Agreed. But being able to spin the 2nd nominee as a Rehnquist replacement paves the way for an easy confirmation for a conservative. Having GOPers being able to go out and say this is just a conservative for a conservative is a huge plus and it kills the Democrat arguement that this is going to change the balance of the court. The GOP will simply be able to say it does not, it is a conservative for a conservative.
We'll have to agree to disagree. I see your point but knew all along the 2nd nominee would be the blood bath. At least with Bush nominating Roberts for Chief Justice, more hearings are prevented, sparing us from ad nauseum bloviating from the Dems. Since Roberts is more or less a "shoe-in", I'd much rather see the GOP and the President rally around ONE conservative and fight to the death over him/her, if need be.