please welcome back to the program justice sandra day o'connor. nice to see you. >> glad to be here. >> jon: the book is called "out of order." what was your purpose in this book, in putting this particular book together? >> telling the stories about how the court works and giving people a glimpse into some of the things. >> jon: it's hard to imagine the pressure that a justice might feel when you are dealing with as we talked about earlier some of the biggest issues of our day. >> yes. >> jon: of racism and discrimination and the franchise. >> right. >> jon: does that weight -- do you feel that when you are deciding those cases? >> you certainly do because you really want to make the correct decision and bring some order out of our various statutes and constitutional provisions and the pris precedence of the court itself. it's hard sometimes. >> jon: you wrote brown versus board of education may be the most important decision. >> it was very important to us as a nation. >> jon: when they made that decision was it a difficult sphwhun do people fee

a couple of months ago former justice sandra day o'connor did a interview in "parade" magazine of all places in which she was asked about public approval ratings for supreme court justices. public approval of the justices had dropped from something like two-thirds, roughly 66% in the late 1980s down to 44% now. justice o'connor responded by saying she thought that drop was disturbing, and that, quote, i think bush v. gore may have been a turning point. she publishes a remarkable photograph that have i not seen anywhere else before i saw it in this book. it's taken on inauguration day this 2001. justice o'connor, her husband on the right, justice scalia and chief justice rehnquist are waiting for the inauguration of george w. bush to start. an inauguration made possible by virtue of the decision bush v. gore. and i just find the looks on their faces and the overall mood of this photograph to be amazing. so how does the country look from the perspective of an unreviewable panel that is charged not with arbiting public opinion, but as our country grows older and changes. how do they see

justice o'connor, thank you so much for being here. >> well, i'm glad to be here with you, thank you. >> i know that you cannot discuss the legal particulars of any matters that are still before the court. but am i asking an appropriate question here? is it worth considering how changing political views, changing social mores are felt within the court? >> well, the members of the court are human beings. they read the newspaper and they probably watch a little of the news from time to time. they're not immune or restricted from being aware of what is going on around them. but i certainly think they are conscious about not letting that determine their decisions. they're not running a popularity contest there against other government actors at all. they're trying to do what they are there to do, which is determine the law as it affects certain questions that the court has agreed to resolve. so i think that's determinative for them, not public opinion. and i don't think the court does or should be governed by public opinion on how an issue should be resolved or whether to take a case. >>

and so does the o'connor family. they are getting married this summer. >> i felt like my kid was sto stolen. we're too old to have kids. this is our baby. >> reporter: and tonight their baby is finally home. and there is a court date set but it's up to the d.a.'s office if it will move forward with the prosecution. to the shelter's noknowledge, a this is the first time it's happened and they're updating security measures to make sure it doesn't happen again. >> okay, stephanie, thanks so much. >>> all right. guess what, the pizza delivery man just showed up from the weather department, our own jeff ranieri, who has been moonlighting in petaluma. >> the petaluma national little leaguers having some pizza, a precelebration of opening day which is going to be happening tomorrow. more on that coming up. petaluma at 77. gilroy topped out at 76. sunnyvale 74 and 72 in foster city. well above average and also record setting. a real awesome way to end the workweek. get ready. here come the changes. temperatures dropping in t

[laughter] i happily attended stanford law school but in the process i met my husband to be john o'connor and he was a year behind me in moscow and we decided to get married and i graduated you both like to eat that met one of us would have to work and that was me. i thought no problem there were at least 40 notices from law firms and california saying law graduates we would be happy to talk to about job opportunities. give us a call. there were 40 different messages. i would call every month not a single one would even give me an interview. why? because we don't hire women. that was the way it was. i got out about 1952 but isn't that amazing? they wouldn't even talk and i really did need to get a job. [laughter] i heard the county attorney from redwood city once had a woman lawyer on the staff and i thought that was encouraging. unaided appointment. in california they elect the county attorney. so he gave me an appointment he was very ninth set -- nice and agreeable and did say he had a woman on his staff and she did well and he would be happy to have another. i had a good resonate and i

