and it's signed john paul stevens.s is he is going to leave the court at the end of this term. we were talking about this a bit early. what he does not say here is that he will stay on the court until his successor is nominated and confirmed, that he's leaving service as soon as the court term ends, which would be usually in late june. so that differences -- that basically gives the senate and president until october 1st to find a successor. that means he'll leave the court at the end of the term. you know, justices vary on how they choose to do this. some of them say they will stay until a successor is confirmed. some like suter did last year will leave as soon as it's over. >> let me bring diane back in, clec for supreme court justice -- sorry, say that again? a law professor is joining me now. the news we're following here, supreme court justice john paul stevens announcing his retirement at the end of this current term in the supreme court, that's supposed to happen sometime this summer. paul, what does a justice n

most respectfully yours, john paul stevens. 11 days before his 90th birthday, justice john paul stevens, officially announces today that he is stepping down. his retirement not exactly a surprise. it had been speculated upon for weeks now. but today the justice made it official. when the letter arrived at the white house this morning, its intended recipient was on board air force one. once president obama returned to the white house today, he gave some early insight into what he's going to be looking for in a replacement for justice stevens. >> i view the process of selecting a supreme court nominee as among my most serious responsibilities as president. while we cannot replace justice stevens' experience or wisdom, i will seek someone in the coming weeks with similar qualities. an independent mind, a record of excellence and integrity, a fierce dedication to the rule of law, and a keen understanding of how the law affects the daily lives of the american people. it will also be someone who, like justice stevens, knows in a democracy, powerful interests must not be allowed to drown out t

the president hopes his choice to be a lasting legacy, just like john paul stevens. but one thing his choice won't have that justice stevens had is a quick confirmation. justice stevens was confirmed a mere 19 days after he was nominated and the vote was 98-0. katie? >> couric: jan, the president's choice, if he or she is confirmed, is unlikely to change the makeup of the court as you mentioned. having said that, is there a front-runner right now? >> well, katie, if the white house doesn't want a fight-- and my sources say they really don't-- merit garland would probably be the easiest to confirm. he's considered a moderate on some issues. but there are a lot of voices for a woman. remember, only two of those nine justices are women. 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

and you may not get another john paul stevens but you may not realize you have another john paul stevens after you have that person for a number of years. >> woodruff: marcia coyle, john mcginness, kathleen sullivan, thank you all three. >> thank you. >> brown: still to come on the newshour: fannie mae, freddie mac and the financial meltdown; health care on the minds of virginia voters; and brooks and marcus. but first, the other news of the day. here's kwame holman in our newsroom. >> holman: rescuers struggled again today in their efforts to search a west virginia coal mine. four men have been missing there since an explosion on monday that killed 25 others. smoke and signs of fire this morning pushed the rescue teams back for a second time in as many days at the upper big branch mine. west virginia governor joe manchin: >> we ran into some problems, and were notified this morning and the teams worked around the clock and got up into the section again, and ran into some bad conditions, and again had to pull the teams out for their safety. >> holman: the missing miners were not in one c

john paul stevens was the guy in the middle of the court.s left of center and he ended up left of center and he negotiated back and forth and helped cut deals on pretty big decisions. where is the middle in american politics right now? bart stupak feels pressure to leave. bob bennett, a conservative republican in utah facing a challenge from the right people saying he's not conservative enough. blanche lincoln facing a challenge from the left. people saying she's not liberal enough. a union starting to form a third party in north carolina because it believes democrats there aren't akin to working americans aren't liberal enough and they a big debate in our country right now being dominated and pushed by what i'll call the left and the right extremes and the question is if you're in the middle, if you describe yourself as a moderate as john paul stevens would, as some of these other political figures would, can you survive in today's age and that will be the framing of the big political debate over once the president picks a nominee in the we

for years, despite repeated allegations that the father sexual by abused young men, poem john paul ii continued to call him an important leader of catholic youth. >> he was a revered figure in the vatican. he also had the advantage of being the greatest fund-raiser of the modern church. >> reporter: the father was the founder of a little known but well financed catholic order called the leon their reaps of christ. >> he used money the way some politicians do in spreading it liberally to buy support, both for himself and his religious order. >> reporter: jason barry first broke the story of the father in 1997, and has tracked what he says is a decades long trail of cash and gifts to top vatican officials from the father. >> i think in hindsight, it's clear that he was trying to protect himself and so he lavished gifts, generous expensive gifts on many members. and on top of that, he made a point of cultivating friendships with these men. >> reporter: and as a result, when the vatican received allegations against the father, it touched off what appears to have been a high level power st

