BIDEN: "Should a justice resign this summer and the president move to name a successor, actions that will occur just days before the Democratic Presidential Convention and weeks before the Republican Convention meets, a process that is already in doubt in the minds of many will become distrusted by all," he said. "Senate consideration of a nominee under these circumstances is not fair to the president, to the nominee, or to the Senate itself. Once the political season is under way, and it is, action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over."
Mitch McConnell was in the similar position in 2016; he invoked what was dubbed "The Biden Rule," harking back to the words of the man who was now the sitting vice president.
Biden responded to this with a measure of dismay, indicating that his declaration at the time was taken out of context, and was the result of wanting to avoid another round of what he described as a "bruising and polarizing" confirmation of Justice Clarence Thomas.
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Years later, Biden said he wished he could have done more for Anita Hill at the sexually-charged herings.
Someone had to remind Biden he headed the powerful Judiciary Committee at the time.
(He had unlimited power to act in Hill's behalf.....but did nothing).
Ted Kennedy basically ran the Clarence Thomas (Anita Hill) hearings from the seat next to Chairman Biden. Biden saw the sand shift beneath his feet and realized that Judge Thomas was going to be recommended to the flood. You could almost see the wind going out of his sails and he actually started to ask some skeptical questions of Ms. Hill — which today’s media conveniently forgets. I’m sure Anita remembers.