OneWingedShark: I’m not sure that’s the case
I assure you it is. Remember EVERY federal judge serves the same "during good Behavior" (aka lifetime unless impeached and removed) term, Supreme Court is not special in that regard.
A recess appointment to SCOTUS indeed would be exactly the same as for any other recess appointment. When John Jay resigned as Chief Justice in July 1795, the Senate was in recess, so President Washington made a recess appointment of John Rutledge (a former SCOTUS Justice) as the new Chief Justice. Rutledge served until he resigned in December of 1795 following the Senate’s rejection of his nomination; had Rutledge not resigned, his recess appointment would have expired anyhow on June 1, 1796 (when the Senate session ended). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_rutledge