. Thank you so much.

Meanwhile, we want to get to Gloria Borger now. She's our senior political analyst here at CNN. A few more details, Gloria, on how exactly Sotomayor was picked.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. I spoke with a senior White House official this morning who told me that ironically Sotomayor was the candidate that the president knew the least about.

COLLINS: Really?

BORGER: Yes. Personally, he did not know her. He had interviewed four candidates. I believe she was the final candidate he interviewed. She spent six hours in the White House on Thursday. One of those hours with the president himself. And I am told that she wanted in the interview that he was very impressed with her in this interview.

Both with her intellectual firepower as well as her life story. And you've been talking about her life story this morning. And you know, we always hear a lot about how presidents like to have a real sense of the people that they're appointing to the Supreme Court. And I think in this case, that was really the case.

COLLINS: Yes, I think there's no doubt as we've been learning this morning that she is a wonderful story. And Gloria, I just want to remind everybody what we're looking at on the other side of the screen right here.

BORGER: Right.

COLLINS: Live pictures inside the East Room as we are watching everyone assemble there for the official announcement coming up very shortly now from President Barack Obama and his nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.

Let me ask you, though, about the political side of things. Because clearly, it seems that we have also learned this morning one of the biggest issues is going to be how quickly this confirmation process begins and ends, if you will, trying to get to the August break.

BORGER: Right. And when you talk to people at the White House, they will point out that this is somebody who has been voted on twice in the Senate, once by a voice vote. For example, somebody in the White House pointed out to me that Orin Hatch, senior member of the Judiciary Committee, has actually voted for her confirmation twice. So, he's on the record voting for her twice.

And conservatives, however, are really pointing out that the target that they're looking at in terms of her qualifications is that she will allow her feelings to stand in the way of basic fairness. And that's a quote from a conservative talking points that we've just gotten here.

COLLINS: Specifically, what do they mean? What issues do they think, or at least are you hearing that could happen?

BORGER: Well, they believe that not so much in her court decisions, but that she has spoken freely. They quote from a 2002 speech that she gave at Berkeley in which he stated she believes it's appropriate for a judge to consider their experiences as women and people of color which she said should "affect our decision." That is something that conservatives believe... COLLINS: Sure.

BORGER: Should not affect judicial decisions. They believe that's too activist. Clearly, President Obama believes that it should.

COLLINS: Is that a fair argument, as we watch the doors of the East Room open here? Obviously, we are getting closer to the president coming to the microphone.

BORGER: It's two different approaches to the way a judge should adjudicate. And I think you're going to see that played out in the United States Senate. I don't think there's any doubt about her qualification to serve. The White House points out she's the most qualified appointee in 70 years. But...

COLLINS: Why is that?

BORGER: Well, because she served - because of where she served in the federal appeals bench, et cetera, et cetera. But they also, you know, there's clearly going to be a debate about whether she would be too much of an activist judge. And, you know, this is a debate that we've heard time and time again between conservatives and liberals about how you approach the bench. It's going to be a very interesting argument we're going to hear in the Senate.

COLLINS: Yes, very much so. So, last question for you, Gloria. You think it's going to happen before August?

BORGER: Well, you know, the White House clearly has a quick timetable on this. I think it could well happen before the Congress leaves for its August recess.

COLLINS: OK. Very good. Gloria Borger, thanks so much. CNN senior political analyst. I want to take a moment now to talk a little bit more about the politics of this pick. Republicans and Democrats alike have been waiting for this choice, of course. Joining us now is our senior political analyst Bill Schneider. Bill, good morning to you. What are you hearing on the topic?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I'm hearing conservatives are fired up and ready to go. She was on the list of possible nominees, and they've been compiling a dossier on her. A lot of statements like the one that Gloria mentioned are in those dossiers. They intend to bring them up. They want to picture her as a liberal activist.

