Like George Miller, Barney Frank and the other liberals produced by Vietnam and Watergate, Mr. Waxman belongs to a cohort whose power has been checked -- one way or the other -- by Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton's New Democrat tendencies, the Republican sweep of 1994 and George W. Bush.

WSJ: The Waxman Democrats

Republicans initially hoped that Bush would be such a strong presidential nominee that he would help sweep their House and Senate candidates into office.

CNN: Election 2000 overview: A lot is at stake for voters

This time around, there was so much hunger for a winner that Bush could actually hope to do something no one had ever managed before: sweep the money primary, the first big test of whom the insiders like, and pretty much coast through the ones that involve actual voters.

CNN: Who chose George?