I agree. The money is irrelevant because the major liberal lobbies will devote unlimited resources to fight the President's judicial nominees.
But the message Hatch sent is that he will back down rather than risk a fight. So what will Hatch do when Pickering is voted out of committee to the Senate floor and every Democrat, lead by Leahy, is calling the Republicans racists??? If I'm Leahy, I say if I filibuster, my lobbyies run attack ads, and every other word is "Lott" or "racist," Hatch will blink again.