>> well, i actually know elena kagan somewhat.as one of my professors at the university of chicago. she was a very good professor. she didn't let politics into the classroom. she was rigorous and demanding. so i have respect for her from that perspective. i think her decision on fighting, not allowing the military to recruit on campus was clearly very radical. >> chris: this had to do with the issue of the military's policy on gay in the militaries, right? that's why she didn't allow military recruiters in. >> she fought it to the supreme court and lost badly. but i think in this moment, where we are in a mid-term election year, where people are paying al a lot of attention and it gives people to remind why elections matter makes it a different opportunity than it was before. and secondly the role of national security in the debate. you now have a court on a number of occasions moved to limit the president's power in the dean decision for example, in order to put limits on the executive power at a time of war. so as we look at the

elena kagan is the front-runner.itor general, the obama administration's top lawyer, and though she's a liberal on social issues like abortion and gay rights, she's a strong defender of presidential powers in wartime. >> elena kagan is very impressive and very appealing, because she meets the goldilocks standard. not too liberal, not too conservative. >> reporter: if the president is looking to stoke his political base, judge diane wood could get the nod. she's a passionate liberal with a sweeping view of the constitution. and then there's the intriguing possibility that the president could pick a politician to put on the court, which he's often said he wants to do. >> we have not had a politician on the court for a long time. it's striking that a majority of the court that decided brown versus board of education in 1954 were former politicians. there were no sitting judges. this court is all former appellate judges. >> reporter: so, the president is considering former arizona governor and homeland security secretary

and that would point to solicitor general elena kagan. katie? >> couric: january crawford at the supreme court tonight. jan, thanks so much. bob schieffer is our chief washington correspondent and anchor of "face the nation." and, by the way, bob was covering the ford white house when stevens was nominated. hi, bob. >> schieffer: (laughs) hi, katie. >> couric: we thought that was an interesting fact. meanwhile, president obama's nominee is unlikely to have as easy a time getting confirmed as justice stevens did. >> schieffer: katie, it is never easy these days, but the white house really wants to concentrate on jobs and the economy going into this midterm election and the last thing the president needs is a long drown out fight over a supreme court nominee. so every sign i see points to the president nominating someone quickly. and by that i mean in the next week or so. and he, of course, can't change the ideological tilt of the court, that's for sure. but my sense is they will go with the person they believe can be most easily confirmed. they w

personally elena kagan being one. judge woods being another example. some he's never met. merrick garland fits into that and is local. he didn't co >> thank you, savannah. savannah guthrie. join savannah and chuck todd weekdays on "the daily rundown" only on msnbc weekdays at 9:00 a.m. >>> comes up, politico's jonathan martin are why the feds are taking aim at republicans in florida. >>> plus, a high-tech makeover today for the $100 bill to combat counterfeiting. the redesign includes a new 3d security ribbon and disappearing liberty bell. els. they work fast. so i can get relief from the pollen that used to make me sneeze, my eyes water. with new zyrtec® liquid gels, i get allergy relief at liquid speed. that's the fast, powerful relief of zyrtec®, now in a liquid gel. zyrtec® is the fastest 24-hour allergy medicine. it works on my worst symptoms so i'm ready by the time we get to the first hole. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 to help with my investments. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 if i could change one thing... tdd# 1-800-345-2550

solicitor general and former harvard law school dean elena kagan.appeals court judges: diane wood, merrick garland and sidney thomas. and former georgia state supreme court chief justice leah ward sears. judiciary committee chairman patrick leahy said he hoped the new justice would tip the balance away from narrowly divided opinions. >> we have right now a very, very activists, conservative activist supreme court. the number of decisions-- whether it's ledbetter or citizens united-- decided by a one vote margin, i think this does not reflect the american people, but reflects more of a partisan agenda. i would hope the president's nominee can get us back away from that and reflect the american people. >> ifill: republicans released a statement pledging to review any nominee's record "diligently and respectfully." but the president indicated he is hoping to replicate the relatively smooth process that confirmed his last pick, justice sonia sotomayor. >> i think it's very important, particularly given the important cases that may be coming before the s

