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Sotomayor Reminisces About Life-Changing Call

Says she burst into tears when Obama gave her the news

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 25, 2009 12:39 PM CDT

(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. (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. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

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. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

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Sotomayor Reminisces About Life-Changing Call

Says she burst into tears when Obama gave her the news

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Sotomayor Reminisces About Life-Changing Call

Says she burst into tears when Obama gave her the news

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Detroit Bust Would've Been Better Than Bailout

Ex-Prez Bush says bailout his idea, and a good one

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Budget would institute 'Buffett Rule,' boost infrastructure

White House to Budge on Birth-Control Mandate

'Accommodation' for religious employers will likely be announced today

Small Donors Gave 48% of Obama's 2011 Donations

That's more than double the proportion from 2007: analysis

No Child Left Behind Waiver Granted to 10 States

At least 28 more plan to seek one

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