And she has made a few statements in the past indicating that she wants to take an activist position on the bench that she believes life experience should be relevant. But that is one reason why the president picked her. He said he wanted someone of empathy, someone who can relate to ordinary Americans. She once described herself as a down to earth litigator, and that's what she expects to be as a judge. I'm not going to be able to spend too much time on lofty ideals. That's what the president was looking for and that's what he appears to have pointed. COLLINS: I mean, there was some talk of, actually, the president wanting to go to a different route, wasn't there, Bill, about trying to get someone who was perhaps a governor who did not sit on a bench anywhere and really trying to go a different direction in replacing David Souter here. And that is not ultimately what happened here, at least as far as his nominee go.

SCHNEIDER: He did pick someone off the federal bench, which is like all of the other justices on the court. There was some expectation he might go for an elected official. There is no requirement that the nominee be someone with extensive experience as a judge. You don't even have to be a lawyer to be on the Supreme Court.

COLLINS: Right.

SCHNEIDER: And he said, you know, so there was some indication that he might appoint someone with elected experience. Many nominees have had elected experience and gone on to distinguished legal careers on the bench, like for instance Earl Warren, Charles Evans Hughes, President Taft went on to become a Supreme Court Justice. This has happened a lot of times in the past. She has never been an elected official, but she does have a little experience in the rough and tumble of politics. She served on various boards. She has been involved in the political process.

COLLINS: Yes. I think I'm looking at some numbers here, too. Was there actually a poll that was done on this on how important it is to people with regards to being a judge or an elected official?

SCHNEIDER: Yes, there was. Most Americans didn't say it wasn't important to them that she be a woman, that the nominee be a woman or a particular ethnic group. But a judge, look, almost 90 percent said experience as a judge is important. That's a qualification. After all, they're going to be a lifetime judge on the Supreme Court. And elected official people were split sort of 50/50 about that.

Voters in the country as a whole think those qualifications judge, political experience are more important than as you can see here being a woman or Hispanic or an African-American.

COLLINS: All right. Thanks so much, Bill Schneider. We sure do appreciate talking with you this morning. Again, as we await the president's announcement here, we have just gotten the two-minute warning. So, keeping you posted on exactly how all of this is going to go. We're looking at those live pictures once again inside the East Room.

We have seen several people assembling there. And we continue to wait for the president to come to the microphones. And also have our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin standing by to tell us a little bit more about this.

Maybe Jeff, you've seen this happen in the past. What's going to happen here? The president's going to come to the microphone, make the announcement. And then what happens, what is the next thing in the day for Judge Sotomayor? JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Judge Sotomayor will also speak. I think that's very important. When the nominee who is, of course, completely unknown to the vast majority of people defines herself in a way and talks about her background. I think of two examples. When Ruth Ginsberg was nominated by President Clinton in 1993 and talked about her mother dying just as she graduated from high school. It was an incredibly moving moment. And that is something that I think defined her in people's eyes.

Remember when Harriet Miers was nominated by President Bush, and she gave a rather awkward halting first comment, which began the downward spiral of her nomination. So, yes, President Obama will have something to say, but we've heard from him before. The person we haven't heard from before is Sonia Sotomayor. And her comments will certainly have been scrutinized with great care by White House officials. And she will really begin the process of defining herself to the American people. And she hopes more than 51 United States senators.

COLLINS: Is that initially going to be the toughest thing for her, do you think, Jeff? Just sort of letting everyone know who she is? Or is that even important?

TOOBIN: Well, I think it's very important. Because even though Supreme Court justice - oh, I better stop, and let's see the nominee.

COLLINS: Very good. All right. Jeff, thanks so much. The president walking in right now with Judge Sonia Sotomayor on his left. And the Vice President Joe Biden on his right. Let's go ahead and listen in to the announcement.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Please, everybody, have a seat. Thank you. Thank you. Well, I'm excited too. Of the many responsibilities granted to a president by our Constitution, few are more serious or more consequential than selecting a Supreme Court justice. The members of our highest court are granted life tenure, often serving long after the presidents who appointed them.