justice john paul stevens, who turns s 90 this month said toda he will step down.can say jurisprudence, the conversation turned. who will the president choose to fill his shoes? terry moran has this report. >> reporter: the party faithful and party leaders were loaded for bear. >> from now until november, when they say yes we can, we stand up and we say, oh, no, you don't. >> reporter: while conservatives here cheered sarah palin and bought buttons and hobnobbed, they were planning for a major assault this november on the democrats' control of congress. so, the news that supreme court justice john paul stevens were retiring shot another jolt of political adrenaline through this gathering. so, you predicting a long, hot summer of confirmation battle? >> i think that is very likely. >> reporter: you think it's going to be a big fight? >> i expect it will be. >> i can't imagine that it's not going to be some kind of big brouhaha over the next nominee. >> reporter: for his part, president obama seems to know a fight is coming his way, and today, in describing the kind

go ahead. >> i can speak about john paul. i do not often engendered people who know about his background in the theater -- often encounter people who know about his background in the theater. it was the people who had been found out -- if they had been found out, it would have been a quick trip to the concentration camp. he wrote plays. "adam's brother" -- terrifically interesting plays. he also wrote essays about theater and drama. one thing he emphasizes in those beessays is the evocative, moral power in words and the way they can be used for good or ill. words that constitute not a set of privatized things that we share, but as a way you can call people into being and remind them of a cultural legacy and purpose. he observes the process were by polish culture is being destroyed under the nazis and the communists. others may be able to speak better to reagan. for john paul, there certainly was a drama being played on a grand stage. the moral forces of good against those that and destroyed moral good in the world. someone el

john paul stevens will leave the supreme court after nearly 34 1/2 years. the third longest service in the court's history. in a one-sentence letter addressed, "my dear mr. president," stevens will step down at the end of the current term in late june. that will allow time to have his successor in place in early october when the new term begins. >> he has applied the constitution and the laws of the land with fidelity and restraint. he will soon turn 90 this month, but he leaves his position at the top of his game. >> reporter: the court's only gerald ford nominee, stevens arrived in 1975 as a moderate conservative but became the anchor of the court's liberal wing. the choice of his replacement by a democratic president will probably not change his ideological make-up. he insisted the court shifted, not him. >> i don't think i have changed. i consider myself quite conservative. >> reporter: he voted to recognize legal rights for guantanamo detainees. but dissented when they talked about flag burning. because justice stevens was able to attract swing votes,

powerful depiction of the life of john paul ii. newt and i were visiting last night.t to share with you something that deeply touched me, a quote attributed to pope john paul ii. he was being interview and asked why doesn't the church accommodate the moray of the culture, related to marriage or the sanctity of life or a host of thing. the question was why doesn't the church just change its standards to be more relevant? without frifrming he said, "my son, the church is the standard." for his convictions, the fact he knew what he believed and why, one of the remarkable people. not just of the 20th century but perhaps of human history. thank you for sharing the remark i believe store of him with us. we're delighted to have you here. let me say when we come back, we'll talk about freedom in a way that, well, very few people have seen it up front and close as our next guest. alina fernandez, daughter of fidel castro joins me after the break. stay with us. [ male announcer ] fact: every time you take advil, you're taking the medicine doctors recommend most for joint pain.

the letter was from john paul stevens notifying president obama that he would retire at the end of the court's current term. stevens has been on the court since 1975 and upheld the liberal wing of the court. will president obama appoint a leader to replace stevens even if it risks a filibuster and a grueling, ruling battle. it's our top story. >>> one clue on how the republicans might react could come from new orleans where the southern republican leadership conference is going on. today sarah palin accused president obama of coddling our enemies and called president obama's white house the most radical white house in american history. >>> plus, we have the promilitia republican for government out in idaho, he told "nightline" he has no problem for local militias create a little force. we'll ask rex ramal what he meant by that, show a little force. >>> i got a nice mention on fox last night. it was pretty positive. finally, let me finish with some thoughts about our rights as americans, including the right to choose who we marry, a matter now on its way to the supreme court. let's star

and the world will be more secure about the president appears to nominate a successor to justice john paul stevens. will he had a fight on his hands? >> we all need to stand up them on income-tax day, the voices of the tea party card across land. >> he comes in crash as our party. start your own party. f>> the economy is looking better. the jobless rate is much too high the stock market has really happened resell sales are up, housing is a problem but people are buying cars again and the banks, the banks are raking it in. had we take the big boys from taking as down the road to perdition again? the democrats say to regulate and that is president obama's next big fight. can he win this one? >> he will win this one and win big. he will win it because it is a popular issue. wall street is unpopular. there are republicans that also recognize this and will get on board. >> if you have a bill that would propose putting the bankers in stocks in times square, it would pass the mood of the country. anything you label, regulatory banking reform, will pass. >> let's put it this way -- if he does not

