Only twice did Talk of the Nation host Neal Conan have to jump in as thehost whisperer to the radio audience and identify a speaker that Koppel had called on without using his full name.
Sotomayor supporters brought up the 1994 speech themselves, after former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, radio host Rush Limbaugh and others labeled Sotomayor a racist over the remark.
At a news conference after the meeting, House Speaker John Boehner thanked the president for coming but also noted the challenges remaining on a host of issues, especially ones related to reducing the deficit.