And they are charged with the vital task of applying principles put to paper more than 20 centuries ago to some of the most difficult questions of our time. So, I don't take this decision lightly. I've made it only after deep reflection and careful deliberation. While there are many qualities that I admire in judges across the spectrum of judicial philosophy, and that I seek in my own nominee, there are few that stand out that I just want to mention.

First and foremost, is a rigorous intellect. A mastery of the law, an ability to hone in on the key issues and provide clear answers to complex legal questions. Second, is a recognition of the limits of the judicial role, an understanding that a judge's job is to interpret, not make law. To approach decisions without any particular ideology or agenda, but rather a commitment to impartial justice, a respect for precedent, and a determination to faithfully apply the law to the facts at hand. These two qualities are essential, I believe, for anyone who would sit on our nation's highest court. Yet these qualities alone are insufficient. We need something more. For a Supreme Court justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, the wife of the law has not been logic, it has been experience. Experience being tested by obstacles and barriers, by hardship and misfortune, experience insisting, persisting, and ultimately overcoming those barriers.

It is experience that can give a person a common touch and a sense of compassion, an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live. And that is why it is a necessary ingredient in the kind of justice we need on the Supreme Court. Now, the process of reviewing and selecting a successor to Justice Souter has been rigorous and comprehensive, not the least because of the standard that Justice Souter himself has set with his informidable (ph) intellect and fair-mindedness and decency.

I've sought the advice of members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, including every member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. My team has reached out to constitutional scholars, advocacy organizations and bar associations representing an array of interests and opinions. I want to thank members of my staff and administration who have worked so hard and given so much of their time as part of this effort.

After completing this exhaustive process, I have decided to nominate an inspiring woman who I believe will make a great justice. Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the great state of New York.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: Over a distinguished career that spans three decades, Judge Sotomayor has worked at almost every level of our judicial system, providing her with a depth of experience and a breath of perspective that will be invaluable as a Supreme Court justice. It's a measure of her qualities and her qualifications that Judge Sotomayor was nominated to the U.S. District Court by a Republican president, George H.W. Bush and promoted to the federal Court of Appeals by a Democrat, Bill Clinton.

Walking in the door, she would bring more experience on the bench and more varied experience on the bench than anyone currently serving on the United States Supreme Court had when they were appointed. Judge Sotomayor is a distinguished graduate of two of America's leading universities. She's been a big-city prosecutor, and a corporate litigator. She spent six years as a trial judge on the U.S. District Court and would replace Justice Souter as the only justice with experience as a trial judge.

A perspective that would enrich the judgments of the court. For the past 11 years, she has been a judge on the Court of Appeals, for the second circuit of New York, one of the most demanding circuits in the country. There she has handed down decisions on a range of constitutional and legal questions that are notable for their careful reasons, earning the respect of colleagues on the bench, the admiration of many lawyers who argue cases in her court and the adoration of her courts who look to her as a mentor.

During her tenure on the District Court, she presided over roughly 450 cases. One case in particular involved a matter of enormous concern to many Americans, including me, the baseball strike of 1994 and '95. In a decision that reportedly took her just 15 minutes to announce, a swiftness much appreciated by baseball fans everywhere, she issued an injunction that helped end the strike. Some say that Judge Sotomayor saved baseball.

Judge Sotomayor came to the District Court from a law firm where she was a partner focused on complex commercial litigation, gaining insight into the workings of a global economy. Before that, she was a prosecutor in the Manhattan D.A.'s office serving under the legendary Robert Morgenthau, an early mentor of Sonia's who still sings her praises today. There, Sonia learned what crime can do to a family and a community and what it takes to fight it.

It's a career that has given her not only a sweeping overview of the American judicial system but a practical understanding of how the law works in the every day lives of the American people. But as impressive and meaningful as Judge Sotomayor's sterling credentials in the law is her own extraordinary journey.

Born in the South Bronx, she was raised in a housing project not far from Yankee Stadium, making her a lifelong Yankees fan. I hope this will not disqualify her in the eyes of the New Englanders in the Senate. Sonia's parents came to New York from Puerto Rico during the Second World War. Her mother is part of the Women's Army Corps. And in fact, her mother's here today, and I would like all of us to acknowledge Sonia's mom.