. >>> back here at home, supreme court justice john paul stevens isn't revealing too many details about his retirement plans other than to say he will surely step down while president obama is in office. in interviews over the weekend, stevens said he's not sure if he'll retire this year or next. stevens turns 90 this month. he was named to the court by gerald ford in 1975. >>> tiger woods returns to the spotlight as masters week gets under way. woods made an unexpected visit to augusta national yesterday. he hit the driving range, then played nine holes on the famous masters course. the tournament, which begins thursday, will be his first since his sex scandal erupted. woods holds a news conference later on this afternoon. >>> tonight in indianapolis, it is duke versus butler for the ncaa men's basketball national title. hometown butler can expect most of the crowd's support. the bulldogs have never played in a championship game before. duke, on the other hand, is seeking its fourth national title. right now the oddsmakers are saying duke with a seven-point lead but i hope it goes to b

he found that nominee in john paul stevens. justice steve temperatures has courageously served his country from the day he enlisted the date before pearl harbor and through this long tenure on the supreme court. he has stood as an impartial guardian of the law. he has worn the robe with honor and humility. he has applied the laws of the land with fidelity and restraint. he will soon turn 90 this month but he leaves his position at top of his game. his leadership will be sorely missed. i spoke with him and told him on behalf of a grateful nation i thanked him for his service. justice stevens ex-pretiond in a letter to me that it's the best interest of the supreme court to have a successor appointed and confirmed before the next term begins. so i'll move quickly to name a nominee as i did with justice sotomayor. while we cannot replace justice stevens' experience or wisdom, i'll seek someone in the coming weeks with an independent minds, a record of excellence and integrity, a fierce dedication to the rule of law and a keen under

. >> will obama have a fight on his fands over justice john paul steven? and on income tax today, the voices of the tea party are hurt across the land. >> well, the economy is looking better. jobless rates still much too high, but the stock market has some real heft again. real today sales are up, housing is a problem, but people are buying cars again. the banks are raking it in. but how do we keep the big boys from taking us down the road to perdition again? the democrats say we regulate, of course. that is president obama's next big fight. can he win this? >> he can win this big. can he win it because of the popular issue, wall street is unpopular. also you have some republicans who also recognize it's a popular issue and they're going to get onboard. >> charles? >> if you had a bill that would propose putting the bankers in stocks in times square, would pass the mood of the country as anything you label, regulatory banking reform will pass. >> nina? >> let's put it this way. if he doesn't win it, the democrats will run on it. >> mark? >> whose side are

after nearly 90 years on the planet and 34 years on the bench, justice john paul stevens steps aside. we look at his past and the court's future. >> two old cold war fa foes agree to limit nuclear weapons. and a new partnership. >> this is the home of afghans and we own this place. and our factories are here for a cause for all of us. >> karzai. he's the democratically elected leader of afghanistan. gwen: the republican party tries to rally its activist. >> retreat and reload and that's not a call for violence. >> and the party chairman. >> we're take steps to make sure we're even more, how should we say physically conservative in our spending. gwen: covering the week, joan biskupic. and joel sanger and mcmanus and charles babington of the associated press. >> this is "washington week," with gwen ifill. corporate funding is provided by -- >> we know why we're here, to give our war fighters every advantage. >> to deliver technology that anticipates the future today. >> and help protect america everywhere. from the battle space to cyberspace. >> around the globe, the people of boeing ar

john paul's sotry -- story and reagan's -- let me take a look at it and do some editing. that experience cultivated their sense of that part of the task of the statesmen. >> all of you chicago cubs fans -- >> not i. >> i'm not either. [laughter] ronald reagan, using the telegraph wires, called the chicago cubs games. he would take the wire copy and create the picture of that game in the words, powerful words. this is one of my favorite people here on campus and the as a wonderful english accent. -- he has a wonderful english accent. >> nobody recognizes reagan as a brilliant labor leader who fought for the actors industry -- and the screen actors guild. since the title of this conference is "the future of american culture,"i'm sorry to say i think the panel has rather missed out on discussing postmodernism. we sort of implied that we can go back to the modernist in the mind. i would like all of the panel to have a shot at attempting whether christians can relate to post modernists and what did they see the future having anything to do with the development of postmodernism

