there was nobody i knew growing up in the south bronx that wanted their child to fail. i didn't meet someone who says i'm going to do everything i can to stop the child from making it but there were other parents who didn't know how to help their child succeed, and they had come upon a set of strategies mostly a round behavior. i want you to keep quiet. i want you to act flight. i want you to look nice and that's not what they enforced as a set of values on their children. and my mother was always -- part of his life and we were very poor gerdemann caps of things like hair cuts were hard to get. so here i am, 11 and i haven't had a hair cut in six weeks and by complaining to my mother and she would say it's not what's on your head, it's what's in your head and i would want to say yeah, but would be nice to have what's in my head looking better than it does. but these constant value issues they would reinforce over and over and over again -- my grandmother would always say because she was poor and i didn't want to be poor, and my grandmother was one of those kind of peop

she grew up in the south bronx, i grew up in east harlem. she is hispanic, i was going in cuba. so the many things we both were looking to accomplish have cultures, all of that, were very much in line. i think the family values that we shared were also very much in line. so -- and this was someone who took academics quite seriously, as i did. all that made her a figure i thought was approachable, felt comfortable speaking with, and i really respected what she had to offer. >> so we can understand, how many minorities might there had been at the school at that time? >> >> if you take a combination of the african-american and hispanic populations, it was probably to about 10% of the student body in total. >> what impact did that have at that period of time in the american life? >> well, for us, it was in tactful. clearly, the spellman experience was a different experience. we could talk about that later, but it did focus bus -- focus on different issues. clubs were formed to participate in. a hispanic club, an african- american club. and some issues, clearly the student body was v

. >> reporter: sonia sotomayor's experience began in a housing project in the south bronx, where dreams can be big, but possibilities can seem small. >> to find out that, you know, somebody's actually made it out here is exciting. >> reporter: she was a first-generation american, the daughter of puerto rican immigrants, a father with a third-grade education who worked in a factory. a mother who worked as a nurse. sotomayor read nancy drew and wanted to be a homicide detective, but she was diagnosed with diabetes when she was 8 and told that meant she could not be a cop. a year after the diagnosis, her father died. left alone to raise two children, sotomayor's mother worked six days a week. >> i have often said that i am all i am because of her. ♪ >> reporter: if police work was out, she found an alternative, watching "perry mason." >> i'm sorry, your honor, i have no further questions. >> reporter: sonia sotomayor wanted to be a lawyer. she excelled in school, valedictorian in high school on a scholarship to princeton, she graduated summa cum laude and phi beta kappa. and then yale law

i grew up in the south bronx when children like myself, poor children born to a single mother, literally didn't have a chance. we were doing everything we could to try to change that dynamic. in the end, if we didn't do it, that was fine. let paul tell people that but let him tell people it is important that we not stop trying to figure out how we solve this equation. if we couldn't do it, leave it to someone younger, smaller, more talented but we have got to do it. i was prepared for whatever the end of the story turned out to be. i thought it was important to someone it was going to write about the challenges of this work, because children like victor jr. face a series of obstacles. you heard some of the challenges, families trying to stay together, housing is an issue, food is an issue, the father not getting arrested for something he does or doesn't do is an issue. these things impact the child. that piece was going on, i was raising my wife -- my wife and i were raising our fourth child. i will tell you the difference between having a stable home, enough income, true loving parents

guns concealed in a backpack, in a suitcase and bring them and sell them on the streets of the south bronxor central brooklyn, bring them to central park were queens and our local police would have their hands tied. so one of the points only to make my colleagues about this amendment is in danger is not only the citizenry but our police officers. today at about this time the mayor of the city of new york and a police commissioner will be speaking out against this proposal and our police commissioner is particularly upset because his job is the safety of police officers. a police officer of stop someone in a car and now have the safety and sanctity of mines to no wobble that if that person has a gun in their car it has been approved by the new york city police department. there are people that needed guns for self-defense or other purposes. after this law passes the have no such peace of mind, no such statement. in fact, they have no way. imagine you are a police officer and saw someone they could be from 47 different states with 47 different requirements were and you are responsible to fig

a child of the south bronx with 17 years experience on the federal bench. >> she understands it is not one law for one race or another. there is only one law. >> critics express concern about rulings on gun rights and discrimination cases. and took aim at the 2001 statement that a wise latino woman could get a better outcome than a white man. >> many suggest she may allow or embrace decision making based on her biass and prejudices. >> well you can see more of judge sotomayor's statements by logging onto foxbaltimore.com and clicking on "raw news". >> also on capitol hill, house democrats want what they call wealthy americans to help fund president obama's plan for universal health care. one idea calls for a surtax for individuals earning $280,000 a year. and couples earning more than 350,000. but many republicans and moderate democrats oppose the higher tax, and senator barbara mikulski from maryland is voicing concern. >> there is a fiscal challenge to pay for the expansion of health care to 47 million people. before we start with the t word, in taxes, i want to start with the q word

