Kind of lost in the hullabaloo of the Plame Affair, congressional Dems are once again flexing their recently rediscovered muscles.

Senate Democrats blocked a vote on President Bush's nomination of Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday, saying he needed to fully explain his positions.  

Republicans fired back with accusations that Democrats were injecting the 2004 White House campaign politics into the Senate confirmation process. They also argued that Leavitt had already adequately stated his views about the environment, and deserved a vote [...]

Democrats, who have accused Bush of rolling back environmental protection, boycotted the committee meeting, thereby preventing the scheduled vote on Leavitt. The vote on whether to send his nomination to the full Senate for consideration was rescheduled for Oct. 15.

By then, Democrats hope to have obtained more answers from Leavitt on a number of issues -- from asbestos contamination to ozone standards.