Republicans are only doing their democratic duty.

Our legal system is founded on the theory that government officials, including judges, should be representative of the people. Thus, judges are chosen by policians (at the federal level) or elected directly (at many state levels). As recent SCOTUS decisions, going back to the infamous decision by seven Republican judges to cut short the democratic process in Florida and thereby install Bush II, have demonstrated, the system is working as designed. That is, the current Justices pretty much faithfully reflect the politicians who put them there.

And if in years past Democrats had been doing their democratic duty, we would today not be saddled with the likes of Thomas and Alito. Rather, they would have forced Bush I and Bush II to make more reasonable (from the Democratic perspective, anyway) nominations.

What is astonishing is why we (I mean commentators like Doug) seem perpetually surprised and appalled at this process.

If this is their "democratic duty", then we need a better democracy. It's one thing to put nominees under scrutiny. It's another to hold up one that has broad bipartisan support just because you can.

This has to stop. The business of courts shouldn't be held hostage just because McConnell wants to whip it out and measure his against Reid's.