. >> supreme court justice john paul stevens announces his retirement -- who will present an obama named to replace him? >> virginia had been the capital of confederacy. >> confederacy history month in virginia. wasn't slaver worth a mention? >> slavery was the controlling and central issue and i don't know anyone with historical creance -- credence would differ with that? >> the united states has used nuclear-weapons only twice, against her were she not and nagasaki toward the end of world war ii. afterwards japan surrendered. once we have the bomb the soviets wanted one and the nuclear arms race was on. president obama announced he is reworking america's nuclear strategy, scaling back the role of nuclear weapons in the nation's defense and putting limits on when they can be used. in prague the president and his russian counterpart signed an agreement to cut their nuclear weapons by one-third over the next seven years. president obama is pledging not to go nuclear against countries will abide by the nuclear non- proliferation treaty if it -- even if they attack the u.s. with chemical or

that's nothing compare to john paul ii.re saints than all the pope in the last four centuries combined. 482. saint biographer rose mary rodgers. >> he wanted more women, there are a lot of africans and he wan wanted more diversity. >> saints relevant to their own lives. ordinary men and women made extraordinary by example. >> osgood: coming up, remembering a true man of letters. so when the time comes to bust open a can of doing... we've got all the tools for all the things we need to make 'em happen. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, get scotts nature scapes mulch for the new lower price of just $3.88. christopher columbus sailed the ocean blue... in 14 hundred and 92. nice! follow me, the missouri river is this way! lewis and clark expedition of 1804. oh, he'll never get this. magellan, 1520. awww, my 8 layers must've given it away. help keep your kid full and focused with 8 filling layers... of whole grain fiber found in kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal. this is one giant leap fo

this morning in "the washington post quoted a also have a piece about john paul stevens, saying that he is making a weighty decision. he acknowledges he told a reporter early last month that he would make a decision in about 30 days, but hoped it was not being treated as a statute of limitations. bloomberg adds to the story this morning, saying that this judges to be considered for the supreme court. the group includes the candidates being considered -- these who are said to be topping the list. john, the republican line, from los angeles. caller: i am a middle-income person and have never understood why anyone of my income status or lower would donate money. this is a rich man's game. i just do not understand. it makes absolutely no difference what someone with limited income gives. when i hear about all the people who gave obama $25 or $50 a just shook my head. i am not saying that because it is obama, but for either party. host: you not think that the total sum of those helped obama when he was running? caller: yes, i guess. but i see it as a waste of money for someone who cannot

justice john paul stevens is stepping down but it doesn't really come as a surprise. stevens has been hinting about retiring for a while now. he turned in his formal notice to president obama this morning. jennifer davis reports from capitol hill. >> reporter: 89-year-old justice john paul stevens, the supreme court's oldest member and the leader of the liberal block is retiring. in a short letter delivered to the white house the justice writes he will step down at the end of the high court's term this summer saying it would be in the best interest of the court to have my successor appointed and confirmed well in advance of the commencement of the court's next term. >> he has stood as an impartial guardian of the law. he's worn the judicial robe with honor and humility. >> reporter: president obama now has his second high court opening to fill. his selection is expected within weeks. >> we cannot replace justice stevens' experience or wisdom. i will seek someone in the coming weeks with similar qualities. >> reporter: stevens joined the court in 1975. chief justice jo

i don't really know all there is to know about john paul stevens and speaking of trade is there epa courtcases coming up regarding their ability to regulate carbon emissions. is that on the docket, john? >> i believe the supreme court has upheld the epa's authority -- >> once, a couple years ago. >> to regulate. there are challenges to that. and it's not an ideal route from the administration's perspective anyway but, yes, i think that is one of the issues that is going to be discussed or considered by the court over the next year or two. >> john harwood, thank you ever so much. >> interesting times. >>> when we come back, tiger woods roaring back at the masters landing among the players at the top of the le leaderboard. >> we'll head live to augusta, georgia, for the latest and look at what impact his return is having on tv ratings. >>> okay, welcome back, everyone. take a look at this market. the dow jones industrial average just points away from that key 11,000 mark. we're now at 10981 up almost 0.5%. >>> tiger woods back on the green at the masters. larry y did the same thing as you.