supreme court justice sandra day o'connor presents a history of the high court and profiles several of its former justices. .. >> what's the matter? right into it? oh, dear. now can you hear better? i actually didn't get an offer for my first job so let's just get the introduction changed a little bit. [laughter] i happily attended stanford law school, and in the process, i met my husband to be, john o'connor, and he was a year behind me in law school. we decided to get married, and i graduated from the law school and we both liked to eat, and that meant one of us is going to have to work come in since i was out of law school, that was me. and i thought no problem getting a job. there were at least 40 notices on stanford's bulletin board at the law school, from law firms in california saying stanford law graduates, we have this, we would be happy to talk to you about job opportunities, give us a call. there were 40 different messages from different law firms in california on the bulletin board. so i called every one of those notices. not a single one would even give me an interview. i

our most treasured possession sandra day o'connor. >> yes.y, that seems to be a good idea that reflects the changing demographics of the country. >> i think the body of the federal judges is very small, and what we want is quality. we want competence in the judges. i don't think we're looking for diversity as such. i think we're looking for competence, talented judges. >> but how many of them are -- you've got a whole bunches of judges who came from one of the -- two of the same law schools. >> i think we've seen harvard, yale even stanford partly represented, and we receive more diversity of law schools than we did for a while. >> all right. justice sandra day o'connor "out of bounds" -- "out of order." you're never out of order. >> you can keep that. >> thank you. >> don't lose it. >> i won't. thank you. >> "out of order" goes on sale tomorrow. oury hp yy yy eye-opening series goes on all week. the founder of angie's list angie hicks and caroline kennedy. >>> "forbes" magazine has a list of the most richest. carlos slim microsoft bill gates

. >> imus: sandra day o'connor, michigan could, with a certain alchemy, if you will of considerations, bring race into their evaluation. >> as one factor, not a full factor. that is right. but immediately after the decision ten years ago, michigan passed a proposition much like california, saying, no, we don't want this. and, now it is -- a similar issue, before the supreme court. >> does affirmative action go down, this time, chris? >> just o'connor said it was a time limited thing and at some point would be deemed not necessary and i would say the election of the first african-american president and one to -- the second term in office, might indicate that the country had changed some in the last decade. >> what say you, juan? >> you know... >> does the court talk like that? what say you? >> i don't know! you know, i have friends out there but they don't talk like that when i'm seeing 'em. i would say that you know, this is a question that the court should decide, lou. because to me, we have a history in this country, you could say, i close my eyes to race. i don't see lou dobbs as w

last night in a rare exclusive interview, o'connor told rachel maddow public opinion does not effect the justices. >> the members of the court are human beings, they read the newspaper and probably watch a little of the news from time to time. they're not immune or restricted from being aware of what's going on around them. but i certainly think they are conscious about not letting that determine their decisions. they're not running a popularity contest. >> the supreme court is currently deciding on the defense of marriage act and california's proposition 8. >>> and ellen degeneres wrote a serious blog post in support of gay marriage but also questioned the legal use of the word briefs, writing "why would judges want all that underwear." and after a quick talk to some people i found out what a brief was. >>> jeb bush talked to chuck todd about immigration and his position not to support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. you can see the entire interview at 9:00 a.m. >>> joe scarborough discussed america's fiscal challenges with paul krugman and charlie rose, part o

supreme court, sandra day o'connor.of order, stories from the history of the supreme court." and you, sir, are out of order. it is such an honor. >> thank you. >> it's fascinating, listening to ronald reagan, mike, you remember when that happened, it was such a great day, but what was even more remarkable about your career is it wasn't just because you were a woman that you made history. you were once called the most powerful woman in america because you were such a -- >> that's an exaggeration. >> you were a crucial swing vote on the court. >> not really. >> come on. >> there are only nine, you know. so you've got to have five. >> right, and a lot of times you were the fifth. >> or maybe i was the first. i don't know how you count them. >> do you think joe is exaggerating by saying you were one of the most powerful women? >> well -- >> jeffrey rosen said it. i didn't make it up. a lot of other people said that. >> the supreme court is important in american life, and it has to decide a lot of critical issues that affect

