Obama Nominates Hispanic Female to High Court

Amid much speculation, President Obama finally announced his choice for Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor.  Obama said he selected the 54 year old based on his search for a candidate with "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."

Judge Sotomayor's parents came to America from Puerto Rico and she grew up in a Bronx public housing project.  Her mother pushed her towards receiving an education and Sotomayor graduated at the top of her class from both Princeton University and Yale Law School.  Sotomayor described her nomination as the "most humbling honor of my life" and said she chose to be a "lawyer and ultimately a judge because I find endless challenge in the complexities of the law."

Judge Sotomayor has bridged the bipartisan gap in the past.  She 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.  If confirmed by the Senate, Sotomayor would be the third female to sit on the court, following in the steps of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O'Conner who retired from the bench in 2006.

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