john paul stevens will turn 90 april 20th. for 34 years he has been on the high court nominated by president ford just after watergate back in 1975. he is a protestant. he is someone who has been liberal in leanings though pointed by a moderate republican. upheld roe v. wade. voted in cases that limit death penalty. supports affirmative action and he has given more rights to terrorism detainees at the guantanamo bay detainny prison in cuba. the magic wall for the volatile political environment. it in this political environment president obama will name a successor. we have seen the left and the right dominate oirg politics. take michigan, for example. bart stupak a democratic congressman resigned today, trying to make the case in that district that his health care vote was the right vote, because the tea party says no, some on the left criticized him. bart stupak saying 38,000 people in northern michigan will get health insurance and nearly 200,000 will see their costs lowered. that is a view from michigan of the contested pol

the book is called "john paul stevens: an independent life" and we are talking with the publisher ofnorthern illinois press representative sara hoerdeman on this day when we learned as a nation that john paul stevens will in fact be stepping down from the court at the end of the term. thank you again. >> thank you. . .

>> the on-sale date is may 1st. >> it's call john paul stevens an independent life.and we are talking with the publisher of northern illinois press on this day about we learned as a nation that john paul stevens will, in fact, be stepping down from the court at the end of the term. thank you again. >> thank you. >> this weekend on c-span2's booktv. >> arundahati roy talks about her new collection of essays on the u.s. war on terror democracy on i understand and india-pakistan relations. she reads from her book and from an essay she recently wrote titled "walking with the comrades." this is an hour and 35-minute talk. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much for that reception. i'm going to read a little bit from "field notes on democracy." it's really a kind of meditation about what democracy has become. and then i'm going to read from an essay i just wrote called "walking with the comrades" because i just came back from spending a few weeks -- a couple weeks in the jungle with the indigenous resistance to what's going on. in a war that's been announced by the in

for years, under pope john paul ii, the allegations against father marciel macial were ignored inside the vatican, and in fact, the pope regularly praised macial. behind the scenes, according to a new report by author jason barry, was a steady stream of cash and gifts to key vatican officials from maciel. >> he used money as a means to buy friendship, to buy support and to protect himself should the day come, as it did, when he would be publically accused. >> reporter: father maciel has easy access to cash as the founder of a well financed, highly conservative church order called the legionaries of christ. >> how was he able to do that for so long? >> reporter: the new report says one vatican official to reject maciel's payments was cardinal joseph ratzinger, now the pope. he was in charge of investigating in 2002 and became upset when abc news asked him about what had been a four-year delair, slapping my hand. >> come to me -- >> reporter: excuse me. >> when the moment is given. not yet. >> reporter: according to the new report, ratzinger had been blocked from going after maciel by t

. >>> and justice john paul stevens is retiring and who will replace him and will the process of selecting a nominee deflect attention from health care and financial reform? we will bring you the latest buzz from the capital. hey, aren't you... supposed to be following that fidelity green line? well, yeah, but it keeps leading me back to my old office. i think it might be broken. or maybe it's trying to tell you something. yeah, but what could it be trying... oh, i left my 401(k) at my old job. and i left a jacket on the back of my door. but i think the line is talking about my 401(k). leave a 401(k) behind? roll it over with the company that's helping more people reach retirement than anyone else. when it comes to investing, never settle. fidelity investments. >>> welcome back. president obama may have a big fight on his hands with the senate republicans now that the supreme court justice john paul stevens is retiring. cnbc's chief washington correspondent john harwood is working on the story. john? >> well, president obama has a decision to make, maria, about picking a new supreme court

but yesterday, supreme court justice john paul stevens announced he will retire at the end of this year's term. today on american and the courts, and look at the life and career of justice stevens. he talked about his 35 years on the high court after being nominated by president ford in 1975. america and the courts airs at 7:05 eastern on c-span. tonight, first lady michelle obama meets with students at the white house to talk about preventing childhood obesity. she is joined by c-span student camp winter matthew shimura. the first lady talked about eating healthy and reading food labels as she answered stevens questions. see it tonight at 9 eastern on c-span. >> this week, a three judge panel from a federal appeals court unanimously decided that the federal communications commission does not have the authority to regulate high-speed internet. on this edition of "book t"the communicators" we will talk with several guests. we'll talk with the ranking member of the house energy and commerce committee that holds jurisdiction over telecommunications matters. representative barton, were you su