i'm pleased to have justice sandra day o'connor back at this table. welcome. >> thank you, it's good to be here. >> rose: business first. >> all right. >> rose: business first. you gave me this. >> i did. >> rose: when i saw you a couple days ago. >> i did. >> rose: and you're not getting it back. >> no, i didn't expect to. >> rose: but i have this one which has my name on it. so i'm giving it -- >> is that right. >> rose: that's exactly right. >> but this is weathered and has a name. >> rose: that's why i wants to you have it. >> and gold on it. >> rose: that's another reason i want you to have it. >> all right. i'm arneed indeed. thank you. >> rose: everybody needs a constitution. >> yes, they do i. because it's the fundamental of our country. it's the basis of our government. >> rose: yes. >> i just think everybody needs to know about it, what it does. and take it around so that we know you take it seriously. and i just think it's important to have one with you. >> rose: keep you in touch about what makes this country. >> absolutely. >> rose: you'v

sandra day o'connor.ichigan could come up with a surge in alchemy if you will of considerations bring race into the evaluation. >> as one factor, not a full factor. but immediately after this decision to in years ago michigan passed a proposition much like california saying, no, we don't want this. now it's a similar issue before the supreme court. lou: affirmative-action go down this time? >> well, as we remember, justice o'connor said that this was a time limited thing in that some point it woulddbe deemed not necessary. i would certainly say that the election of the first african-american president and is second term in office might indicate that the country has chased some in the last decade. lou: what say you? >> you know. [laughter] >> i don't know. we have some friends out there, but they don't talk like that when i'm around. i would say that this is a question that the courts should decide. bbcause to me we have a story in this country. you can say, i close my eyes to race. i don't see him as a wh

. >> that's exactly right sandra day o'connor, the last case that was herd, she said in 25 years thise necessary, but in the states that have passed these laws, michigan being one of eight -- have decided it's not necessary anymore. the laws giving previous rep shall treatment based on race, ethnicity is not necessary. >> is that the state usurping the federal government? >> that's the argue. >> in california the appeals court has upheld this, which is another reason why the supreme court is going to hear it. you have two pel las courts with different decisions. >> you look at the history. seems as if this is -- was an inorganic movement. you had one of the architects, a big supporter of the california proposition that heather is referring to, who came on out and started supporting this, mobilized people in the state of michigan, along with jennifer, who wasn't happy with the u.s. supreme court, also a part of this. so it seems somewhat inauthentic, passed with not the majority you thought it would pass with. so it's questionable. >> 58%. you have to imagine would include some racial

we have to engage the sandra day o'connor arguments. she says one day 25 years from now we will not have to have these race issues because everybody will be happy and nobody will be treated differently. i do not see it coming. i see it going the other way. should african-americans stick with the democratic party in the community's interests are being ignored? could they get more attention of the consent throwing their support elsewhere it? week, reince priebus was standing when you are standing say he wants to get more votes from minority communities. >> let me say this. here is the thing. it is a little bit too late for that dam bit. gambit.ot do it -- that you can do it. republicans ignore us and democrats take us for granted. that is locked in stone. that is brazen, bare knuckled politics. the primariest in to get there, to be elected, but thehe general election, electoral college is controlled by the swing states and that is not where we are. we do not have the kind of leverage to do that. i often talk to the congressional black cau