child of the south bronx with 17 year experience on the federal bench. >> she ups not one law for one race or another. only one law. >>reporter: critic express concern about her rulings on gun rights and discrimination cases. they also took aim at the 2001 statement that a wise latino woman could reach a better conclusion than a white man. >> many of the judge public statements suggest she may indeed allow or even embrace decision-making based on her by as and prejudice. >>reporter: starting tomorrow it is question time and things are going to get whole lot tougher for her. hearings to last for a couple of days. live on capitol hill. back to you. >> what types of questions should she expect tomorrow? can't be as contentious a robert bork or clarence thomas. what is she expecting tomorrow? >>reporter: perhaps not that contentious. you do bring up a good point. republicans have to strike a happy medium between asking the tough questions they want to ask on issues like race. case overturned by the s supreme court brought by a group of firefighters. they acknowledge they don't want to ali

. >> reporter: edward thom is a hands on principal, working in new york city's south bronx, an area trying escape its reputation for street gangs, shootings and drug dealers. bronx science and math is a magnet school founded four years ago with thomas its first principal. many of the students come from low-income families and have been told by other schools they'll never succeed. thom brought in a regime of confidence -- >> good, go into class. >> reporter: punctuality, a dress code and insisted homework be done on time. >> he also introduced the kid to classes which broadened their outlook on the world. in fact, being an educator is a new world forthom. 12 years ago he worked as a men's clothe buyer at saks fifth avenue. he quit to go into teaching. >> i read somewhere where you took a 50% pay cut at the time. >> qua. >> what did your friends think? >> that i totally lost it. >> recently he got a big payback for his efforts when 84% of the first ever senior class at bronx science and math graduated. by the way, the graduation rate for the rest of the bronx is 52%. how important is mr. tho

reporter: by now, sotomayor's biography is familiar: born to puerto rican parents and raised in a south bronx housing project by her widowed mother, she graduated with high honors from princeton university and was a member of the "law review" at yale law school. she has served as a new york prosecutor, a trial judge, and an appellate court judge, and would be the first hispanic justice on the supreme court. white house officials and senate democrats have portrayed sotomayor as a moderate jurist. >> she respects the rule of law. that's what our judicial system is all about, our system of justice. she deserves a fair and impartial hearing. >> reporter: but republicans remain skeptical. >> is she allowing her personal or political agenda to cloud her judgment and favor one group of individuals over another, regardless of what the law says? >> reporter: recent polling suggests a narrow majority of americans view sotomayor favorably, although opinions tend to break along party lines. amy walter is editor-in-chief of the "hotline," "national journal's" political daily. >> if you're a republican, yo

and while you were watching perry mason in the south bronx with your mom and your brother and i was watchinglks and my brother and here we are today. and i'm -- i'm asking you questions because you have been nominated to be a justice for the united states supreme court. i think that's pretty cool. as i said in my opening statement, i see these proceedings as both in a way to take a judgment of you and of any nominees suited for the high court, but also as a way for african-americ to learn about the court and its impact on their lives. right now, people are getting more and more of their information on the internet. newspapers and television, blogs and radio. americans are getting all of it online. it plays a central role in our democracy by allowing anyone with the computer connected to the internet to publish their ideas, their thoughts, their opinions and reach a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions of people in seconds. this is free speech. and this is essential to our democracy and to democracy. we saw this in iran. not long ago. now, judge, you're familiar with supreme court's 200

she was raised by her mother, a nurse, in the south bronx.e her mother, sonia sotomayor worked hard. she graduated valedictorian of her class at a high school in new york. she was a member of just a third class at princeton university in which women were included. she continued to work hard, including reading classics unavailable to her when she was younger and engaged in tutoring to improve her writing. she graduated and was awarded the senior pine prize for classic of glens and service to university. and i mention that that's an honor that's given for outstanding merit. after princeton, she attended law school. she chose to serve herself in the new york d.a. office and anyone that has been a prosecutor knows how hard that is. she prosecuted robberies, assaults, murders, and child pornography. then she served as a trial judge for six years. president clinton nominated her to serve more than ten years. she was confirmed each time by a majority in the senate. judge sotomayor's qualifications are outstanding. she has more federal court jude dig

