Very interesting.....Feinstein's question regarding the commerce clause makes a bit more sense now!!
If you think about it, Bush's nomination of Harriet Myers also makes sense. If, as the dems maintain, a conspiracy exists, Myers is a better choice than Alito.
First, she is more pro-business/anti-regulation than Alito(tho he is no slouch on pro-business issues) and second, her history had nothing with which the dems could attack her.
In retrospect, as Alito appears to be confirmed, it is/was the best nomination. But at the time, there was a certain amount of risk in nominating Alito. That risk being the dems ability to find a social issue with which they could sway public opinion against Alito. With a negative opinion, the dems could have blocked him without appearing obstructionist.