Just after getting off the phone with Supreme Court Justice David Souter, President Obama surprised White House reporters at the daily briefing and confirmed that Souter would indeed be retiring this year.

"I will seek someone with a sharp and independent mind, and a record of excellence and integrity," Obama said. "I view that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people's hopes and struggles as an essential ingredient for arriving at just decisions and outcomes.

"I will seek someone who is dedicated to the rule of law, who honors our constitutional traditions, who respects the integrity of the judicial process and the appropriate limits of the judicial role. I will seek somebody who shares my respect for constitutional values on which this nation was founded and who brings a thoughtful understanding of how to apply them in our time.

"As I make this decision, I intend to consult with members of both parties, across the political spectrum."

Obama said that he hopes the new Justice can be sworn in "by the first Monday in October, when the new Court term begins."