. >> she was raised by her mother salina, a nurse, in the south bronx. like her mother, sonya sotomayor worked hard. >> i love the story about how your mom saved all of her money to buy you and your brother the first set of encyclospeedias in the neighborhood. your mother struggled to buy the in cyclospeedias on her nurse's salary but believed deeply in the value of education. >> born to a puerto rican family, growing up in public housing in the south branch and raised with a love of country and a deep appreciation for hard work. >> you made your start from very humble beginnings, you overcame substantial obstacles and went on to excel at some of the nation's top schools. >> judge sotomayor was born to parents who moved to new york from puerto rico. her mother raised sotomayor and her brother juan, now a doctor practicing in syracuse on her own. >> then it was time for judge sotomayor, it is not over yet. boy, did she drop bomb shells. >> progression of my life has been uniquely american. my parents left puerto rico in world war ii. i grew up in modest c

quintessential american and new york story, born to a puerto rican family growing up in public housing in south bronx and raised with a deep appreciation of hard work. judge sotomayor demonstrated a devotion to learning, graduating from princeton and serving as a head or the on the yale law journey before pursuing her career in the law. the breath and depth of her experience make her uniquely qualified to the supreme court. judge sotomayor's keen understanding of case law and the importance of precedence is derived from working in nearly aspect of our legal system. as a prosecutor, as a corporate litigator, a trial judge and an appellate judge. as prosecutor, judge sotomayor fought the worst of society's ills, prosecuting a litany of crimes from murder, child pornography, to drug trafficking. the manhattan d.a. described her as fearless and effective prosecutor and an able champion of the law. judge sotomayor's years as corporate litigator exposed her to all facets judge sotomayor was appointed to the u.s. district court by president george herbert walker bush presiding over roughly 450 cases and ear

praise the the personal story and professional attributes of the 55-year-old judge, a child of the south bronx17 years experience on the federal bench. >> she understand there is not one law for one race or another. there is only one law. >> reporter: critics expressed concern about her rulings on gun rights and discrimination cases. they took aim at her 2001 statement that a wise latina woman could make better judgements than a white man. >> many suggest that she may indeed allow or even embrace decision making based on her biases and prejudices. >> the president has said he would like judge sotomayor to be on the court in september. if confirmed, she is not expected to offer the court balance on controversial issues such as affirmative action. >>> coming up, orange, yellow and red. the terror alert system could be about to change. the latest on he plan to possibly do away with that color-coded system. >>> no humans allowed. your family pet can now fly into style. we'll show you a one of a kind airplane here in our area. you are watching fox 5 morning news. ♪ ♪ tell me who's watching. ♪ i alw

another product of the south bronx. she does have, by all accounts, an amazing, amazing personal story. republicans are certainly sensitive to that. am i hearing something going on? there he is, patrick leahy. >> if we can get back in order in the room. judge, good to have you back here. as i recall, we left it. senator klobuchar, you're next. i will yield to senator klobuchar. >> thank you very much, mr. chair. welcome back, judge. it's a pleasure to see you again. i enjoyed our conversation and what i most remembered about that is that you confessed to me that you once brought a winter parka to minnesota in june. and i promise, i will not hold that against you during this week. i know you have many friends and family here, but it was really an honor for me to meet your mom. when president obama first announced your nomination, i loved the story about how your mom saved all of her money to buy you and your brother the first set of encyclopedias in the neighborhood. i always remember when my parents bought us a set that

like in the south bronx, people came back and lived there. in chicago in the same time, the projects were ripped down, schools are being closed. the mayor's policies here have contributed to destabilizing those black communities and we know from looking at violence internationally when you have a lot of displaced people communities that are shattered, rates of violence go up. so that would be where i would start. >> there's certainly evidence of that but how do you answer other communities where you've had cities that have. around for a long time and violence has gone up and will has been no displacement of people? what do you do about that? i'm thinking about what i heard in that report a moment ago, where someone said there seem to be systemic ills with this generation. we've crossed a threshold where there are too many young people who think this is something they can do and that it's acceptable somehow to do it. how do we address that? >> well, first of all, you know, you have to look city by city. you're right about looking at other citi