the names being tossed around includes the solicitor general elena kagan and a judge. here with us is a congressional reporter for politico. let's start with justice stevens. he is known as the liberal lion of the court. this is an opportunity for obama to find a replacement. what is the likelihood of a obama choosing outside of that? >> obama faces a challenge because it is now a midterm election year. he is a lawyer by training by background. he went to harvard law school. he may not want to overreach. >> what is he looking for in a replacement? >> i think he is looking for someone who can beat a leader in the way justice stevens has been to gather the four or five votes of the liberal wing and hold them together but also someone who has a proven record but not so much detail and so much controversy that they're going to cause ire in the senate. when they were betting a lot of candidates last year for nomination that led to sonia sotomayor, there were different candidates. it will not be too long for the president to make a choice. >> it is still early, but there are

look at his judicial appointees, sonya sotomayor and elena kagan, somebody not on the left wing of thecratic party and foreign policy choices are hardly far left either. i mean, this comes out of the propaganda campaign leveled against him having to do with bill ayers and jeer myy wright sdmrflt why has his style of speaking changed so much? during the campaign, you know, there were those who supported him felt he had this -- talked about the fierce urgency of now and was such a great speech maker even those who didn't like him thought he was a great communicator. his speeches in office have been -- i mean he reads from a teleprompter. there is a dryness. >> a formality to it. >> well, it stands to reason -- remember, when he's campaigning across the country he's in different venues at different times. sometimes he's in a black church on the south side and the cadence is in association -- sure, like any good orator does. in a vfw it's a different kind of cadence. now behind the resolute desk giving an address to the nation you're different too. >> it's a fascinating book. thanks for be

some possibilities include solicitor general elena kagan. also on the list, two federal appellate judges, diane wood of chicago and merrick garland. >>> another big retirement on the hill today. michigan congressman bart stupak. he's been taking a lot of heat lately from both sides of the aisle for supporting the health care overhaul. today he talked about threatening phone calls he's received. >> if you look at my elections, i win by huge margins. i know these folks. they wouldn't do that. so you sort of just ignore it and move on. and so it didn't play a big part. >> tea party activists are holding rallies this weekend in stupak's district. he says he's retiring because he's tired and he accomplished his goal of improving health care. >>> how about this? a milestone today on wall street street. the dow jones industrial average briefly went above the 11,000 mark today, the first time it went above 11,000 in 18 months. last time was in september 2008. came close a couple times earlier this week. >>> a bizarre case of road rage. police say a

white house denounced cbs news this week for a report on one leading contender, solicitor general, elena kaganthe cbs website reprinted a column by conservative blogger ben come niche saying that kagan would become, quote, the first openly gay justice. administration officials, speaking on background, say kagan isn't gay, and when cbs refused to delete the posing, anita dunn told me the network was posting lies. cbs news.com eventually killed the column and the network and comeich apologized. >>> and coming up, outing oprah, kitty kelley takes on the queen of daytime in her latest controversial celebrity biography. >>> plus, courting conan. the late-night funny man moving to basic cable. is this a giant step down for the comic who once held forth on "the tonight show"? determine if a car is a best buy? first they drive it in the real world. and put it through its paces. they rate its fit and finish. and the amenities inside. they factor in purchase price and operating costs, fuel economy and resale value. in short, they do what you do to test its quality. the consumers digest best buys from ch

elena kagan. merrick garland, diane wood and secretary of the department of homeland security, janet napolitano. are any of them overly ideological? >> it will depend upon the analysis of what they have written, what they said, judicial decisions they've made and what they say in hearings, whether my colleagues would reach that conclusion. they are all qualified, and, again, the question, i think to present is, do judges like this, or candidates like this, approach judging on the basis of each case presenting its unique facts in law, being decided strictly on that basis, rather than with the judge coming to the bench with an ideological position. for example, i've heard colleagues say we want somebody that will be tough on execute powers. i heard somebody else say we need somebody to be tough on large corporations. no. you need somebody that will decide the case whether the big corporation or the executive should win a particular case. depends upon the facts of the case of the law. not on the judg

elena kagan is the youngest at 49, garland merrick, diane rudd, who is a liberal judge based in chicago. >> and surprises out there? >> everybody notices that there is nobody on this court who has ever run for office or serve in the legislature or ever dropped a piece of legislation. everybody notices that when john stevens retires, it is possible there will be no protestants on this court in the majority protestant country. there will be nobody from the mountain west on this court. there are many western issues. i don't see any other names but it is not out of the question. >> a western province and wrote -- lieutenant governor. >> watch for that it now pay just $99.99 a month for verizon fios tv, internet and phone -- guaranteed for two years! it's an amazing offer that could save you hundreds of dollars. call now to lock in this guaranteed low price for two years. with 100% true fiber optics to your home, fios delivers the future and gives you more of what cable doesn't. the best channel lineup and more hd. america's top-rated internet. even facebook and twitter on your tv. enjoy a b