Sonia's mom has been a little choked up. But she - Sonia's mother began a family tradition of giving back to this country. Sonia's father was a factory worker with a third-grade education who didn't speak English. But like Sonia's mother, he had a willingness to work hard, a strong sense of family and a belief in the American dream.

When Sonia was nine, her father passed away. And her mother worked six days a week as a nurse to provide for Sonia and her brother, who is also here today as a doctor and a terrific success in his own right. But Sonia's mom bought the only set of encyclopedias in the neighborhood, sent her children to a Catholic School called Cardinal Spellman, out of the belief that with a good education here in America all things are possible.

With the support of family, friends, and teachers, Sonia earned scholarships to Princeton, where she graduated at the top of her class. And Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the "Yale Law Journal," stepping on to the path that led her here today. Along the way, she's faced down barriers, overcome the odds, lived out the American dream that brought her parents here so long ago.

And even as she has accomplished so much in her life, she has never forgotten where she began, never lost touch with the community that supported her. What Sonia will bring to the court, then, is not only the knowledge and the experience acquired over a course of a brilliant legal career, but the wisdom accumulated from an inspiring life's journey.

It's my understanding that Judge Sotomayor's interest in the law was sparked as a young girl by reading the Nancy Drew series. And that when she was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of eight, she was informed that people with diabetes can't grow up to be police officers or private investigators like Nancy Drew. In essence she was told she would have to scale back her dreams. Well, Sonia, what you've shown in your life is that it doesn't matter where you come from, what you look like, or what challenges life throws your way, no dream is beyond reach in the United States of America.

And when Sonia Sotomayor ascends those marble steps to assume her seat on the highest court of the land, America will have taken another important step towards realizing the ideal that is etched above its entrance, equal justice under the law. I hope the Senate acts in a bipartisan fashion as it has in confirming Judge Sotomayor twice before. And as swiftly as possible so that she can take her seat on the court in September and participate in deliberations as the court chooses what cases they will hear this coming year.

And with that, I'd like all of you to give a warm greeting as I invite Judge Sotomayor to say a few words.

(APPLAUSE)

JUDGE SONIA SOTOMAYOR, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE NOMINEE: I was just counseled not to be nervous. That's almost impossible. Thank you, Mr. President, for the most humbling honor of my life. You have nominated me to serve on the country's highest court, and I am deeply moved.

I could not in the few minutes I have today mentioned the names of the many friends and family who have guided and supported me throughout my life and who have been instrumental in helping me realize my dreams. I see many of those faces in this room. Each of you whom I love deeply will know that my heart today is bursting with gratitude for all you have done for me.

The president has said to you that I bring my family. In the audience is my brother Juan Sotomayor. He's a physician in Syracuse, New York. My sister-in-law, Tracy, my niece, Kylie. She looks like me. My twin nephews, Connor and Cory. I stand on the shoulders of countless people. Yet, there is one extraordinary person who is my life aspiration. That person is my mother, Celina Sotomayor.

My mother has devoted her life to my brother and me, and as the president mentioned, she worked often two jobs to help support us after Dad died. I have often said that I am all I am because of her, and I am only half the woman she is. Sitting next to her is Omar Lopez, my mom's husband and a man whom I have grown to adore. I thank you for all that you have given me and continue to give me. I love you. I chose to be a lawyer, and ultimately a judge, because I find endless challenge in the complexities of the law. I firmly believe in the rule of law as the foundation for all of our basic rights. For as long as I can remember, I have been inspired by the achievement of our Founding Fathers. They set forth principles that have endured for more than two centuries. Those principles are as meaningful and relevant in each generation as the generation before. It would be a profound privilege for me to play a role in applying those principles to the questions and controversies we face today. Although I grew up in very modest and challenging circumstances, I consider my life to be immeasurably rich. I was raised in a Bronx public housing project, but studied at two of the nation's finest universities. I did work as an assistant district attorney, prosecuting violent crimes that devastate our communities. But then I joined a private law firm and worked with international corporations doing business in the United States. I have had the privilege of serving as a federal District Court trial judge, and am now serving as a federal Appellate Circuit Court judge. This wealth of experiences, personal professional, have helped me appreciate the variety of perspectives that present themselves in every case that I hear. It has helped me to understand, respect and respond to the concerns and arguments of all litigants who appear before me, as well as to the views of my colleagues on the bench. I strive never to forget the real-world consequences of my decisions on individuals, businesses and government.

