CNN follows Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) to work this Thanksgiving holiday just to bang the gavel so that technically the Senate is not in recess to make sure Bush can't slip any more of his crooks and cronies by us with more recess appointments. Among the likely candidates this move thwarts is the homophobic Dr. James Holsinger as Surgeon General and/or the election engineering Hans A. von Spakovsky to a spot on the Federal Election Commission.

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It's worth remembering not only the more well known in-your-face past Bush recess appointments like John Bolton, Swift boat hack Sam Fox, and anti-civil rights judge Charles Pickering. In just his first six years in office, President Bush made 171 recess appointments (pdf) including a controversial pick with Otto Reich so he could continue his dirty tricks south of the border, a spot at the pentagon for a great guy like Eric Adelman, a DOL spot for Eugene Scalia (yes, the son of that Scalia), a cushy ambassadorship for ex-girlfriend April H. Foley, and an important one as a treat for C. Boyden Gray, Bush's judicial bulldog on the Hill.

It's nice to finally see the Democrats step up and follow through with stopping Bush from running roughshod right over them. This is one of the small things they can do that makes a real difference. Thank you Sens Webb and Reid.