diane wood and marek garland and janet napolitano, we haven't mentioned the solicitor general, elena kagan right now. joining us from washington right now is cnn's john king and on the phone is our senior legal analyst, jeffrey toobin. my friend, we were talking about this in a series of e-mails after your appearance on fresh air with terry gross. there were clear signs that this day was coming and coming soon. >> yes. i interviewed justice stevens for "the new yorker" earlier this spring and on march 8th he told me that he would make up his mind about resigning in about a month. here it is, april 9th, true to his word. he has made up his mind. he has decided and a major, major tenure on the supreme court, 34.5, years comes to an end and a great opportunity comes to president obama. >> justice stevens, when you think of his career appointed by gerald ford in 1975, what comes to mind? the kind of justice he has been? >> an unexpected liberal. someone who moved to the left as the court moved to the right. someone who became the leader of the liberals on the court, a staunch defender of abort

elena kagan, the former who are vard law school dean who is solicitor general. federal appeals court judge diane pamela wood from chicago. homeland security secretary janet napolitano, one of the president's cabinet favorites. the president is also looking at federal judge merrick garland. with the stage set for a summer confirmation hearing, in utah today republican senator orrin hatch urged the president to pick a moderate. >> and if he will, he will go down in history as a better president. if there doesn't, there will be a whale of a fight. >> reporter: supreme court confirmation hearings have been notoriously decisive and may be again this time, on the heels of a bitter health care debate and in an election year. >> just because you have a democratic president replacing a more liberal justice doesn't mean that the process won't be contentious. people on both ends of the spectrum will be pushing the president in the direction they favor. >> reporter: senior aides say the president takes a hands-on approach as a constitutional lawyer himself reading articles,

at the top, elena kagan. >> the supreme court's jushs diction is discretionary. >> reporter: kagan, a brilliant legal scholar and former dean of the harvard law school is a traditional liberal on social issues like abortion and gay rights. but she's a strong defender of presidential wartime powers. >> kagan is very impressive and very appealing, because she meets the goldilocks standard. just right. >> reporter: if the preference is for real world political experience, as president obama has said, two other women from the political arena, homeland security secondary janet napolitano, and jennifer granholm would bring change to a court, which today is made up entirely of judges. and then, there are two sitting judges, diane world and eric garland. judge wood is probably the most liberal candidate. garland, more of a moderate, is probably obama's safe choice. should the president want to avoid a pitch battle in the senate. finally, religion. justice stevens was the last protestant on a court with six catholics and two jews. napolitano and wood were praised protestant. kagan and garland

we know four people on the short list include shifter general elena kagan, judge herric garland, judgediane wood, and secretary of the department of homeland security, janet napolitano. are any of them overly ideological? >> the question i think to present is, do judges like this or candidates like this approach judging on the basis of each case presenting its unique facts in law and being decided strictly on that basis? rather than with the judge coming to the bench with an ideological position. >> senator schumer, you said in 2007 the senate should reverse the presumption of confirmation and that a nominee's ideolog ids matter. >> what you want is somebody who will follow the law, not make the law. not impose their ideology if they're far right, far left, on the law itself. if they're in the mainstream, you don't have to agree with all of their views to vote for them. >> this is "meet the press" with david gregory. >> senator sessions, when the president said replacing justice stevens would be machine who, in his mind, had to have an independent mind, who would have all the qualifica

the federal appeals court, as well as diane wood, and leah ward sears and the solicitor general elena kagan, jennifer granholm, and homeland security secretary janet napolitano. the white house says hillary clinton is not on a short list. >> coming up, embezzlement accusations at the prince william high school. >> also, conan o'brien has a new home, tbs. >> traffic and weather every 10 minutes. it's 53 degrees in roslyn. minutes. it's 53 degrees in roslyn. (announcer) we all want to stay active. we don't want anything... ...to slow us down. but even in your 30s... ...your bones can begin to change. overtime, you can begin to have bone loss. calcium and vitamin d work together to help keep your bones strong. and yoplait gives you... ...20% of your daily calcium... ...and is the only leading yogurt with vitamin d in every cup. keep your bones strong every day... ...with yoplait. >> we are the --high school cheerleading squad. let's go jackets. good morning, washington. all right, way to go. >> its tuesday. time to look at the traffic and weather everton minutes. >> adams at clarendon. how doe

