OK, I've been holding this in, but I'll let you guys see just how cynical I really am.
I believe this whole "Thomas is dumb, Scalia is smart" thing is a set-up. If The President falls for it, he sends up Scalia as the nominee. Then, under the light of the Senate confirmation hearing - (SHOCK and AWE) - we find out aspects of Scalia's opinions and character that the Dim Senators were "unaware" of until that very moment. Then they fall back on "we supported the President in the spirit of bi-partisanship until we knew the real truth" and send the administration scrambling, playing catch-up.
Maybe I'm being paranoid, but being paranoid doesn't mean that they're not out to get you!
(Or, as Thufir Hawat once said "a feint within a feint".)
You are misunderestimating our President.