Back when he was nominated to the National Labor Relations Board, I wrote about how union lawyer Craig Becker was a threat to impose pro-labor rules on business through the board’s decisions, allowing the Obama administration to bypass Congress. The most prominent fear among conservatives would be that Becker would impose “card check” on workplaces, which would end the secret ballot for union certification and enable unions to intimidate workers into voting for unionization. With his nomination locked up in the Senate, eventually Obama used a recess appointment to install Becker in his post. And now, the Wall Street Journal writes, conservatives fears are on the way to being realized.

If Republicans take over the House this Novemember (or at least win enough seats to thwart Obama legislatively) we’ll probably see more attempts like this by Obama’s appointees to impose the administration’s agenda through regulatory means.