candidates include solicitor general elena kagan and appellate judge diane wood. >> will cannot replace justice stevens' experience or wisdom, i will seek someone with similar qualities -- an independent mind, a fierce dedication to the rule of law. >> the decision to step down from the high court gives the president his second supreme court appointment after the selection of justice sotomayor. the governor kicked off his jobs across america tour. he toured several classes and a high school. the tour is part of a magnet program that prepares students for careers in biotech and life sciences. >> what the young people here at randallstown high school are learning skills that will help them find the jobs that are in such demand for skilled workers as soon as they get out of high school. it also gives to our economy that important raw material -- a highly skilled workforce. >> the governor promoted his efforts to save and create jobs throughout the state. >> in tonight's "medical alert" we talk about the serious problem people have had with their allergies. across the region, people who nor

general elena kagan, judge dine wood, and judge merick.t could be someone that we haven't even thought about it. >> it could be a surprise. you were right when you said that president obama has a list put together. when you're elected president, you already have a chance of making the supreme court pick. you're already thinking in your head who that would be. and outside of those judges thaw just mentioned, there are some others, governor duvel is somebody that is someone that president obama would maybe consider putting on the bench, as is jennifer granholm and jan janet napolitano. >> hillary clinton? >> you took it away from me. >> why not. >> let's throw out hillary clinton as a possible name. she certainly has the background to sit on the court. unclear -- >> mark, we'll see you again at 10:00. thank you, sir. >> think about it, every single high school graduate goes off to college. they come from one of the most dangerous schools in chicago. the principal is on here next. we call it peace of mind. the 5-star crash safety rated chevy

elena kagan has an incredible inter-lech. >> not a judge. is that important to go outside? it's a skill to have someone who isn't a judge, who has lived a policy making experience, who has lived amongst real people and understand what that means to people. so at the end of the day, i think the most important attribute really is to ensure that you can sway the court over the long term and move it in a progressive direction because this court is an extreme core over the history. >> he's a harvard law guy. you're a yale law graduate. you spent a lot of time working for hillary clinton. how about hillary clinton for the supreme court? >> i'm not going to make news on hillary joining the supreme court. i think she's very happy as a secretary of state. and she's much more a person who is engaged in the political process than the day-to-day. being a supreme court nominee and being on supreme court removes you from politics and influencing policy day-to-day. they should look at someone who is more interested in that. >> what about the climate? looking eight statement from mitch mcc

candidates include elena kagan and appellate judges mary garr land and diane wood. >> what can't be matched really is the influence that justice stevens had achieved over his long tenure on the court. >> reporter: stevens has been the court's liberal leader. despite being appointed by president gerald ford. senate republicans want a more centrist nominee. >> he has a propensity to choose people that don't care what the law is, they will make the law from the bench. judges are not supposed to do that. >> reporter: stevens made a series of headline-grabbing decisions. writing the i did sent in bush vs. gore. leading the court in three decisions rejecting the bush administration's prison policy at guantanamo bay. among praising stevens, john roberts who praises intellect and independence and justice stevens will officially step down sometime in late june early on july. i'm live at the supreme court, jennifer johnson. >> jennifer, thank you. >>> next on news4, it is just getting started here. performance by tiger woods at the masters today. live in augusta with the latest. >>> at 4:15, how the

elena kagan who was a front-runner some say, she was a former dean at harvard law school, many conservativesave actually had some good things to say about elena hay began, sidney thomas, martha minow. and elizabeth warren, she runs the t.a.r.p. program, which is not a very popular program itself, but elizabeth warren is in charge of keeping track of the money. and of late the government has been saying that money's coming back in, so maybe her story has gotten a little bit more favorable in recent days, on capitol hill, are they gearing up? is this going to be a big fight or are people waiting to see who it is? >> people are waiting, but obviously they're gearing up, as it happens with every single supreme court pick, we have the name, every interest group has the names and they're doing their home work just in case, there's no question. but what's so interesting to me is that from the perspective of democrats, i have not talked to anybody who has not said that there is no stomach among democrats for a big fight to begin up the liberal base. just the opposite. if they have their way, it will