. >> rose: so if you look ater, what has...ow cane say that this life experience from the south bronx to the distric court to being a prosetor for... in new york, all that, w has that shad her? how s that influenced her? what do we knowabout her values because of that? >> well, i think we can't be totally sure. i mean, there are groups on the left whore worried about obama's selectionof h, would have fel better had he picked someone that they coul count on more. rose: they that th felt was more prectable. >> and certainly in the area of criminal law, pele are wondering which way she'll come out. >> rose: wha can they say abt ere she's been ready on criminal law? >> i thinkrom her record on the crt, it's hard t say much. i think the reason peoe wonder think at maybe shll be for con sfshive the,or example, than souter was, i because o her background as a prosecutor. ss so than her actual decisions >> she made a point today of noting how she felt. she dn't use the word "empathy bu she understoodn cases tha came before her thelight of victims crime and h much ose victims and theamilies ha

how can we say that this life experience from the south bronx to the district court to being a prosecutor for... in new york, all that, how has that shaped her? how has that influenced her? what do we know about her values because of that? >> well, i think we can't be totally sure. i mean, there are groups on the left who are worried about obama's selection of her, would have felt better had he picked someone that they could count on more. >> rose: they that they felt was more predictable. >> and certainly in the area of criminal law, people are wondering which way she'll come out. >> rose: what can they say about where she's been already on criminal law? >> i think from her record on the court, it's hard to say much. i think the reason people wonder think that maybe she'll be for con sfshive the, for example, than souter was, is because of her background as a prosecutor. less so than her actual decisions >> she made a point today of noting how she felt. she didn't use the word "empathy but she understood in cases that came before her the plight of victims of crime and how much those vict

>> reporter: bnow, sotomayor's biography is familiar: born to puerto ric parents and ised in a south bronx housin projt by her widowed mother, she graduad with high honors from princeton university d was member of the "law review" at yale law school. she has serveas a new york osecutor, a trial judge, and an appeate court judge, and would be the fir hispanic justice on the preme court. white hoe officials and senate democrats have portraye sotomayor a moderate jurist. >> she respects the le of law. that's whaour judicial system is all about, our syst of justice. she desves a fair and imptial hearing. >> porter: but republicans remain skeptical. >> is sheallowing her personal or polital agenda to cloud her judgment anfavor one group of individuals over another, regaless of what theaw says? >> reporter: rent polling sugges a narrow majority of americans view sotomor favorably, althougopinions tend to brk along party lines. amy wter is editor-in-chief of the "hotline," "naonal jrnal's" political daily. >> if you're a repuican, you are likely to oppose her nomination or feel unfavobly about he

she was raised by her mother, a nurse, in the south bronx. like her mother, sonia sotomayor worked hard. she graduated veil rick -- at the head of her class at cardinal spellman high school in new york. she's a member of just the third class at princeton university in which women were included. she continued to work hard, including reading classics that were unavailable to her when she was younger, and arranging tutoring to improve her writing. she graduated suma cum laude di. she was awarded the taylor senior pyne prize for scholastic. she was a active member of the yale law school community. upon graduation she chose to serve her community in the new york district attorney's office. i might say, parenthetically, every one of us have had the privilege of being a prosecutor knows what kind of a job that is, how hard it is. there she prosecuted murders, robberies, assaults, child pornography. first president bush named her to the federal bench in 1992 and she served as a trial judge for six years. president clinton named her to the united stat

she grew up in a housing project in the south bronx. i patrol the streets of the south bronx in the 1970's and know what tough environment that was sprayed recently, i have spoken to several of my colleagues that worked with her, and they did nothing but rave reviews. they were expressed with her intelligence, her work ethic, i have been inspired by judge sonia sotomayor's personal story. after getting her law degree, she could have cashed in at a law firm but chose instead to get a low pay position at the manhattans attorney's office where she gained real-world experience as she decided criminal cases that came before her. she went out of her way to stand shoulder to shoulder with those of us in public safety at a time when new york city needed strong, tough, and fair prosecutors. i am confident she will continue to bring honor to herself and now to the supreme court when she is confirmed for this critically important position. thank you. >> we have had everybody that has spoken. i appreciate the strong support from law enforcement. ma

judge sotomayor group in a housing project in the south bronx.patroled the streets of the south bronx in the 1970's and know what a tough district that was. i have spoken to several of my colleagues who did work with her and they give nothing but rave reviews. they were impressed with her intelligence, strong work ethic and her fierce determination to prosecute criminals. like many others i have been inspired by judge sotomayor's personal story. through hard work and determination she earned degrees from princeton and the yale law tool dosh school. she could have cashed in on a blue chip law firm but chose instead to take a low-paying position in the man hatan district trorne's office where she gained real world experience as a prosecutor. she went out of her way to stand shoulder to shoulder with thoives us in public safety at a time when new york city needed strong, tough, and fair prosecutors. i'm confident she will continue to bring honor to herself and now to this supreme court when she is confirmed for this critically important position. th

