The sad thing is, this makes the double standard a presidence. By double standard, I mean: The head counsel of the ACLU can get confirmed with no real opposition, but a conservative cannot be confirmed unless they are to a great degree an unknown quantity. Basically, ACLU head Ruth Bade Ginsberg, is a perfectly fine choice for SCOTUS, but Janice Rogers Brown is unnaceptable. Which do you think is "outside the mainstream" for most Americans? Clinton can nominate whoever he sees fit, even with Democrats in the minority, while Bush can't nominate qualified conservatives with a sizable Republican majority.
Also: When a conservative justice leaves the court, it is okay to replace them with someone to the left of them, but if a liberal leaves the court, it is the presidents responsibility to nominate someone like them.