Can You Back That Up, Chuck?

Sen. Chuck Schumer just appeared on Fox News Sunday opposite Sen. Lindsey Graham (Judiciary Committee members, both), discussing the tone of Judge Alito's confirmation hearings and the prospect of a filibuster.

Schumer plaintively told Chris Wallace that he pined for the time when Presidents pursued consultation ("real consultation") of Senators from both sides of the aisle, before submitting a Supreme Court nominee.

Huh?

I'm reminded of the words of Steve Schmidt, Special Advisor to the President in charge of the White House confirmation team.  In a conference call in November (in response to similarly flawed complaints being voiced at the time by G14ers), Schmidt noted that more than 80 Senators were consulted in connection with the Alito nomination (above and beyond the 75+ consultations that were held leading up to Harriet Miers' nomination).

However the distribution worked out, the majority of Democratic Senators were consulted, many twice.  How is that less than "real consultation"?

Schumer then went on to dodge the filibuster question, when posed by Wallace.  After some inapt equivocation, Chuck said it was "premature" to comment before they finish evaluating Alito's record.

Previously:

Alito - Les Jeux Sont Fait
In the Hall Of the Obstruction King
RNC/SRC Bloggers Forum: Debrief
Alito Conference With WH Special Advisor: Take 2