Throughout Bush's presidency, Democrats have used their power in the Senate to block highly qualified conservative nominees to the federal appellate courts. When they were the majority, they did not allow votes on these nominees. When they were the minority, they filibustered. Then, when Bush nominated Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, the Democrats changed their tune. Miers was neither a constitutional scholar nor a conservative. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat, had recommended her nomination to Bush.
When conservative opposition forced Miers to withdraw, Reid lamented, "The radical right wing of the Republican Party killed the Harriet Miers nomination."
If Democrats had their way, stellar judges such as Priscilla Owen and Janice Brown would never have been confirmed to the appellate courts. But Miers would be on the Supreme Court. Check four against the Democrats.
When Congress approved $62.3 billion as a down payment on the spending Bush promised for Hurricane Katrina relief, House conservatives fought for cuts to offset the spending. Congress finally approved $39.2 billion in cuts. No House of Senate Democrat voted for them. Check five against the Democrats.
Facing up to the reality that our open Mexican border is an open invitation to terrorists, the Republican House passed a tough border security and immigration enforcement bill last December. It did not include Bush's proposal to grant amnesty to illegal aliens by converting them into legal guest workers. The bill won the votes of 205 Republicans, but only 36 Democrats. In May, the Senate passed a bill including Bush's amnesty. Thirty-three of 55 Senate Republicans opposed it. Only three Senate Democrats did.
If Democrats control Congress, Bush gets his amnesty. Check six against the Democrats.
Ironically, Democratic complaints against Republicans in this election season have focused on the war in Iraq. That war was authorized by a resolution sponsored by Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee. It was approved by a Democrat-controlled Senate. A majority of Senate Democrats voted for it -- including Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton.
Perhaps Democrats are less interested in checking Bush than in checking the polls.
Checkmate.