When President Obama announced his plans to nominate Sonia Sotomayor, a federal appeals judge in New York, to the Supreme Court, the political press and blogosphere shifted into overdrive and the talking points, counterpoints, spin and bluster came flooding from virtually every direction.

Frankly, it was enough to make you reach for the aspirin -- if not a bottle of the hard stuff (Tylenol, of course).

Depending on the source and the time of the day, you would have discovered that Sotomayor -- who would be the third woman and first Hispanic to sit on the court -- was:

• An inspired choice to replace retiring Justice David Souter
• Intelligent, competent and completely qualified for the job
• Totally overrated and unqualified
• A reverse racist
• An example of affirmative action run amok
• Too liberal
• Not liberal enough

The spin was enough to make your head, well, spin. One thing that did come of it, though, was the realization that the Supreme Court -- the highest judicial body in the United States -- is one of the more fascinating entities in our society.

Most Americans would struggle to name the Chief Justice (John Roberts) or even half of his associates. Yet the nomination of a new "justice for life" always prompts millions of average Americans to pretend that they are constitutional law scholars, even if their only exposure to the Court is what they remember from "The Pelican Brief."

As a service to readers who weren't paying attention, here is a collection of links to coverage of Obama's announcement from a variety of sources. Feel free to use the Talkback feature to add your own favorites.

A compendium of Sotomayor coverage:

USA Today has a complete biography and profile.

Politico.com looks into why Obama chose Sotomayor.

U.S. News & World Report calls the choice a "political balancing act."

Politico.com says the right is "divided" over court fight.

Talking Points Memo describes the White House talking points on the nomination.

A Chicago Tribune analysis says the pick "puts Republicans in a bind."

Nate Silver of fivethirtyeight.com looks back at Sotomayor's previous confirmation battle.

Washington Post media reporter Howard Kurtz checks out the spin war.

The New Republic's story "The Case Against Sotomayor."

The Wall Street Journal thinks the nomination doesn't merit a rubber stamp. The Washington Times calls the move "inspiring."

The Los Angeles Times says the nomination sets off  "few ideological alarm bells." Richard Sandomir and The New York Times look back at Sotomayor's impact on the Major League Baseball strike.

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich says "fasten your seatbelts."

LegalNewsline.com says Sotomayor can expect lots of scrutiny.