elena kagan. garland had not been interviewed before but worked in the clinton administration andwhelm known to the obama team. >> we have to ask you about congressman stupak. we are always suspicious when they want to spend more time with their familiar. >> i he had been thinking what he would do for some period of time. a retirement makes it more difficult especially in a district like his that will be -- real contentious battle. >> busy week. lots to talk about sunday morning. thanks so much for stopping by. >> watch "meet the press" at 10:30 sunday. david's guests include senator patrick lahey and jeff sessions. secretary of state hillary clinton. secretary of defense robert gates. good lineup. >>> coming up on "news4 at 5:00," what's ahead for your weekend weather. we will check in for the 7-day with tom. >> one month left to see the georgia o'keefe exhibit at the phillips collection. i will show you why this is one you don't want to miss. >>> how's the weekend, tom? we flood it. >> looking g

elena kagan, judge garland who sits on the u.s. court of appeals in the d.c. secretary. and secretary of homeland security, janet napolitano. i want to make a disclosure, my wife worked for justice garland. as you look at that lits, is there any non-starter there for you? >> well, i think it's premature to say that. we have a big responsibility to examine their background. this is the only time in the entire process that the american people through their elected representatives have the opportunity to confront the nominee who could have a lifetime appointment for 30 or 40 or even 50 years -- >> you know these jurists, you know these figures. they came up when judge sotomayor was nominated. are you able to say they're well qualified to be on the supreme court? >> i think we better look at that. i'm not prepared to make an announcement before we get into the background on it. no, i'm not. let me just say i disagree with pat's analysis and criticism of the court. i don't think there court is an activist court. i think they've attempted to faithfully follow the law. just bec

. >> reporter: so that is popular among solicitor general elena kagan and diane wood, and so because it is not to change the balance of the court, it is consume washington's attention throughout the summer which means difficult road for energy and climate change and the cap and trade bill that the president has tried to get through congress, maria. >> so what does that mean to the agenda? joining me is the chief strategist from potomac group, and the former white house press secretary. so what do you think, will justice stevens' retirement change the makeup of the court and dominate the conversation in congress and the administration, tony? >> well, it will dom flat the conversation for the coming months and into the summer. the supreme court nominations are like the super bowl for special interest groups in washington to express their views, and to send a message to the president and the senate for the kind of nominee they would like to see him name. >> what about you, greg? >> well, my favorite book of the year is "game change." we have a game change in two respects, going away fro

they'll look at some of the people they looked at then, elena kagan, diane wood a federal judge from. merrick garland a federal judge from washington. also possibly janet napolitano the homeland security secretary former governor of arizona and jennifer granholm who is governor of michigan. so the president has said he wants someone who has some political experience as well but they're pretty well along i think in terms of looking at potential finalists. >> nbc justice correspondent pete williams. thanks so much. >> reporter: you bet. >>> thousands of children descended upon the white house lawn today to take part in the annual easter egg roll. the first family was on hand to welcome visitors and take part in the event that included basketball, yoga, and live music. the theme of this year's easter egg roll is, ready, setting. part of the first lady michelle obama's effort to combat child obesity. speaking of activities, today president obama threw out the first pitch to start the season for the washington nationals. the commander in chief tossed the high ball and just a bit outside.

house wants, to get into a fight with republicans over the supreme court nominee, you would go with elena kagans he just outlined. she's been confirmed by the senate. folks know her, know everything about her. to then vote against her would put them on the spot. >> let me bring in now professor jonathan turley, a well-known author and law professor, constitutional law. justice john paul stevens announcing he's retiring. he sent the letter to president obama saying the last day will be after the current supreme court session ends. give me a sense of what the departure means for the supreme court. >> for liberals this is the loss of the last liberal icon. he served wh

current solicitor general, elena kagan, with 41%. she's also a former harvard law dean.ost even to make it to the supreme court, 41%. >>> up next, congressman ron paul and the future of the movement he helped create, the tea party, the libertarians. you're watching "hardball." somewhere in america... there's a home by the sea powered by the wind on the plains. there's a hospital where technology has a healing touch. there's a factory giving old industries new life. and there's a train that got a whole city moving again. somewhere in america, the toughest questions are answered every day. because somewhere in america, more than sixty thousand people spend every day answering them. siemens. answers. [ male announcer ] there's one reason why over the past 100 years generations of men have trusted gillette. when it comes to shaving, we've given them our best. and on june 6th, we'll give them something even better. wondering about your retirement plan? who isn't? retirement planning is all questions... how long? how much? how soon? what if? welcome to answer city... td amerit

