“And what of Sotomayor’s opinions? It’ll take some time to sort them all out, but there appear to be few surprises. She’s a prudent, careful liberal, respectful of Supreme Court precedent, but willing to push its limits to defend the rights of the individual. Sort of like another kid who grew up in a single-parent home and received an Ivy League education—the President who nominated her.”

Jeffrey Toobin on Sonia Sotomayor, Obama’s Supreme Court Justice nominee

See also: Toobin on Chief Justice John Roberts.

“We were standing on the back patio, waiting for him. And he came through the house, saw me and immediately put his hand up in the Vulcan gesture. He said, “They told me you were here.” We had a wonderful brief conversation and I said, “It would be logical if you would become president.”

So, right there in the Cabinet Room, the President put a proposal on the table, according to two people who were present. Obama said he was willing to curb malpractice awards, a move long sought by the Republicans and certain to bring strong opposition from the trial lawyers who fund the Democratic Party.

What, he wanted to know, did the Republicans have to offer in return?

Nothing, it turned out. Republicans were unprepared to make any concessions, if they had any to make.

I spent this past weekend in Ann Arbor, MI and had a chance to see Google founder Larry Page speak at the University of Michigan commencement. The speech was fantastic – check out the video below and text after the jump.

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