WASHINGTON — A debate among Democrats over who should replace Justice David H. Souter on the Supreme Court began emerging Friday between those eager to return the court to its liberal era of 40 years ago and those who are wary of tacking too far to the left.
But President Obama, who will choose the nominee, focused not on volatile ideological questions but on personal character, saying he wanted someone with "empathy" for "people's hopes and struggles."
Making a surprise appearance in the White House press briefing room, Obama told reporters that he had just talked with Souter by phone about his retirement, which is to take effect at the end of this court term, probably in June. It was the first official confirmation of the justice's departure.
Obama said that in considering a successor for Souter, he was looking for a "sharp and independent mind" and a sense of compassion.
"I will seek someone who understands that justice isn't about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a casebook," he said. "It's also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people's lives -- whether they can make a living and care for their families, whether they feel safe in their homes and welcome in their own nation."
Even before the president spoke, interest groups that had seen early reports of Souter's decision began lobbying the White House and the public.
With white men holding seven of the nine court seats, Obama came under heavy pressure to name a woman or minority, especially a Latino.
Others said they were eager for him to name a high-profile, clear-cut liberal. The last justice to fit that mold was Thurgood Marshall, who took the bench in 1967. Liberal groups argued that the Democratic Party's majority in the Senate, which is nearly large enough to overcome any obstacles set by Republicans, gives Obama far more latitude than most presidents in making his choice.
"If there was ever an opportunity for Obama to make a bold statement, this is the time," Stanford law professor Pamela Karlan said.
Others cautioned that the wrong selection could alienate moderate Democrats or set off a protracted fight with Republicans that could undermine Obama's ambitious healthcare and environmental agenda.
"This is an opportunity for him to make a post-partisan choice to fortify the vital center on the Supreme Court," said Will Marshall, president of the Progressive Policy Institute, a centrist Democratic think tank.