It is a daunting feeling to be here. Eleven years ago during my confirmation process for appointment to the Second Circuit, I was given a private tour of the White House. It was an overwhelming experience for a kid from the South Bronx. Yet, never in my wildest childhood imaginings that I ever envisioned that moment let alone did I ever dream that I would live this moment.

Mr. President, I greatly appreciate the honor you are giving me. And I look forward to working with the Senate in the confirmation process. I hope that as the Senate and the American people learn more about me, they will see that I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences. Today is one of those experiences. Thank you, again.

(APPLAUSE)

COLLINS: There we see President Barack Obama and his nominee for Supreme Court, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, and the vice president exiting the East Room there. You see quite a crowd, of course, has gathered for that official announcement of his nominee. And they are now exiting that room.

We, however, continue to talk more about this. Of course, big news of the day, breaking news, in fact. We do have team coverage of the president's announcement. Jeffrey Toobin, is CNN's senior legal analyst. Suzanne Malveaux was on hand, of course, in the East Room. She's making her way to the cameras now for the president's announcement. And Brianna Keilar is gauging reaction on Capitol Hill.

So, Jeff, let's begin with you from New York this morning. What do you think of some of the comments that Judge Sotomayor made just moments ago? TOOBIN: Well, before we talk about the comments, I'd like to just say something about the picture. That was the face of the new America. You know, there have been 111 Supreme Court justices -- 107 of them have been white men. There have been 44 presidents -- 43 of them have been white men.

But here you have our first African-American president, the first, potentially, Hispanic woman on the Supreme Court. This is not how America used to look, and America's changing. And I thought that was -- that was my initial impression.

And in terms of what was said, well, Sonia Sotomayor certainly has an extraordinary story. Someone who, with the support of a loving mother and family, built a life of extraordinary accomplishments from modest beginnings. She's going to be a tough target if people want to defeat her.

COLLINS: I did love what she said about this being the absolute most humbling moment of her life. Obviously, a very, very proud day for her and her distinguished career and her family, as well. The president also said that she actually may have in fact saved baseball. Expected her to whip out that Yankees hat at any moment there, huh?

TOOBIN: Well, that would have been trouble with a White Sox fan like President Obama. But, you know, that was a big case. That was 1995, during one of the many labor disputes between the baseball union and the owners. And Sonia Sotomayor, as a district court judge, as a trial judge, issued an injunction. She forced the owners to go back to negotiating.

And that was really the most important legal event in ending the baseball strike. So, it's no joke that she played a very important role in ending that strike. And it is worth noting that she was very much on the side of the players' union, not the owners.

COLLINS: Yes, definitely. Another case, too, that we're -- I think we're going to hear a lot more about, we've spoken a little bit about this morning, that she was a big part of, of course the 2008 supporting of the City of New Haven's decision to throw out the results of that firefighter promotion. Jeff, can you give us a little bit of background on that quickly? Because it may be that one of two things could happen. Her decision could be reversed, or it could just be completely finished, that whole case, before she ever would move forward in taking this bench.

TOOBIN: Well, what's especially interesting about this case, it is pending now before the Supreme Court. And in a nutshell, what that case was about is, there were a group of firefighters who wanted to get promoted in New Haven, Connecticut. And there was a test given.

