I think the point is hardly moot. But you may back your stealth nominee on the basis of trust in Bush. I understand why you trust the President. I have trusted Bush on issues where if Clinton were in office I would certainly not have trusted the White House. I voted for the man and said so, while defending him against attacks on this board and elsewhere. But this appointment is one of the two issues why I voted for Bush, and I expected more than a stealth nominee.
If you don't like him then join in with NARAL, NOW, Moveon.org and all the other left wing crazies and get him voted down. I'm sure that will advance the conservative cause...
Who were you expecting, then?
Of course it's moot to cite what other people did at another time involving different people as indicative of anything. None of the cast of characters, not one, is the same, and it certainly isn't fair to insinuate that GWB had anything at all to do with justices he did not nominate.