it's what differentiates her from elena kagan or some of the judges that are being considered.something completely different and it's important if the supreme court's going to evaluate laws, strike them down, having somebody on there who's been involved in law making can bring something to the table. >> let's talk about, we mentioned the system worked comment. but beyond that, we've done the as a for her. what's the case against? >> the case against her is ironically, she's too good. weirdly when you talk about somebody in politics you might put on the court, you need somebody not incredibly busy. it's hard to identify somebody in the cabinet who is in a more critical position than homeland security, not just with border security disasters but also immigration reform coming. she's doing such a good job with the 22 agencies that make up dhs, the truth of the matter is they probably can't spare her for the supreme court. >> i've heard senior aides saying that that homeland security position is so difficult, so difficult to do well that losing her is a real consideration. let's ju

elena kagan, diane wood and merrick garland.r who's a democrat saying we have enough appellate court judges. here he is on fox on sunday. let's listen to arlen specter who's getting loud on this issue for some reason. i have my own theories but here he is. let's listen. >> we need someone with strong academic credentials. i would like to say someone with a broader background. we have enough sir account justices on the supreme court. >> do you have a nominee, senator specter? >> i do. and i hope to see the precedent that the opening of the baseball season tomorrow and i intend to tell him my thought thoons. >> i'm sure he d. let's me go to willie brown. mayor brown, he focuses on judgeships. the question is, is the president smart to pick somebody when who's a political person? of course, the most significant probably court decision of our lifetime was earl warren, ag of california and turned out to be a liberal and brown case, a wonderful appointment that ike regretted as long as he lived. but you never -- now they seem to know

let's look at four of them, elena kagan, dean of harvard law school, the group americans united for life says general kagan had criticized a ruling that restricted federal funds for family planning initiatives. diane wood presently sits on the seventh circuit of appeals, former clerk for harry blackman, the author of the majority opinion in roe v. wade. judge merrick garland who sits on the court court of appes for the district of columbia, a court that's seen alumni ascend to the nation's high court, he is set to be more controversial but has done work for dukakis and bill clinton. then there's janet napal tono, her performance homeland security secretary dug the aftermath of the christmas bombing plot could conceivably impact on whether she's selected this time around. there are others but of necessity, for the pups of live television, our short list is a little shorter than the president's. megyn: james, the ones you ticked off are generally not considered to be far left when it comes to their judicial philosophy or idealog, however, there's a possibility that president obama could no

i like elena kagan. i like all of them. judge sears. >> if it's a woman, it's okay with you?he nation, and not there on the court, that makes a lot of sense. >> you actually have more than 50% of the population. >> 51%. >> that's right. >> and i'm intrigued, when we hear that people say, no litmus test on this or that. from a sports perspective here, you win. to the victor goes the spoils. and the president has absolutely every right, as any other president, to pick whoever he wants. >> he's come clean on that. he said, there's no litmus test. on the other hand, when it comes to females using their body, we know where he stands. >> he respects individuals rights. and also women's rights. he has high regards for the supreme court. he's a constitutional lawyer. he did a fantastic job with judge sotomayor. >> only a minute left. i can't let you go. put you on the spot a little bit about larry king. his divorce. on again. off again. what's going on? >> i hate to hear the idea that he maybe had an extramarital affair. i think originally his mother told him a long time ago, larry,

among the possible nominees, elena kagan. diane wood of chicago and merit garland. and janet napolitano and michigan governor, jennifer granholm. for a brief time, secretary of state hillary clinton was briefly mentioned, about you was swiftly ruled out by the white house. >> president obama may surprise us all and pick somebody that none of us have been thinking of. >> with confirmation hearings expected this summer, the president doesn't have much time to choose the justice who will change the face, if not the direction of the supreme court. brian moore, nbc news, washington. >>> nominations fights are nothing new. in fact the senate rejected within of george washington's nominees in 1795. >>> the dow closed above mond12 for the first time in months. the dow has posted six straight weekly advances, its longest winning streak in a year. in the next few weeks, companies will release earnings reports and the government will release the latest unemployment numbers. >>> time to check in with meteorologist chuck bell for a look at the day ahead. will it be as good as ye

there's names that are being floated around not the top three picks, is solicitor general elena kagans, diane wood, and mary garland who are hearing word that michigan governor and possibly homeland security secretary janet napolitano are being considered. some of those names have been sent around when the president had to pick a spot and he picked of course, we know, sonya sotomayor. >> there was a period when hillary clinton was thrown around and now bill clinton's name is coming up. >> reporter: there's always a fascination around the clinton, we know here in washington. it's interesting because bill clinton did grant an interview with another network saying that he would like the job and so would hillary. they say it's an interesting, of job, of course, but pick someone younger. he says his advice for the president would be get someone in their late 40s and 50s. the clintons are already in their 60s. he says it's someone else's turn not theirs. >> an interesting reason for backing out of that. thank you, sandra. >>> coming up in the 7:00 hour, it's a whole new kind of a baby bath.

