I
I WILL
I WILL SEND TO THE SENATE THE NOMINATION OF JUDGE SANDRA DAY
O'CONNOR OF ARIZONA COURT OF
APPEALS FOR CONFIRMATION AS AN
ASSOCIATE JUSTICE FOR THE
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT.
SHE IS TRULY A PERSON FOR ALL
SEASONS.
SEASONS.
SEASONS. >> PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN WAS
MAKING GOOD ON A CAMPAIGN
PROMISE IN 1981.
ARIZONA JUDGE SANDRA DAY
O'CONNOR WAS ON HER WAY TO
MAKING HISTORY . THE NEW YORK
TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR EVAN
THOMAS , IT TELLS THE SWEEPING
STORY OF HER RICH LIFE GROWING
UP IN A VAST RANCH IN ARIZONA
HELPED PROPEL HER TO THE
HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND IS
THE FIRST WOMAN ON THE U.S.
SUPREME COURT AND A TRAILBLAZER
FOR OTHERS.EVAN THOMAS, THANK
YOU FOR JOINING US . IT'S AN
HONOR TO HAVE YOU.
JUSTICE O'CONNOR WILL TURN 89
YEARS OLD ON TUESDAY AND HAS
WITHDRAWN FROM PUBLIC LIFE SHE'S
SHARED ABOUT HER ALZHEIMER'S
AND HAVING THE PULLBACK YET YOU
DID CONTACT HER BEFORE YOU
BEGAN RIDING THIS BOOK.
HOW DID SHE HELP YOU?
>> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING SHE
DID WAS OPEN UP HER PAPERS.
THE SUPREME COURT IS A SECRET
PLACE AND SHE OPENED UP HER
PAPERS AND ASKED FOR LAW CLERKS
TO SPEAK WITH ME.
SHE ASKED HER COLLEAGUES, THE
JUSTICES TO SPEAK TO ME.
HER FAMILY WAS ENORMOUSLY
HELPFUL. I HAD THE KIND OF
ACCESS YOU JUST DON'T GET.
>> AND ALL THE RICH DETAILS ARE
IN THE BOOK AND AS A SUPREME
COURT JUNKIE I LOVE IT.
ONE THING I WAS WONDERING, SHE
WAS THE FIRST BUT HAS SHE BEEN
OVERLOOKED BECAUSE SHE WASN'T A
HERO TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT AND
SHE DID NOT HAVE A STRONG
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY. >> SHE STANDS FOR SOMETHING
MORE TIMELESS WHICH IS
STABILITY, COMPROMISE AND
GETTING THINGS DONE.
SHE WAS AMAZINGLY EFFECTIVE,
THE MOST POWERFUL WOMAN IN
AMERICA NOT JUST BECAUSE SHE
HAD THE JOB BUT BECAUSE 330
TIMES IN 25 YEARS SHE WAS THE
FIFTH DECISIVE VOTE AND THAT'S
A LOT OF POWER AND IT WAS
SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR WHO
PRESERVED AFFIRMATIVE ACTION,
PRESERVED ABORTION-RIGHTS.
PRESERVED ABORTION-RIGHTS. PERSONALLY SHE WAS AGAINST
ABORTION AND IS NOT LET
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION BUT SHE
UNDERSTOOD YOU NEED TO FIND
COMPROMISES.
COMPROMISES. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ROOTS
OF THAT COMPROMISE AND WHAT SHE
CALLED A MINIMALIST PHILOSOPHY.
THE LACEY BE RANCH IN ARIZONA,
SHE AND HER BROTHER WROTE A
BOOK ABOUT IT.
>> SHE LEARNED SELF-RELIANCE.
SHE WAS IN A MAN'S WORLD, HER
FATHER WAS A HECK OF A COWBOY,
A TOUGH GUY.
DID NOT HAND OUT PRAISE ALL
THAT EASILY. SHE HAS A
WONDERFUL STORY OF DRIVING THE
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH OUT TO THE
COOKOUT AND HAS A FLAT TIRE AND
HER FATHER LOOKS AT HER AND
SAYS YOU'RE LATE AND SHE SAID I
HAD A FLAT TIRE AND HE SAID,
LEAVE EARLIER THE MESSAGES NO
COMPLAINING OR WHINING, SECOND
UP AND DEAL WITH IT.
>> THERE IS AN AND INDIGO AND
ANECDOTE IN THE BOOK ABOUT THE
MAN SHE WOULD BRING TO THE
RANCH.
RANCH.
RANCH. WHAT WAS ON THE MENU?
>> BULLS TENTACLES OR ROASTED
BULLS TENTACLES I THINK THEY
CALLED IT A PRAIRIE OYSTER OR
MOUNTAIN OYSTER AND IT WAS A
WELCOME TO THE RANCH.
>> SHE DISCOVERS HERSELF AT
STANFORD UNIVERSITY AND ENTERS
AT AGE 16. SHE WAS PRECOCIOUS
AND MANY SAID BRILLIANT.
>> I READ HER FINAL EXAM CALLED
WESTERN'S INFLATION WHICH THEY
DO NOT TEACH AT STANFORD BUT IT
WAS ABOUT THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
AND SHE LEARNED ABOUT THE RULE
OF LAW.
OF LAW.
OF LAW. >> SHE GRADUATES AT THE AGE OF
22 WITH AN UNDERGRAD AND LAW
DEGREE NEAR THE TOP OF HER
CLASS AND SHE CANNOT FIND A JOB
WITH THE LAW FIRM HOW DID SHE
RESPOND TO THE REJECTION?
>> IS HUMILIATING, NOT A SINGLE
LAW FIRM WILL GIVE HER AN
INTERVIEW ACCEPT TO BE A
SECRETARY AND EVEN THEN HER
TYPING WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING AND
BEING UPSET SHE FINDS A JOB IN
THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND GOES TO
THE LOCAL DA AND SAYS I WILL
WORK FOR YOU AND HE SAYS I HAVE
NO MONEY AND SHE SAYS I WILL
WORK FOR FREE. SHE SAID SHE
WAS ALWAYS GRATEFUL THAT SHE
DID NOT GET A JOB IN THE
PRIVATE SECTOR BECAUSE IT LED
HER TO PUBLIC LIFE WHERE SHE
SPENT THE REST OF HER LIFE.
>> WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A
LITTLE MORE DETAIL.
WHEN WE COME BACK HER RECORD