supreme court justice john paul steven announced today he is retiring at the age of 90 this opens the way for the president to make his second appointment to the high escort. justice stevens has served on the court for the past 35 years widely considered the leader of the court's liberal bloc. he's not the only one making news. hours after we left michigan yesterday congressman bart stupak made this stunning announcement. >> last night and early this morning, i informed democratic leaders and key supporters that i would not seek reelection to congress. i will always serve the people of the first district. but i've chosen not to continue to serve as their congressman. >> sean: stupak [ inaudible ] could it be any clearer that stew -- that stupak is afraid of facing his constituents. tonight we are coming to you live from new orleans tonight. [ cheering ] >> [ inaudible ] michael steele, welcome! [ cheering ] >> who dat! >> sean: your reaction to just -- justice stevens. >> it gives the president an opportunity to show he is serious about the supreme court. do we have an activist left l

>> on sale date is may 1st. >> and kube, the book is called john paul stevens, an independent life. talking with publisher of northern illinois university press rep. sara hoerdeman when we learned as a nation in bad john paul stevens will step down at the and of the term. and you again. >> in queue. dave: professor laura broderick uncover of when jd comes marching home, who is that? >> that is sergeant joycelyn from a marine who went over to iraq leaving her one-year-old daughter behind and should only that she had a lot of new anxiety about going. chew on to say with her daughter at home but as soon as she got on the bus to go to cherry point and fly out she said the my mentality left me an corrine mentality hit me and i was ready to go to war. she really wants to redeploying and her mother is not crazy about that ids a your daughter has only one childhood, but as she told me you can always be but you will always get the opportunities as a marine. >> in your subtitle portraits of women in combat veterans, combat veterans? women have been allowed? >> everyone in the military knows w

first, will president obama's choice to replace john paul stevens on the supreme court be confirmed? then, will the senate ratify the new arms control treaty between the u.s. and russia? we'll get answers from lamar alexander, chairman of the senate republican conference, and independent joe lieberman, a senior member of the arms services committee. then a rising republican star talks about the president's agenda, the tea party movement, and more. congresswoman michele bachmann. only on "fox news sunday." and we'll ask our sunday panel if the president will look for a fight or try to avoid one with the supreme court nominee. all right now on "fox news sunday." hello again from fox news in washington. well, after the bruising fight over healthcare reform, the senate returns this week to a potential battle. a vacancy on the supreme court and arms control treaty with russia. joining us from the home states are two senate leaders. republican lamar alexander of tennessee, and independent joe lieberman of connecticut. gentlemen, let's start with the new opening on the supreme court with th

. >> who will president obama nominate to replace john paul stevens? >> we did not receive the miracle that we prayed for. we accounted for four miners that have been unaccounted for. >> rescue workers that hoped to find them alive in a refuge chamber found them dead instead. >> and we take you out to the yard for the o's home opener. "11 news saturday morning" starts now. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] >> welcome to "11 news saturday morning." i'm lisa robinson. >> and i'm jennifer franciotti. >> we have been spoiled. that weather we had there was totally unusual for april. it has happened. we have tied one, broke one, and came close to a couple records. >> i'm starting to feel like goldilocks -- its too hot! >> the afternoon highs should be right about where they should be this time of year, and maybe we won't be so spoiled. let's look at oir live h.d. doppler radar. it is a fair weather morning this morning. when i left the house, the clouds were scattered. there are no echos arneds us whatsoever. i want to take a trip up n

justice john paul stevens announced last week that he is retiring at the end of his term.the president plans to name a replacement quickly. here's rachel martin. >> reporter: the white house has confirmed a short list of possible nominees, including elena kagan, solicitor general, and former dean of harvard law school. and two sitting judges, meric garland, a moderate with conservative support. and diane wood, the most liberal of the bunch. senators must approve the nomination, and they were weighing in on the president's options. >> he wants somebody who has a sense of what real life is in america. >> reporter: but republicans fear that barack obama may opt for a liberal nominee with an activist bent. >> if we have a nominee that evidences a philosophy of judges know best, that they can amend the constitution by saying it has evolved, and effectuate agendas, then we're going to have a big fight about that. >> reporter: if that happens, senate republicans could choke off that nomination with a filibuster. >> i'm not going to take it off the table but i think it can easily

