While all this was going on I had a thought that this was designed not just for the short term and obvious (to those with eyes to see) reasons but also because there are now 2 conservative justices with (*) next their names. By undermining the conservatives on the SCOTUS, there will be people who see members, and ultimately the Court itself, as illegitimate. Much in the same way that  there are crazy people who call Trump Illegitimate because "but Russia".