i have sandra day o'connor coming on tomorrow. i'm nervous.if you don't mind let me work out some of the stuff i was going to ask her on you. >> fine. >> jon: first of all judge -- do i still refer to you as judge? >> call me sandy. [laughter] >> jon: um, ah, -- [laughter] >> don't be nervous. >> jon: thank you, sandy, i appreciate that sandy, you were the first woman selected for the supreme court. that was an enormous honor but also enormous responsibility. how did you handle that? >> as best i could. i just wanted to be respectful of the position, clearly a very important, maybe the most important court. >> jon: right. >> [laughter] >> and ah -- [laughter] and when i first got there -- >> jon: it is one of the most important courts. >> when i got there john stevens and i went out for an all-night bender. >> jon: wait, what? you and stevens -- he really took you under his wing to some extent? >> yes, yes. >> jon: what did rehnquist when you got there? >> you know he would always give me the cold shoulder. i don't know what i did to the guy.

it was great fun and my friends were jimmy flynn, paddy o'connor. my siblings married the shenny's and i almost married a catherine finerin but it didn't work out. i have a nephew, sean patrick mcflynn. i always question myself because my writing about the irish is really my writing about myself coming to the united states and coming into contact with the united states so consequently my puerto rican friends, and some of my irish friends, although they were more circumspect, what are you doing writing about the irish? i'm writing about the united states. the irish are more interesting. they had to put up with colonialism, just as puerto rico is a colony of the united states. i also respect the fact that they have a facility with language, which i also enjoy. consequently, i wondered why this attraction to the irish. in 2004, the university of puerto rico asked me to come there and lecture and read. i immediately called my favorite cousin, and she said, what are you doing here? i told her and i said, please come to the reading, i have a book for you.

that's why. [ applause ] and the -- and the former san diego mayor, a woman named maureen o'connor, toldederal prosecutors that she went broke after gambling more than a billion dollars she inherited from her late husband. she gambled away a billion dollars at casinos playing video poker. >> rickey: wow. [ light laughter ] >> jay: a billion dollars. but to be fair, atne point, she was up 300 bucks. [ laughter ] so i got to give her -- you know, i got to say it wasn't all -- it wasn't a total loss. [ applause ] and former chicago congressman jesse jackson, jr. pled guilty today to misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars of campaign funds for his own personal use. including buying a

. >> reporter: o'connor thought he would never see opi again. >> we thought he was probably low priorityeporter: but the investigation began immediately leading to craigslist ad. >> for $350. >> reporter: 24 hours later the two suspects, a 19-year-old fremont man and a new york minor, came half to face with a dozen fremont detective who is set up a sting operation at a bank parking lot yesterday morning. >> then all of a sudden the other detectives' car rolls up. there's four detectives there and the guy says, fremont police. >> reporter: opi agrees and so does his new family. evette and dave are getting married this summer. >> this is our baby. >> reporter: and tonight their baby is finally home. stephanie trong, nbc bay area news. >>> meteorologist rob mayeda is here with a feel-good story depending on the forecast you like. if you like it wet it is nice. >> if you want short-term allergy relief you'll be happy we have rain drops as early as tonight. right now we have 50s to mid-60s outside. still pretty mild in livermore after temperatures in the 70s. 65 right now. by the way, high te

they'll talk to former supreme court justice sandra day o'connor. that's it. for watching faips the nation. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org (woman) 3 days of walking to give a breast cancer survivor a lifetime-- that's definitely a fair trade. it was such a beautiful experience. (jessica lee) ♪ and it's beautiful ♪ (woman) why walk 60 miles in the boldest breast cancer event in history? because your efforts help komen serve millions of women and men facing breast cancer every year. visit the3day.org to register or to request more information today. it was 3 days of pure joy. ♪ and it's beautiful ♪ >>> you don't think it was justified? >> absolutely not. >> the police and communities on edge after a series of police shootings it this weekend. the latest this morning. why officers say they had to open fire on a car trying to get away. >>> good evening. >>> the most recent police shooting in the bay area was in haywood. one person is dead, another under arrest. it happened early this morning near fletcher lane a