and while you were watching perry mason, in the south bronx, with your mom and your brother, and i wasatching perry mason in suburban minneapolis with my folks and my brother. and here we are today. and i'm -- i'm asking you questions because you have been nominated to be a justice of the united states supreme court. i think that's pretty cool. as i said in my opening statement, i see these proceedings both as a way to take judgment of you and the many nominees suitibility for the high court. but also for americans to learn about this t course and the impact on their lives. right now people are getting more and more of their information on at any internet. getting newspapers, television, blogs, radio -- americans are getting all of it online. it plays a central role in our democracy by allowing anyone with a computer connected to the internet to publish their quads, their thoughts, their opinions and reach a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions of people in seconds. this is free speech. and this is essential to our democracy and to democracy. we saw this in iran. not long ago. no

she was raised by her mother, selena, in the south bronx. like her mother, she worked hard. she graduated the valedictorian of her grass -- class in new york. she was a member of the third class at princeton where women were included. she continued to read the material that was unavailable when she was younger, ranging tutoring to improve for writing. she graduated summa cum laude, awarded the prize for excellence in service at the university. an honor given for outstanding merit. after of standing -- after excelling at princeton, she was an outstanding member of the yale law school community. she had many options, but she chose to serve her community in the new york district attorney's office. i might say, everyone of us who has had the privilege of being a prosecutor knows how hard that job is. there she prosecuted murders, robberies, assaults, child pornography. first president bush named her to the bench in 1992, she served as a trial judge for six years. president clinton named her to the second circuit, where she served for 10 years. she was confirmed each time biparti

rico and after your father died, your mother raised you on her own in a housing project in the south bronx. you are a life-long new yorker and a yankee fan, as i understand it, but many americans don't live in big cities. many live in rural areas and small towns and they root for the brewers and the packers. some might think that you don't have a lot in common with them. what can you tell me about your ability as a judge to empathize with them. to understand the everyday challenges of rural and small town american and how a supreme court decision might affect their lives. >> yes, i live in new york city and it is a little different than other parts of the country. but i spend a lot of time in other parts of the country. i've visited a lot of states. i've stayed with people who do all types of work. i've visited and vacationed on farms. i've lived and vacationed in mountain tops. i've lived and vacationed in all sorts -- not lived. i'm using the wrong word. i've visited all sorts of places. in fact, one of my habits is when i travel somewhere new i try to find a friend to stay with them. it

e was rais by her mother celina, nurse, in the south bronx.ated as vledictian of herlass atessed sacrament add a hi schoolin new york. a meer of a thd class at princetouniversity in which women were included. she continued to wk hard, including ading classics that we unailable to her when she was younger and arranging tutoring t improve her writing. she graduated assume cple law day, award a prize for classic excellce and service to university. i mentioned th an hor that is given for outstanding merit. after excelling at princeton she entereaw school where she is an active member of the law school community. upon graduation,he had many option but she ose to serve he communy the new york district attorney's office. i might say everyone of us have had the privilege be a prosecutor knows what kindf a jothat is and how hard it is. thershe prosecuted murde, robberies, assaults, child pornography. first president bush named her to the federal benchn 199 she served as a trial judge for six years. president clinton named her to e united states corpora

she was raised by her mother, anders -- a nurse come in the south bronx. he graduated as valedictorian of your class. she continued to work hard. she arranged for tutoring to improve for writing. she graduates 5 beta kappa. after excelling at princeton she was an active member of law school committee. upon graduation, she had many options. she chose to serve her community as -- in the new york district attorney's office. everyone of us who have had the privilege of being a prosecutor knows what kind of a job that is. she prosecuted murders, robberies, assaults, and child pornography. first president bush named her to the federal bench in 90 -- 1992 she to serve as a trial judge. president clinton appointed her to the circuit. judge sothos -- sotomayor is extremely qualified. she is the first nominee in well over a century to be nominated to three different federal judgeships by three different presidents. she is a first nominee in 50 years to be nominated by these supreme court. she will be the only supreme court justice to serve as a trial judge. she is a

