Justice O'Connor chats with state's best-known politicians in Eight series

Phoenix-based O’Connor House is presenting an Arizona Centennial tribute featuring conversations between retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and noted Arizona political leaders. The television series will air starting Sunday, December 16, at noon on Eight, Arizona PBS. The conversations give viewers behind-the-scenes insights into Arizona’s political history, and at the same time, provide a rare glimpse of the wit and intellect that have made Justice O’Connor an American treasure.

As a part of Arizona’s yearlong centennial celebration, Justice O’Connor and O’Connor House partnered with Salt River Project to produce this unique television series. In the broadcast premiere of “Arizona Centennial Series with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor,” Arizona’s U.S. Sen. John McCain shares his recollections of President Ronald Reagan, U.S. Rep. Morris Udall, and U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater and gives insights into his own 2008 presidential campaign.

Other featured guests and topics on “Arizona Centennial Series with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor” include the following:

• U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, Dec. 23: Justice O’Connor and the retiring Senator share personal stories about the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist; Arizona’s bipartisan coalition that championed key water settlements and the completion of the Central Arizona Project; and major accomplishments during Kyl’s career.

• Gov. Rose Mofford, Dec. 30: These two Arizona icons revisit Gov. Mofford’s nearly 50 years in government, including her rise to the highest office in the state; visits from Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II during the governor’s tenure; and her role in Major League Baseball’s Arizona Cactus League.

• Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Jan. 6: Also a former Arizona Governor, Napolitano remembers what it was like to argue a case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition, Sec. Napolitano and the Justice talk about Miranda rights, immigration issues, civics education for children, Arizona’s “Fab Five,” and Arizona’s first congresswoman, Isabella Greenway.

• Former U.S. Sen. Dennis DeConcini and former U.S. Rep. John Shadegg, Jan. 13 and 20: Sen. DeConcini recalls serving in the U.S. Senate with Goldwater. Rep. Shadegg tells stories of the 1952 election that shifted Arizona’s political landscape from Democrat to Republican, with the help of archival footage of Goldwater and Udall.

• U.S. Sen.-elect Jeff Flake, Jan. 27: The justice tells stories from her upbringing on the Lazy B Ranch. Flake shares his family’s history dating back to Territorial Arizona, including settling the town of Snowflake. The Arizona senator-elect also talks about his family’s long-standing commitment to public office and civic participation.

• Former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle, Feb. 3: Justice O’Connor and the Vice President exchange personal stories about former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev, publisher Eugene Pulliam and Operation Desert Storm.

The “Arizona Centennial Series with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor” will be available on DVD. The series was made possible by support from SRP.