host: we were showing be worse footage of elena kagan, who is on what people are calling the short list. along with names that our viewers are hearing. you wrote in the national journal about the supreme court short list. guest: all of the people we just talked about are very well qualified. there are -- are all very smart. they represent a good range from left of center to the democratic range. dianne woods is not nearly as liberal as some of the liberals would love to see. judge garland is probably the most moderate of the four. vary widely respected by the bench in washington. it would be an easy confirmation. dean kagan is very well qualified intellectually. one of her assets is that she does not have much of a paper trail. people do not know what she thinks about much of anything. this does not mean that she agrees with the position. janet napolitano, we talked about her already. her broad political experience is an asset. and she is a cool customer. >> beyond of the short list, all of the names being tossed around, do you think that republicans should filibuster any of these names

others are people like jennifer granholm or delay in occasion -- elena kagan.st: stevens was known as the liberal leader of the court. obama said on friday that he would like to see someone that mirrors the qualities of stevens. kagan, solicitor general, i know she tops the list. diane wood, i also know that she is at the top of the list. leading contenders in the race. the race for the nomination process. we will see some of those come back up. host: how likely is it that the president could replace justice stevens with someone of that ilk? justice stevens says that he has seen the court's shift to a more conservative direction in his time there. . . the only change we've seen in the last i guess decade or so was the trade of sandra day oh conner for justice owe leeto and you've seen with the campaign finance ruling is that he has been part of, you have seen people say, well, that's why we shouldn't have exchanged one voice for another voice. it will be interesting to see how that plays out. host: hi, john. caller: good morning. so many things to say. i realiz

host: we were showing be worse footage of elena kagan, who is on what people are calling the short list. along with names that our viewers are hearing. you wrote in the national journal about the supreme court short list. guest: all of the people we just talked about are very well qualified. there are -- are all very smart. they represent a good range from left of center to the democratic range. dianne woods is not nearly as liberal as some of the liberals would love to see. judge garland is probably the most moderate of the four. vary widely respected by the bench in washington. it would be an easy confirmation. dean kagan is very well qualified intellectually. one of her assets is that she does not have much of a paper trail. people do not know what she thinks about much of anything. this does not mean that she agrees with the position. janet napolitano, we talked about her already. her broad political experience is an asset. and she is a cool customer. >> beyond of the short list, all of the names being tossed around, do you think that republicans should filibuster any of these names

the three names we have been hearing at the top of the list are the current solicitor general, elena kagan. she represents the administration at the supreme court. solicitors general have often provided a farm team for future justices. she clerked for thurgood marshall. he was solicitor general when he was appointed. she went to harvard law school and at 49 is relatively young for such a position. she could be expected to serve a long time on the court. the judges under consideration -- one who was interviewed last night, diane wood, is on the court of appeals in chicago. she knows the president from a time when both were teaching at the university of chicago law school. he was in the state senate at the time. she worked in the justice department in the clinton administration. the third is judge washingtomerk garland. he served in the clinton administration as well. he has, like other judges on his court, had a lot of national security related cases. >> a senator said he would like confirmation hearings by midsummer. how has the political picture changed on capitol hill sensed sonya sotoma

. -- and elena kagan. she has never been a judge. others have served without having been a judge.is relatively young for such a position and can be expected to serve for a long time on the court. another justice under consideration who was interviewed last time is diane wood. she is on the second circuit court of appeals in chicago. she has known the president from the time that they were both teaching add the chicago law school. he was in the state senate at the time. she worked in the justice department in the clinton administration in the trust area. then there is the judge here in washington in the district of columbia circuit. he was in the clinton administration as well. like other judges on his court, he had a lot of national security and federal regulation related cases. >> senator leahy said that the confirmations, he would like them by mid-summer. how has the political climate changed since justice sotomayor? >> there is one a democrat in the senate. that means that the power to stop it filibuster is no longer present among men. -- among them. also, the republicans feel