The last 20 years of judicial confirmations shows that it is the Democrats who savage the Supreme Court nominees of an opposing-party President. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans gave Clinton's appointments comparatively kid-glove treatment. The nastiness of Bork's and Thomas's nomination fights should be familiar to all of us; The questioning of Alito was such that his wife left the committee hearing in tears. By contrast, Ginsburg's nomination and confirmation hearings were a virtual love-fest, with both sides tripping over themselves to praise her. Breyer's confirmation was relatively easy, as well. Voting results aren't a perfect proxy for the rancor of a nomination fight, but they are the only numerical substitute I can think of: Republican Appointees Bork: 42-58 Kennedy: 97-0 Thomas: 52-48 Roberts: 78-22 Alito: 58-42 Democratic Appointees Ginsburg: 97-3 Breyer: 87-9 Of course, Supreme Court nominations are among the highest-stakes political fights out there, and I have no problem with the gloves coming off. But the liberal groupthink that Republicans will mistreat poor little Sonia is without historical basis and is typical of the infantile "Republicans are just mean" mindset you seem to hold. To the contrary, it has been the Democrats who have made nominations into bitter fights and have launched the most vicious nomination oppositions.