i have to take the train in a uniform, going to the south bronx, that was interesting.school, i have great memories about it. >> how old was she? >> one year older. >> how did you meet? >> through a mutual friend. his name was canned. he actually lived on the other side of 117 street, where i grew up. he was a junior at cardinal spellman. i came in as a freshman. interestingly enough, we all went, the three of us. >> what did you think of her at first? >> someone who was very focused, studious. not shy at all about giving an opinion about a number of different things. someone who was awful as well. someone who really thought first before speaking. someone that i thought was poised. someone that you could look up to. i thought of her as a mentor. when i was thinking about where to go to school, she was very helpful in terms of the guidance she provided. >> what would cause someone like her to be a mentor? someone to be aspired to. >> her life and mine did paralleled in so many ways. many of the things that we were both looking to accomplish their, cultures, all of that,

while you were watching perry mason in the south bronx with your mom and your brother, i was watchingn in suburban minneapolis with my folks and my brother and here we are today. i'm asking you questions because have been nominated to be a justice of the united states supreme court. i think that's pretty cool. as i said in my opening statement, i see these proceedings both as a way to take a judgment of you and of any nominee's suit ability for the high court but also as a way for americans to learn about the court and its impact on their lives. right now, people are getting more and more of their information on the internet, newspapers, television, blogs, radio. americans are getting all of it on line. it plays an essential role in our democracy by allowing anyone with a computer connected to the internet to publish their ideas, their thoughts, their opinions, and reach a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions of people in seconds. this is free speech. this is essential to our democracy and to democracy. we saw this in iran not long ago. now, judge, you are familiar with the supr

my whole approach, having grown up as a kid in the south bronx ghetto, looking at my kids who were good around us to corrupt us. it's easy to say this is a bad kid and bad guy. bernie madoff, must have some deep-seeded -- whatever. the point is that that's the approach that we have all taken. "we" meaning every society, science, education, religion, the legal system. and what we do is if we're benign, we give them therapy. if we're less benign and put them in prison and execute it and it doesn't change, he will persist. my whole approach, having studied not only in the laboratory and abu great britain and lots of evil around the world we estimated the power of the bad apple -- i'm sorry. we underestimated the power of the bad barrel by focusing only on the bad apple. a guy like bernie madoff doesn't start off as evil. he starts off as somebody who wants to make money. people beg him to take their money. and over time, let's even say he is a moral guy, he puts hi morality in neutral. it's what lots and lots of people do. you do that with semantic distortion. you're not cheating anybody.

she was raised by her mother, a nurse in the south bronx. like her mother, sotomayor worked hard. she graduated as velda torian of her class at blessed sacrament at cardinal spellman high school in new york. she was a member of the third class at princeton university in which women were included. she continue to work hard, including breeding classics that had been unavailable to her when she was younger and arranging to tutoring to improve for writing. she graduated summa laudee, phi beta kappa. she was awarded the m. taylor singer prize for scholastic excellence and service to universities. i mentioned this as an honor that is given for outstanding merit. after selling at princeton she entered yale law school where she was an active member of the law school committed to. upon graduation she had many options. but she chose to serve her community in the new york district attorney's office. i might say parenthetically everyone of us have had the privilege to be a prosecutor knows what kind of a job that is and how hard it is. there she prosecuted murders, robberies, assaults, child

and while you were watching perry mason in the south bronx with your mom and your brother and i was -- i was watching perry mason in suburban minneapolis with my folks and my brother and here we are today. and i'm -- i'm asking you questions because you have been nominated to be a justice of the united states supreme court. i think that's pretty cool. as i said in my opening statement, i see these proceedings as both as a way to take a judent of you and the nominee's suitabili right now, people are getting more and more of their information on the internet. in newspapers, television, blogs, radio. americans are getting all of it online. it plays a central role in our democracy by allowing anyone with a computer connected to the internet to publish their ideas, their thoughts, their opinions, and reach a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions of people in seconds. this is free speech. and this is essential to our democracy and we saw this in iran, not long ago. now judge, you are familiar with the supreme court's 2005 brand x decision, aren't you? >> i am. >> then you know that bra

judge sotomayor grew up in a housing project in the south bronx. i patroled the streets of the south bronx in the 1970's and know what a tough environment that was. i did not have the privilege of working with jouge sotomayor, but i have spoke within several colleagues who kid. they give nothing but great reviews. they were impressed wher intelligence, strong work ethic and fierce determination to prosecute criminals. like many others, i have been inspired by judge sotomayor's personal story. through hard work and determination, she earned degrees from princeton and the yale law school. after getting her law degree, she could have cashed in at a blue chip law firm but chose instead to take a low-paying position in the manhattan district attorney's office where she gained priceless real-world experience that cannot help but inform her judgment as she decides criminal cases that come before her. judge sotomayor went out of her way to stand shoulder to shoulder with those of us in public safety at a time when new york city needed strong, tough, fair p

