Democrats countered with a large display of their own, bearing faces of Clinton nominees who they said had been treated far worse.
In addition, he himself had fought some Clinton nominees because of their ideological positions.
All served during the Clinton administration yet failed to vote against a single Clinton judicial nominee.
Republicans say they have approved hundreds of Clinton nominees, including two on the day that Judge White was rejected.
"I have not heard of a Clinton nominee who embraced judicial restraint."
Senator Hatch has not himself voted against a single Clinton nominee, in committee or on the floor, even when more conservative Republicans did.
The real reason was a disinclination to approve any Clinton nominees.
Numerous professional studies have in fact found Clinton judicial nominees to be, overwhelmingly, centrist lawyers and judges.
The Republicans' obstruction of Clinton nominees was much more "extraordinary" than anything since.
He has promoted this so-called "nuclear option" even though he himself once helped to filibuster a Clinton judicial nominee.