the supreme court replacement of john paul stevens? immigration reform?f financial regulatory reform? what do you think should be the focus? we will take your call. for republicans, 202-737-0001. stephen dinafor democrats, 202-. for independents, 202-628-0205. you can find this on e-mail, journal@c-span.org, as well as twitter, twitter.com/c-spanwj. let's take a look at a piece from "the washington post" today. "for gop activists and hopefuls, no time like the president's. there is a far different message coming out of new orleans this weekend. a host of potential candidates moved through during the three day gathering, sarah palin being the most prominent, although not necessarily the best received. buffeted by growing satisfaction with president george w. bush, moving from the midterm elections in which they ultimately lost control of the house and senate. this year, however, roughly 3000 activists have their eyes on 2010, as do the politicians. the energy and enthusiasm on display amongst republicans if they do not get distracted or divided." referenci

office less than two years, and now, he will have to nominate another supreme court justice after john paul stevens says he will retire after this summer. he turns 19 later this month. 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 nomin

supreme court justice john paul steven announced today he is retiring at the age of 90 this opens the way for the president to make his second appointment to the high escort. justice stevens has served on the court for the past 35 years widely considered the leader of the court's liberal bloc. he's not the only one making news. hours after we left michigan yesterday congressman bart stupak made this stunning announcement. >> last night and early this morning, i informed democratic leaders and key supporters that i would not seek reelection to congress. i will always serve the people of the first district. but i've chosen not to continue to serve as their congressman. >> sean: stupak [ inaudible ] could it be any clearer that stew -- that stupak is afraid of facing his constituents. tonight we are coming to you live from new orleans tonight. [ cheering ] >> [ inaudible ] michael steele, welcome! [ cheering ] >> who dat! >> sean: your reaction to just -- justice stevens. >> it gives the president an opportunity to show he is serious about the supreme court. do we have an activist left l

el juez de la suprema corte john paul stevens, anuncio hoy su jubilacion, dejandole al presidente barack obama una segunda vacante para ocupar en el maximo tribunal de estados unidos... stevens dijo que se retirara al comenzar el receso de verano de la corte, a fines de junio o principios de julio, y expreso sus esperanzas de que su sucesor sea confirmado con bastante anticipacion al comienzo del proximo periodo judicial en octubre... grupos hispanos esperan que el sucesor del juez stevens comparta su vision en interpretar las leyes... "la voz y el puesto de este juez stevens en la corte suprema ha ido desenvolviendose a una politica mas liberal, entonces el trabajo que tiene el presidente obama ahora es remplazarle a este juez con un juez o jueza que lleve los mismos principios, la misma politica progresiva liberal, entonces no creo que esto va a causar un desiquilibrio en el balance de la corte ahora" stevens, quien es el integrante con mas edad de la corte, cumplira 90- aÑos el 20- de abril y rumores de su retiro circulaban desde hace meses.... tres jovenes miembros de la pa

season -- justice john paul stevens. 11:00 a.m. on c-span. >> president obama has promised to nominate a supreme court justice with "similar qualities" to john paul stevens, who announced his retirement. the president says he hopes to have the new justice installed before the court's next term. the president also commented on the coal mine explosion in west virginia that killed at least 25 workers. >> good afternoon, everybody. i want to say a few words about the tragedy that took place this week in west virginia. before i do, i would like to comment on the news that justice john paul stevens will retire from the supreme court at the end of his current term. when president ford was faced with a supreme court vacancy while the supreme -- while the nation was still recovering from the watergate scandal, he wanted up nominee who was pragmatic and committed to justice, integrity, and the rule of law. he found that nominee in that john paul stevens. justice stevens has courageously served his country from the moment he enlisted the day

just as john paul stevens saying is he expected to retire during president obama's tenure.departure would allow president obama to keep the balance with at least four liberal leaning justices. stevens is one of the court's longest serving justices ever with more than 34 years on the court. and on this day, 1860, the precursor to the modern postal system, the pony express was born. a lone horseman will set off from saint joseph, missouri carrying a deliver for sacramento, california a journey more than 1800 miles. before pony express deliveries of any kind took about a month or even longer. the pony's express of riders and relay stations were able to cut that to just 10 days but the speedy service came at a price. 5 bucks a letter or about $100 if you physician figure it out for today's cash much the express didn't last long but it did serve as the basis for the u.s. postal service. it started with a single rider 150 years ago today. well, you know the news as fox reports this saturday april 3rd, 2010. i'm harris faulkner in for julie banderas who is on maternity leave. we w

thanks to john paul stevens, he was wrong. congressman bart stupak made himself famous for almost derailing health care reform. he announced he would not be running for reelection this year. >> last night and early this morning, i informed democratic leaders and key supporters that i would not seek reelection to congress. now it's time to spend a little more time with my wife laurie who we've been married for 36 years and whose love and commitment has sustained me through the years. with our son ken and his family and my extended family and friends. >> according to the washington post, mr. stupak made the financial decision at the final four in indianapolis last weekend. congressman stupak served nine terms representi ining michigan upper peninsula. and he's given democrats a good chance of holding on to his seat. >> i think we've tilted this district. i've seen the republican field and obviously i'm not impressed. >> stupak says threatening calls made to him had no impact on his decision. he also does not attribute his retire