sandra day o'connor has one of the best statement. in every society, there have to be a safe place. in a democracy, that is a place that is the courts. we have to have the average citizen talking about how they want to preserve that save space in our society and talk to their legislatures, because there is a view among legislators, not all of them, but many, that the courts are another agency. it is not another agency. it is a co-equal branch of government but is necessary to protect our fundamental liberty, and to be such a branch, it needs adequate funding. when they say we have an economic crisis, we do have an economic crisis. there is no question about that. don't put the courts as another library for another road. it is not. it is the basis why we today enjoy our freedom. we have got to make that clearly understood. every time you talked legislator, every time you have an opportunity to talk to a civic group, you need to make that distinction. >> thank you. the next question from the audience, if you could choose only one reform of the american justice system, what would it be

because samuel aly theow has succeeded sandra day o'connor and he's more conservative on a lot of things than she is on social policy. it's a group that tends to move incrementally anyway. look at what was being asked here. major constitutional rights. doyle: let me ask a quick practical question. if the court does what it says you're going to do -- what you say it's going to do, does that mean that a gay couple that gets married in new york city and then moves to salt lake city, where they don't have gay marriage, is going to be operating under two different sets of laws at the same time? >> two things about that. number one, it's well to remember that if the court does strike down doma, it only applies in the states that have already allowed same-sex marriage. other states don't have to grant. it but the answer to your question is, nobody knows. >> to remind everybody, just nine states and district of columbia allow it and there will really be a patchwork of benefits for people if the court goes the way we think it's going to go. doyle: ok, thank you. there's also been striking movemen

o'connor she is coordinator for the kids rights to read project at national coalition against censorship thank you so much for joining me so why this book. why this book i really wish i could tell you i think that there's been unfortunately a complete lack of transparency and goeth before the ban and when the ban was first handed down and then afterwards when the school was backtracking to try and decide what it excuse what excuse it would use and it finally settled on this panel in the book that does the pick a man who was a family friend of the main character being tortured and then ultimately murdered but that is something that obviously goes hand in hand was evolution and it's portrayed in a very almost quieter sanitary way in the book and the book has many affecting parts and i think that as your reporter rightly noted chicago public school students have seen their share of violence and this just book i'm sure is nothing shocking or alarming to them now the book's author claims that torture in this book is limited to one frame and that children these days are exposed to much more gr

materialism is appropriate and including their teachers and students in that conversation that was acacia o'connor carbonator at the kids' right to read project at the national coalition against censorship. well most of us have learned by now that posting something on the internet is more powerful than ordinary ink even if you delete it copies can surface years later congressman anthony weiner found this out the hard way when he accidentally tweeted out a picture of his genital region to the world but even that horror story hasn't prevented people from going over the line online across the country employees are using their twitter as a place to vent about their jobs and their bosses but a new internet application called fire me can actually track what people are saying about their bosses to explain more about this app and a few other digital developments digital media specialist ashton moore joined me earlier he began by explaining what exactly this fire is all about so the fire me is actually following everybody if we treat tweet right now it will show up on the live web application and its websi

eastern with sandra day o'connor in her book out of order. stories from the history of the supreme court. as a booktv.org for more information on this weekend television schedule. >> you are watching booktv on c-span2. coming up next, fiona deans hallora recounts the life of thomas nast. a regular contributor to harvard weekly, he made the donkey and the elephant the symbols of the the political parties in our country. this is about 40 minutes. [inaudible conversations] >> good evening. welcome to the historical society. i want to thank you for joining us tonight. what i know will be a very interesting program. "thomas nast." he is the father of political cartoons. i want to thank you for being here. this is the first time in a while that we have had the ability to start an evening program. i appreciate you coming in and bring with us. our mission is to preserve and tell the history and culture. we have a really nice cartoon collection here. we have one example that our speaker might have time to point to later. if we have any additional ques

