"It took a while longer for the conservative trend to reach the judiciary..."
Too bad Republicans nominated Souter, Stevens, O'Conner and Kennedy.
Had they used those picks for the equivalent of Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito--the majority would be already in hand.
That shows the importance of a President to pay close attention to who he nominates.
It's not always a guarantee. If you listen to Mark Levin on the radio, you would know that he was part of Bush 41's team in selecting Souter. Levin relates the story that they were looking for a strict constructionist, and Souter gave them all the right answers. Souter's record was good. Once he was confirmed, however, we all know what happened.