>> be on sale date is may 1st. >> thanks for talking with us to read the book is john paul stevens and independent life, and we are talking with publisher number illinois press sara hoerdeman found out that he will be stepping down from term. thank you. >> thank you. ..

supreme court justice john paul stevens is retiring. susan estrich clerked for justice stevens.san joins us live. good evening susan. >> hi greta! >> greta: looks like things are exciting in your old stomping ground of the supreme court. is this going to be a big battle for the president or not? >> well, i think he's gonna make a very smart choice and pick somebody who is imminently confirmable and the republicans won't be able to say no. >> greta: they lost their filibuster-proof senate. have any bearing on any choice that the president might want to makers have us is what he ends up making? >> well, i think, you know there has been a tradition of treating supreme court justices with a little more respect, certainly letting them get on a committee and come to a vote on the floor. and i think there are at least a few republicans who if he picks someone like kagan, wood or garland would hopefully support that nominee. i think it is unfortunate. i think you would agree this politicalization of judicial nominees to the point that highly qualified people become unconfirmable is just

. >>> plus, justice john paul stevens leaving the supreme court but giving president obama a second person pick. who is on the short list? >>> time for raw politics. the possible end of the palin era. stevens turns 90 this month. this means, of course, president obama has a major decision to make and, of course, question is who will fill his seat? >>> also in new orleans, sarah palin gave a speech packed with smiles and sarcasm at the southern republican leadership conference drawing a standing ovation. she blasted the president for rewriting the nuclear defense policy, something reagan talked about and obama responded on "good morning america" and said the last time he checked she was no expert. today palin responded. >> i have no response to that the last i checked sarah palin is not much of an expert on nuclear issues. if the secretary of defense and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff are comfortable with it, i'm probably going to take my advice from them and not from sarah palin. >> now, the president with all the vast nuclear experience that he acquired as a community organize

justice john paul stevens was appointed to the court in 175. but days before turning 90, he decided it was time to go. in a letter to the president, stevens said he felt it would be in the court's best interest to have a successor appointed before his next term this fall. >> while we cannot replace justice stevens' experience or wisdom, i will seek someone in the coming weeks with similar qualities. and independent mind and record of excellence and integrity. dedication to the rule of law. >> reporter: this will now be the second court appointment for president obama after the selection of justice sonia sotomayor. 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 wi

busse justice john paul stevens said in recent interviews he'll leakly step down from the bench at some point during the obama presidency. considered to be the liberal wing of the supreme court, speculation over his retirement began last september but now it is red-hot. influential senators from both sides of the aisle entering the frey. as you probably know are the senate must ultimately clear the president's supreme court nominee. caroline shively has more from washington. >> and it's a pair of interviews this weekend and other times, say john paul stevens could potentially make an announcement as early as this month that he's officially stepping down. stevens turns 90 on april 20th, the second oldest justice in the court's history after oliver wendell holmes. and gerald ford appointed him in 1975. plus, stevens is a liberal and this would give the president the ability to keep the ideological balance of the court. the break down five conservatives to conservatives leaners, one if he left by the fall term, he hired only one law clerk instead of the usual four. he told, i to have to cu

he found that nominee in john paul stevens. justice stevens has done this since the moment he enlisted from the day before pearl harbor. during the tenure, he has stood as an impartial guardian of the law. he has worn the judicial will -- broke with honor -- the judicial robe with honor. he will soon turn 90 this month. his leadership will be sorely missed. i had an opportunity to speak with him and i told him that on behalf of a grateful nation that i thank him for his service. justice stevens expressed to me in a letter that it is in the best interest of the supreme court to have a successor appointed and confirmed before the next term begins. i will move quickly to name a nominee as i did with just a sudden my door. -- with justice sotomayor. while we cannot replace justice stevens' experience or wisdom, i will seek someone with similar qualities. an independent mind, a record of excellence, integrity and acres dedication to the rule of law and a keen understanding of how the law affects the lives of the american people. it