of order: stories from the history of the supreme court," former supreme court justice sandra day o'connor presents a history of the high court and profiles several former justices. former president george h.w. bush presents an updated edition of his personal correspondences in "all the best: george bush, my life in letters and other writings." in "the secretary: a journey with hillary clinton from beirut to the heart of the american power," kim ghattas presents a firsthand account of hillary clinton's tenure as secretary of state. mary robinson, the first woman president of ireland recounts her life in "everybody matters." in "the end of power: from boardrooms to battlefields and churches to state, why being in charge isn't what it used to be," the former editor-in-chief of foreign policy argues that power has become easier to obtain but also easier to lose. look for these titles in bookstores this coming week and watch for the authors in the near future on booktv and on booktv.org. >> i was fascinated by her feminist view, you know in remember the ladies, you're going to be in trouble. i

and we conclude tonight's prime time programming at 11 eastern with sandra day o'connor. her book is "out of order." visit booktv.org for more on this weekend's television schedule. >> here's a look at some books that are being published this week. bioethicist ezekiel emanuel recounts his upprescriptioning and how his immigrant parents produced three successful children including his brother rahm emanuel and ari emanuel, a hollywood agent, in "brothers emanuel." in "those angry days: roose svelte, lindbergh and america's fight over world war ii, lynne olson recounts world war ii. jeff chu presents his thoughts on religion and gay rights in "does jesus really love me: a gay christian's pilgrimage in search of god in america." in "forecast: what physics, meetology and science can teach us," mark buchanan explains how the ebb and flow of markets and the economy can relate to numerous fields of science. look for these titles in bookstores this coming week and watch for the authors in the near future on booktv and booktv.org. >> betty friedan's "the feminine mystique" was publ

in "out of order", stories and history of the supreme court, justice sandra day o'connor presents a history of the high court and profiles several former justices. and former president george h. w. bush presents an updated edition of his correspondences in "all the best, george bush." my life in letters and other writings. and in the secretary, a journey from beirut, state department correspondent for the bbc presents a firsthand account of hillary clinton and her tenure as secretary of state. and the first woman president of everybody matters, mary robinson talks about politics and foreign policy. look for the titles and watch for the authors in the near future on booktv and booktv.org. >> this book is about liberals, not democrats who are often not that much different from republicans in many respects. this book is dedicated to that peculiar brand of american who self identifies as a liberal, lives life as a liberal and wishes more of us in america would live like liberals. you like michael moore. think of the masters degree and wearing a headband at your local whole foods store. you get

the going to oppose affirmative-action again or are we getting near the ceiling that senator day o'connorward on the last ruling the she made as a justice? >> i think we are getting nearer. he read what happened in the university of texas case, the university of michigan case said that race can be a factor to be considered unrealistic approach. would be surprised if it wipes that out. i think that they are going to overturn the sixth circuit decision because i thought it was a little bit of a legal and factual. [indiscernible] where they will minorities would be treated equally. i think that was a little bit iffy, but i do not think you will see affirmative-action. >> i do. i think it's going to be gone. an opportunity to do that. an equal protection argument from the other side. lou: it seems like there is some symmetry. good vibrations around this. in know, if they're going to overturn the other two this seems it is incumbent in the sense of what was a check up. the equity of all, the equity in all things which would be, this would seem, the perfect case for it. i'm sorry. it's great ha

i think the assumption that seems to frame all of this for the moderate swing or the court like o'connore and kennedy now, there's not some horizon to which we're marching that somehow that invalidates. it seems that things that are good that can prevent bad things from happening as long as -- >> to protect them from bad things as long as there are bad things happening. >> one of the worst things she could have done is put that number out there. >> 25 years. >> 25 years, because people are counting down. unfortunately in this case, you have justice roberts who says, no, actually, it's less than 25 because we have a black man in the white house. >> it's a preposterous thing to litigate. debo adegbile who just argued in shelby versus holder. joining us from selma, alabama commemorating the 40th anniversary. we thank you so much. >> with the supreme court 30 years, dale ho from the litigation team. judith browne-dianis and akhil amar. we learned a lot. >>> top chef joins us to talk about the intersection of food culture and hungser. that's next. tonight's dare? give your hair some beauty sl