Bush Gets A Lesson In Partisan Hardball.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)

The Year 2001: George W. Bush ran for president on the promise to "change the tone in Washington." Nobody, it seems, told his opponents.

Bush hadn't even taken office when he got his first feel of the political hardball thrown in Washington. It came when he announced he wanted John Ashcroft, the just-defeated Republican senator from Missouri, to serve as attorney general.

After Bush's announcement, the chorus began to sing. The talk shows featured Democrat after Democrat expressing concerns about Ashcroft's views; "extreme," "not in touch with America," "outside the mainstream" were just some of their comments aimed at the religious conservative.

It was just the beginning of a yearlong fight over Bush's nominations (4) to federal office and the bench. Ashcroft, Gale Norton and Ted Olson were excoriated in public, but were approved in the end.

Rep. Chris Cox, R-Calif., was not so lucky. He was tapped for a seat on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but was forced to withdraw after his home-state senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, refused to lift a "hold" they put on him, citing his political views.

The obstruction continues. By year-end, the Democratic Senate had approved just 42% of Bush's judicial nominees and 21% of his appellate nominees. That compares with a 57% approval rate for President Clinton's judges in his first year and 60% of appellate nominees.

Bush knew his way wouldn't be easy. Democrats in and out of Washington were still screaming about the election (2) results. With cries of hanging chads, judicial activism and recounts ringing in the air, Bush's foes seemed ready to undermine his presidency at every turn.