she is a graduate of cardinal spellman high school in the south bronx, a princeton and yale universityaw school. this writer writes what he thinks that the gop cannot block sonia sotomayor. he makes several points. he says there is no smoking gun. he says for six weeks republicans have looked in vain for an issue to galvanize the public and compelled red-state senate democrats to vote against your. -- her. a landslide of americans have since told pollsters that they support her. there is no smoking gun. guest: we're not trying to promote her. i'm not sure, but look, it is clear that the numbers for her are much less favorable than with chief justice roberts. her favorability and numbers took a real beating when attention was focused on this new haven firefighters' case. there is a lot of well-justified concern among the public. the reason i think she will be confirmed has nothing to do with the lack of a case against her. but it is simply 60-40. it is due to the democratic majority. you don't need to go beyond that to prediction is likely to be confirmed. host: here is a smart strategy

you are now familiar and in a nutshell she was raised by a mother in a working-class home in the south bronx and is a teenager work the evening shift in a garment factory to help make ends meet. she went on through law work, force of will to overcome her initial difficulties, to win princeton university's highest undergraduate honor, the prime prize and a graduate went on to yale law school. the district attorney office was recognized by supervisors as someone a step ahead of her colleagues. one of the brightest and most mature, hard-working standouts it was marked for rabbited lanzmann. ultimately she took on every kind of criminal case that came into an urban courthouse from turnstile jumping to homicide. one of those cases involved a victim by the name of richard mannix who terrorized the neighborhood and left three dead, shooting anyone in his way. he is now serving 137 years to a life sentence. another case prosecuted by assistant d.a. sotomayor in 1983 involved a times square child pornography operation. that was the first child prosecution in new york after a landmark 1982 supreme cou

this nominee grew up in the south bronx housing project. her father died when she was 9 years old. her mother worked a couple of jobs as a nurse. so, she was financed by the schools that she went to. she also worked on the sides. host: if she is confirmed, it will be 5-4 catholics on the supreme court. guest: it is 5 now. we have chief justice john roberts, antonin scalia, anthony kennedy, samuel alito, and clarence thomas. there are all on the court right now. she would actually be the sixth catholic. given that there used to be such a cap -- an anti-catholic bias in america over history, we would have such a majority on the court. having looked at this in a serious way, in part because of my research on justice scalia, all of these catholics do not have the same philosophy. i do have to mention that we have had a handful of catholics before these five. william brennan, who was quite liberal, was a catholic also. often, catholicism will be associated with more conservative members, but through history, it has not been that way. caller: good morning. thank you for c-span. my questi

and while you were watching perry mason in the south bronx with your mom and your brother and i was -- i was watching perry mason in suburban minneapolis with my folks and my brother and here we are today. and i'm -- i'm asking you questions because you have been nominated to be a justice of the united states supreme court. i think that's pretty cool. as i said in my opening statement, i see these proceedings as both as a way to take a judgment of you and the nominee's suitability of the high court but also a way for the americans to learn about the court and the impact on their lives. right now, people are getting more and more of their information on the internet. getting newspapers and television, blogs, radio. americans are getting all of it online. and plays a central role in our democracy by allowing anyone with a computer connected to the internet to publish their ideas, their thoughts, their opinions and reach a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions of people in seconds. this is free speech. and this is essential to our democracy and to the democracy. we saw this in iran

if i was trying to trip up judge sotomayor, i might want to ask her what does growing up on the south bronxbeing poor in as you hog project have to do with anything? and, of course we will hear a lot about this. steve: give you empathy. >> we will hear this whole life story how she grew up poor, blah, blah, blah. what does that have to do with the price of bread? steve: good question. finally, tara, what would you ask. >> i would actually ask her a question i would to know myself. what does she think is the most important case that's ever been tried in this country and why. steve: all good questions. will any of the senators steal them? stay tuned. what do judge's critics want the public to know? we will pull that out next. thinking about pulling out plastic for must-have purchases. we have 10 items that if you charge could actually kill your credit score as soon as you swipe them. you will need that. and a brand new airline is about to take flight. where the pets get pampered and no people allowed. we got your ticket on pet airways ahead. what's up, smart? being smart. yep. just booked my

