NY Times article on Alito hearings

Glum Democrats Can't See Halting Bush on Courts - New York Times
The Democratic Senators presumably knew they did not have the votes to defeat Alito. What they should have done was use the hearings as an opportunity to educate the American people about the real impact of "conservative" jurists. And they need to continue this effort during the 2006 mid-term elections, and the 2008 Presidential election. Kerry failed miserably in this area (as he did in so many others). The American people need to be reminded there are consequences to their
votes.

As for Republican claims that Bush is "doing precisely what he said he would do in both of his presidential campaigns" - I think he kept is goals for a new judiciary pretty well hidden from most Americans. He talked about "activist judges" as if that was un-America, while hiding the fact that he wanted his own activists instead. He may have spoken to his conservative base of overturing Roe v. Wade, removing limits on his own power, and limiting congressional and judicial power, either explicitly or in code, but he was careful to downplay that to the broader public. Again, it was up to Kerry to make an effective issue of this - failed again.