And all the firefighters who did well on the test, well enough to get promoted, were white. The City of New Haven, instead of promoting those white firefighters, canceled the test because they were worried about being sued by Hispanics and African-Americans who would have challenged the legitimacy of the test. The white firefighters have challenged the cancellation of that test, and that case is now before the Supreme Court.

Sonia Sotomayor, she didn't write the opinion, but she was part of the majority on the Second Circuit who said it is OK what New Haven did in canceling the test. Based on the oral argument at the Supreme Court, it looks like that decision is going to get reversed. So, you can expect a lot of discussion of that case. And a lot of criticism of her, especially from Republicans, when she goes before the Senate in her confirmation hearing.

COLLINS: Right. And interesting, too. You may not know this. We've been talking all morning long about who exactly Judge Sotomayor is. And a very interesting thing we heard from Gloria Borger earlier today, about how the president said this was really the person he knew the least in those that he was considering and then became very impressed with her in this six-hour visit that she spent at the White House.

That being said, by the way of her record, does she have a history of her decisions or the decisions she has taken part in being reversed? Is this a common occurrence?

TOOBIN: It hasn't been common. Like all judges who have served for a very long time, as Judge Sotomayor has, there have been reversals now and then when she was on the District Court and when she was on the Second Circuit. But certainly not routinely. And not anything out of the ordinary, and not anything particularly political.

She has not had a lot of hot-button social issues in front of her. Just to give you an example, also, the Supreme Court -- the Second Circuit Court of Appeals covers three states: New York, Connecticut and Vermont.

COLLINS: Yes.

TOOBIN: None of those states use the death penalty. The death penalty is a big issue before the Supreme Court. But Sonia Sotomayor has never had a death penalty case. That's the kind of thing where you really just don't know where she stands because she's never had that kind of case.

COLLINS: Yes, and it's interesting because we have heard from many people, many analysts saying that, you know, she has more experience than all of the current serving justices had when they came into the position.

TOOBIN: She certainly does in terms of years of tenure. And a very important point that the president made, and I know a lot of lawyers feel this way. Sometimes people feel that the Supreme Court acts as a kind of ivory tower. There are a lot of former law professors up there. Not a lot of the justices have much real-life experience.

But Sonia Sotomayor would replace David Souter, who was the only judge who had been a trial court judge. None of the other eight had been a trial court judge. And I think that's a very useful experience when you talk about evaluating issues like how you admit -- what evidence should be admitted, how much latitude you should allow judges.

COLLINS: Sure.

TOOBIN: That's something that is I think going to be a very positive factor in her favor, the fact that she had been a trial court judge and a state prosecutor.

COLLINS: Very interesting. Very interesting. Jeff, we're glad you're there. We'll probably come back to you shortly once again. If you'll stick around, we'd appreciate it. Our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin.

Quickly now, I want to get inside the East Room because our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux has been there all morning long and is joining us now live. So, Suzanne, you were there for the announcement. What was the feel in the room?

MALVEAUX: Heidi, it was really very unusual. There was really not a dry eye in the audience. There were several moments when people were crying and tearing when she talked about her mother and just what her mother meant, how inspiring her mother was to her.

When she talked about her own personal background, her life story about how her father died and her mother worked six days a week, and she thanked her stepfather, saying, I love you. A lot of people very emotional here in the audience. Among those in the audience, you had the head of the NAACP, you had Reverend Al Sharpton, Marion Edelman. A lot of different people, a really different mix of folks here.

And you heard the president really tap into not only talking about intellect, but someone who had a common touch. And he talked about mentioning baseball, the one that she was the one perhaps with the injunction to bring back the World Series and to save baseball. That she had this life story, a compelling story, that she was the embodiment of the American dream. And that she brought a bipartisan perspective to her own rulings.

So, these are the kinds of things that the president is going to emphasize, that the White House is going to emphasize, that she has personal appeal, that she has intellectual heft, and that she also has kind of a broad bipartisan type of attraction. That is what they're hoping for.

