He also portrayed Mr. Talent's re-election as vital to the country's future, not just Missouri's, especially with regard to confirming federal judges and keeping taxes low.

The American people can insist on electing senators who promise to confirm judges who enforce the Constitution as written.

The Senate has an important check on the executive power by confirming Cabinet officials, judges, and other high officers "by and with the advice and consent" of the Senate.

But she was defeated by a vote of 5 to 4 in the Governor's Council, a Colonial relic, one of whose few remaining functions is to confirm judges.

One factor that may distinguish the Bush administration from that of Ronald Reagan and the elder George Bush is that the Senate, which must confirm judges, is split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans.

Senators who confirm judges are accountable to people.

"I say to my Republican colleagues, do you want to confirm judges or do you just want to provoke a fight?"

As a result, Republicans are trying to change the rules on filibusters, asserting that Democrats are thwarting the will of the president and have unfairly created the need for a 60-vote majority (enough to break a filibuster) to confirm judges.

The Joint Committee on the Judiciary is loaded with lawyers who routinely vote to confirm judges before whom they often later try cases, another potential conflict.

Mr. Cheney also had harsh words for Senate Democrats, blaming them for impeding various efforts, like creating a department of homeland security and confirming judges to the federal bench.