How, why Obama picked Sotomayor

By: Mike Allen and Jonathan Martin
Politico
May 26, 2009

President Barack Obama called Judge Sonia Sotomayor at 9 p.m. on Memorial Day to say she was his pick for the Supreme Court.

Obama showed he was willing to pick a fight with his choice — Republicans do not consider her a “consensus” choice and had telegraphed that they considered her the most liberal of the four finalists.

He played smart base politics with the historic choice of a Hispanic (a first) and a woman.

And he fulfilled his pledge to pick someone with a common touch by nominating someone who was raised in a Bronx housing project, and lost her father at age 9.

(More here.)