The Democrats figured out a way to keep Robert Bork off the Supreme Court.
But the Republicans couldn’t figure out a way to keep Ketanji Jackson off the Supreme Court.
Typical.
Having the majority matters in both instances.
But we can go back further - Republicans did have the majority when Miguel Estrada was completely scuttled by the Democrats and Janice Rodgers Brown almost was. And in both cases, the massive stink the Dems raised is probably why they are not both sitting on the Court today. Leaked memos also revealed at least in Estrada’s case that his race was their primary reason for blocking him - they did not want a Republican president appointing the first Latino to the Court, and they almost certainly did not want the first black woman to be, either. Alito has been excellent...but overall they would have been better Justices - Roberts being a disappointment at times - especially on Obamacare - that would have probably been dead had either of them been on the court in his place instead.