Clinton got two very liberal appointments: Breyer and Ginzburg.
Clinton didn't appoint a squishy moderate. Clinton didn't have any doubts that both of his Supreme Court appointees would vote the straight liberal line, on every single issue. He was 100% correct.
Why should a Republican president nominate a moderate ? It's absolutely insane !
Not true. As hard as it may be for you to believe, Ginsburg was viewed as a moderate, despite being legal councel for ACLU, based on one speech she gave where she attacked the legal foundation of Roe v Wade, much to the chagrin of feminists. This headfake fooled Orrin Hatch, and he lustily cheered for her throughout the confirmation, thinking he was getting a "stealth moderate."
The conventional wisdom at the time was that she was a moderate.
Yeah, but the commie press called both Clinton's appointees "moderates." To them, anything right of Lenin apparently qualifies.