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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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 INTERVIEW 
4

Sotomayor Reminisces About Life-Changing Call

Says she burst into tears when Obama gave her the news

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(Newser) – Sonia Sotomayor sat by the phone for 12 hours waiting for the call. When it finally rang, “I had my left hand over my chest, trying to calm my beating heart,” she recalls in an interview with C-SPAN. When President Obama offered her the Supreme Court appointment, “I caught my breath and started to cry and said, ‘Thank you, Mr. President.'”

It’s rare to hear such details so soon after a judge’s confirmation. The interview was conducted on Aug. 8, before Sotomayor was sworn in, and will air next month. “He asked me to make him two promises. The first was to remain the person I was, and the second was to stay connected to my community,” she recalls. She also recounts her hectic journey to Washington; the White House quickly arranged her family’s travel plans but forgot hers.

Barack Obama, left, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor talk in the Justices' Conference Room prior to Justice Sotomayor's formal Investiture Ceremony Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009, in Washington.
Barack Obama, left, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor talk in the Justices' Conference Room prior to Justice Sotomayor's formal Investiture Ceremony Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009, in Washington.   (AP Photo/Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States, Steve Petteway)
The newest Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor stands outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009, following an investiture ceremony with their colleagues.
The newest Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor stands outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009, following an investiture ceremony with their colleagues.   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Entertainer Ricky Martin poses with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009, in Washington.
Entertainer Ricky Martin poses with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009, in Washington.   (AP Photo/RM Entertainment Group)
In this Sept. 8, 2009, file photo, the Supreme Court's newest member, Sonia Sotomayor, responds to well wishers outside the court following her investiture ceremony.
In this Sept. 8, 2009, file photo, the Supreme Court's newest member, Sonia Sotomayor, responds to well wishers outside the court following her investiture ceremony.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
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4 comments
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dontlikeyou
Sep 25, 09 5:33 PM CDT
That woman's cheeks are so swollen, it looks like she is squinting. 'Very odd looking woman. Reply
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IndependentThinker
Sep 25, 09 5:55 PM CDT
Grow up.
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yoeydude
Sep 25, 09 9:41 PM CDT
I repeat ,.... your posts are all the same , dreary and repetitive and boring , no humor , no real information , more like a simple morning bowl movement , unthinkingly taken while half asleep ,.... you probably have your own shit caked under you fingernails , you are no doubt obese , probably on disability , and have not one friend , other than buhole , oh and jaydick and jamericunt,... so maybe you got some friends , but shit ,.. review your worthless life and cry
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schmidtkoff
Sep 26, 09 5:09 AM CDT
it must be sheer hell to be you, dontlike, you probably have your mirrors covered in your 'abode' because you can't stand to look at yourself.
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