Officials: Sotomayor was one of four finalists
— -- The woman who would be the next Supreme Court Justice was one of four finalists interviewed last week by President Obama, administration officials said Tuesday.
The sources, who declined to be identified, said Solicitor General Elena Kagan and federal Judge Diane Wood were slipped into the White House last Tuesday; Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Judge Sonia Sotomayor visited on Thursday.
On Friday, the administration officials said, Obama told staff he had someone in mind but wanted to take the weekend to think it over. At 8 p.m. last night, he made the call to Sotomayor.
Obama's interview with Sotomayor was the first time they'd met. He and Sotomayor had "a pretty dense talk about legal theory and the law and the Constitution," the sources said.
Sotomayor's taxes were vetted and staffers consulted with her physicians about her diabetes. The sources said she was not asked about her position on Roe v. Wade or privacy rights.
The administration officials said Obama is confident she will be confirmed. The president consulted with every member of the Senate Judiciary — something the sources said they believe no president had ever done.
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