They believe that she is going to get through that confirmation process. And you've heard just some of the highlights today. Just the beginning of that unfold of her life story and how they're going to lay it out to the public, how they're going to lay it out to members of Congress -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, I thought it was interesting too, right out of the gate there when President Barack Obama said specifically that she would be there to interpret, not make law. Because we've been talking all morning long about a couple of questions that people may have going through this confirmation process. And the way he said that in accordance with some of these questions that are coming up about the panel discussion that she was involved in at Duke University. MALVEAUX: Obviously, that's the one thing they realize is going to come up, whether or not her previous rulings, whether she was actually went over the line, crossed the line. We're going to take a look at affirmative action cases. The kinds of things, what went into her thinking, even her past statements that she's made when she says being a female, being a Latina, coming from the background that she has, that those all go into effect when it comes to making the kinds of rulings.

And so, people are going to take a very close look at that and say, is she making law? Is she interpreting law? The president obviously trying to get ahead of that, get out of that and shape that debate -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. Our White House correspondent right there inside the East Room for that announcement today, Suzanne Malveaux. Suzanne, thanks so much.

And we also want to know what the reaction is on Capitol Hill today. Our Brianna Keilar is standing by, going to give us that reaction coming up very shortly. Quick break here.

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COLLINS: Our Brianna Keilar is standing by now on Capitol Hill, trying to gauge some reaction from there regarding, of course, President Barack Obama's nominee for Supreme Court justice, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. So, Brianna, what are you hearing where you are?

KEILAR: Well, Heidi, President Obama actually called Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, this morning. He was actually and still is, of course, in Iraq on a congressional delegation there. Giving him a head's up this was going to happen, as he did with other Democratic leaders.

We have a response now from Senator Leahy. He says that Judge Sotomayor has a long and distinguished career on the federal bench. He says she's been nominated by Democratic and Republican presidents. She was twice confirmed by the Senate with strong bipartisan support. And her record is exemplary.

But of course, Heidi, what we're really looking for here is the opposition that may come to this nomination. We've heard from Senator Mitch McConnell, top Republican in the Senate. And he said although reserving some judgment, he said Senate Republicans will treat Judge Sotomayor fairly, but, "We will thoroughly examine her record to ensure she understands that the role of a jurist in our democracy is to apply the law even-handedly despite their own feelings or personal or political preferences."

And this, of course, Heidi, is one of the main concerns of Republicans. They do not want what they call a so-called activist judge. So, this is what we've been hearing from Republicans as the reaction has been coming in. I should also add we've heard from Jim DeMint, a conservative Republican from South Carolina, and he has added that some of Sotomayor's writings raise serious questions. But what we're hearing from Republicans overall is they're not going to prejudge, but they don't want Democrats to preconfirm her, either -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Understood. So, then, what's next for Republicans? For those who are going to be looking further into her background as you have just stated, and for those who may possibly try to block this confirmation. How will they come together?

KEILAR: Well, it would be very difficult for them -- actually, impossible presumably for them to do this in this Senate Judiciary Committee vote, which would come after her confirmation hearings, because there is a huge Democratic majority on that committee, 12 Democrats to the seven Republicans.

Well, the next step then would be when this nomination goes to the full Senate, there are only 59 senators who are either Democrats or vote with Democrats. So, they're one short of that 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority.

Now, that said, though some people might look at her past confirmations, at Sotomayor's past confirmation hearing, especially in 1998 to go to the U.S. Court of Appeals and say, if past is prologue, maybe she's not going to have a hard time because there are still eight Republican senators, Heidi, who are in the Senate now who did vote to confirm her in 1998.

COLLINS: All right. Very interesting. We will continue to watch all of this. Thanks so much. Brianna Keilar with reaction from Capitol Hill this morning.

President Obama announces his choice for the Supreme Court, Federal Judge -- his nominee -- Sonia Sotomayor. And joining us now by phone is a longtime friend of hers. Margarita Rosa was a classmate at Princeton.