quintessential american new york story, born to reporter rick and family, growth in public housing in the south bronx and raised with a love of country and a deeper appreciation for hard work. judge sotomayor demonstrated a devotion to learning, graduating summa cum laude from princeton and serving as editor on the yale law journal before pursuing her career of the law. the breadth and depth of the judge sotomayor's experience make her uniquely qualified to the supreme court. judge sotomayor's keen understanding of case laws and the importance of precedence is to rise from working in nearly every aspect of our legal system as a prosecutor, a corporate litigator, trial judge, an appellate judge. as prosecutor judge sotomayor that five of the worst of society's ills prosecuting in many of crimes for murder to child pornography to drug-trafficking. the manhattan d.a. described her as fear less and in effect a prosecutor and an able champion of the law. for years as a corporate litigator exposed her to all facets of commercial law including real-estate, employment, banking, contracts and agency law. judg

guns concealed in a backpack, in a suitcase and bring them and sell them on the streets of the south bronxr central brooklyn, bring them to central park were queens and our local police would have their hands tied. so one of the points only to make my colleagues about this amendment is in danger is not only the citizenry but our police officers. today at about this time the mayor of the city of new york and a police commissioner will be speaking out against this proposal and our police commissioner is particularly upset because his job is the safety of police officers. a police officer of stop someone in a car and now have the safety and sanctity of mines to no wobble that if that person has a gun in their car it has been approved by the new york city police department. there are people that needed guns for self-defense or other purposes. after this law passes the have no such peace of mind, no such statement. in fact, they have no way. imagine you are a police officer and saw someone they could be from 47 different states with 47 different requirements were and you are responsible to figu

and while you're watching perry mason in the south bronx with your mom and your brother, i was watching perry mason in suburban minneapolis with my folks and my brother of the united states supreme court. i think that's pretty cool. [laughter] as i said in my opening statement, i see these proceedings both as a way to take a judgment of you and any nominee suitable for the high court, but also as a way for americans to learn about the court and its impact on their lives. right now people are getting more and more of their information on the internet. we are getting newspapers and television and blogs and radio. americans are getting all of it on line. it plays a central role in our democracy by allowing anyone with a computer connected to the internet to publish their ideas, their thoughts, their opinions, and reach a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions of people in seconds. this is free speech, and this is essential to our democracy and to democracy. we saw this in iran not long ago. now, judge, you're familiar with the supreme court's 2005 brand x. decision, are you? >> i am. >

war ii and after your father died your mother raised two on her own in a housing project in the south bronx. you are a lifelong new yorker and a yankee fan as i understand but many americans don't live in big cities. many of my constituents live in rural areas of small towns and root for the brewers and packers. some might think that you don't have a lot in common with them. what can you tell me about your ability as a judge to empathize with them to understand the everyday challenge is a small-town americans and how supreme court decisions might affect their lives? >> yes, i live and new york city and it is a little different than other parts of the country. but i spend a lot of time in other parts of the country. i've visited a lot of states, have stayed with people who do all types of work. i've lived, not to lift but decided and vacationed on farms and life vacationed in mountaintops, i have lived and vacationed in all sorts, not lift, using the wrong word -- i visited all sorts of places. in fact, one of my habits is when i travel somewhere knew i try to find a for and i know to stay w

she was raised by a mother in a working class home from south bronx and then as a teenager worked thening shift in a garment factory to help make ends meet. she went on to hard work, force of will to overcome her initial difficulties with english composition to win princeton university's highest undergraduate honor. a pine prize and the graduate with honors from yale law school. the district attorney's office the judge was immediately recognized by supervisors and as someone a step ahead of her colleagues. one of the brightest and most mature, hard working, standout who's marked for rapid advancement. ultimately she took on every kind of criminal case that comes into an urban courthouse. from turnstile jumping to homicide. one of those cases, the tar zan murder case with an addicted burglar named richard maddox withhold terrorize a neighborhood in a crime spree with three dead and swinging into apartment window shooting anyone in his way. he is now serving 137 years to life sentence. another case prosecuted by assistant d.a. sotomayor in 1983 with a time square child pornography opera

guns concealed in a backpack, in a suitcase, and bring them and sell them on the streets of the south bronxntral brooklyn, bring them to central park or queens and our local police would have their hands tied. so one of the points i'd like to make to my colleagues about this amendment, it endangers not only the citizenry but our police officers. today at about this time, the mayor of the city of new york and our police commissioner will be speaking out against this proposal. and our police commissioner is particularly upset because his job is the safety of police officers. when a police officer stops someone in a car they now have the safety and sanctity of mined to know to that person has a gun in their car it has been approved by the new york city police department. there are people who need to carry guns for self-defense or other purposes. after this law passes they have no such peace of mind, no such safety. in fact, they have no way. imagine you are a liver and youa police officer and you stop someone, they have 47 states with different requirements. it is impossible to have this law i