Now, Margarita, if you can hear me, what are you feeling about this day as we continue to watch video right now of when the president first made the announcement, the official announcement of his nominee, his choice and your friend, Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

MARGARITA ROSA, SOTOMAYOR'S COLLEGE CLASSMATE (via telephone): Well, I have to say it's a very moving and exciting day for those of us who have known Sonia for a long time. It really is. And I feel very pleased as an American to have our president nominate someone who possesses, as he said last week, intellectual firepower, a common touch and a sense of how the world works. And I think that describes Judge Sotomayor very well.

COLLINS: So, when you say that, and you know her better than many people, you are not at all concerned about her -- as we said in the past here this morning -- having the chops to be able to go up against some of the other justices if, in fact, she is confirmed.

ROSA: Not at all, actually. I think she has demonstrated already that she possesses the qualities to not only be able to be part of an intellectually demanding discourse, but to help shape it and to help bring everybody to a common understanding of a fair outcome.

COLLINS: Why do you say that? What have you noticed in the past in your relationship with her, in going to school with her? I mean, can you think of a story? I mean, is she stubborn, or...

ROSA: Sure. I can think of a story. I was a junior when Sonia came to Princeton. And I was the leader of a student organization. And we very much wanted her to join us.

But her initial response was very cautious. And I've always known her to be someone to -- who is very measured and methodical in her decision making. She doesn't rush and make rash decisions. She really looks at the facts. And she is, I think, very even-handed and fair, but does bring to the table a very valuable understanding of the challenges and experiences, I think, of average people.

COLLINS: All right. So, it is likely that we will see this confirmation process get under way very soon and very quickly. So, I'm sure you'll be watching as closely as we will.

Thanks so much, Margarita Rosa, a longtime friend of Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Lots of people checking in on our blog now with reaction to the president's choice of Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. We will have some of those comments for you coming up. And if you'd still like to share your thoughts, we of course are continuing to read them. Check in on our blog. It's at CNN.com/newsroom. Then just click on my name. Back in a moment.

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COLLINS: All right, Josh Levs is watching the reaction online to the news that Judge Sonia Sotomayor is President Obama's nominee for Supreme Court justice. To be more specific, she would be, of course, replacing David Souter. So, we've been hearing a lot on the blog, right, Josh?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we have. People jumped on it right away. This might be the fastest responses I've ever seen on the blog. Let's zoom right in. We have so many that it's actually made the font kind of tiny. But I want to show you a few of them.

Marlon, right here, says she's "reflective of Obama DNA, a mix of pragmatism, personal touch and political acumen." Kim says, she's "highly qualified, and I'm really happy he picked a woman."

Also on the Heidi blog right here, Devilicious (ph) writes, "I hope President Obama chose Sotomayor based on her education and professional background and not because he was pressured to choose a woman or a Latino."

If you're on one of the major social networking sites, Twitter, Facebook, let's zoom back in. We're battling this out on my Twitter page, joshlevscnn. Let's go to this lower one here: "Great. Not. Sotomayor, out with the letter of the law and in with, I am an Hispanic woman that knows best."

And we'll jump over here to Facebook. We have a discussion going there. Frank says, "Kinda shocked it took so long. Let's just pray she does her people right." And Kimberly points out that she's "already been confirmed twice by the Senate. It will be very telling to watch how those same seated senators vote this time around."

So, keep them coming. We're getting hundreds. We're going through them, posting them up there on the Heidi blog, Heidi at CNN.com/newsroom.

COLLINS: All right, very good. Josh, we sure do appreciate that. We will continue to check in because you said it was the most response or the fastest response we've had?

LEVS: It's the most fastest that I've seen.

COLLINS: Most fastest, bestest.

LEVS: The mostest, fastest, bestest that I've seen. This many, this fast, on one topic, pretty amazing.

COLLINS: All right, got it. Josh Levs, thank you.

LEVS: Thanks, Heidi.

COLLINS: I'm Heidi Collins. More on President Obama's Supreme Court choice as CNN NEWSROOM continues with Tony break -- Tony Harris, excuse me, right after a quick break. We're back in a moment.

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