After the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked, "What have you wrought?" He replied, "a republic, if you can keep it." We have kept it. For nearly 220 years our republic has endured 43 presidents, 109 Congresses, twelve major wars, three foreign-led attacks on our soil, and both positive and negative social and technological change.

We have kept this republic and it has been the model for democracies throughout the world. But now it is showing signs of fading after generations of neglect and the perversion of its founding principles in the hands of corrupt, greedy politicians. These traitors, mainly Republicans, have systematically hijacked our government and devalued our Constitution while we have sat idly by watching American Idol and being coerced into discussing whether abortions should be legal, or the Ten Commandments monument should be in courtrooms, or if same-sex marriage will break up our families. It's time to see through the fog of politics and save this republic from the wrong hands before it's too late.

Checks and Balances in Crisis: One Branch to Rule Them All

Consider George W. Bush sitting among the authors of the Constitution describing his interpretation, specifically his understanding of executive powers and the Bill of Rights. Or consider Senate Republicans describing their plan to eliminate the filibuster, the minority party's invaluable tool used to check the majority's voting power. How do you think the authors of the Constitution would react to these blatant usurpations?

Of course, the answer to that question could be subjective or even unknown. But what is known is the Constitutional Convention's reputation for meticulous debates on every clause of every article in the Constitution. Simple ideas, such as checks and balances and legislative gridlock were key to final decisions made at the Convention. The three branches of government--legislative, executive and judicial--were designed to check the power of one another preventing one branch from becoming too powerful and exercising authoritarian rule.

Although our balance of power has worked so far, what happens to it when one party with a focused agenda controls all three branches of government? That is the case today and it has led to widespread corruption and a constitutional crisis with absolutely no accountability. As this transformation runs its course, we will find ourselves reaching a crossroads similar to that of the French Revolution, when the French abandoned their republic of liberty, equality and fraternity in exchange for an autocratic empire. Similarly, the absence of checks and balances is a perilous step toward exchanging our own republic for an unaccountable one-party regime.

How can we halt this crisis or at least prevent it from worsening? If the voters in the midterm election later this year place House Democrats in the majority, we may be able to restore the balance of power with the reinforcement of legislative gridlock. Gridlock was the very intention of the authors of the Constitution, who despised an overactive and intrusive government, especially a legislative body with an agenda. Democrats can protect the founders' legacy through victory, which should be easily achieved due to the legal troubles and political disasters that have befallen Republicans over the last two years: Hurricane Katrina, Iraq, Jack Abramoff, Tom Delay, etc. The foundation of the Democratic campaign must be to restore the balance of power and reintroduce accountability to government.

The End of Accountability

Authors of the Constitution would be disgusted to see the toxic political environment in Washington today. In a time when President Bush, a Republican, is tied to scandals, indictments and constitutional discrepancies, Americans have little faith in a corrupt Republican Congress to hold him accountable. For example, Congress is currently hearing allegations that President Bush has engaged in illegal conduct by implementing a domestic surveillance program. At the same time, there is a possibility that Congress may forfeit its constitutional power to hold the executive branch to account and instead pass a bill that makes the president's alleged criminal actions lawful. Does that sound like accountability?

The president also has a responsibility in the system of checks and balances, specifically in stopping legislation. For perspective, President Clinton upheld his role in checking the legislative branch by vetoing 37 bills while in office. To date, President Bush has vetoed nothing. The political ties between the two branches have led to an overflow of bad legislation thanks to their "Rubber Stamp" relationship. Consider the rush to save Terri Shaivo, an amendment to ban same-sex marriage, and unnecessary tax cuts for the wealthy.

When the Democratic minority in the Senate tries to block flawed legislation, the Republican majority threatens to eliminate the minority's only leverage: the filibuster. Remember the "nuclear option" described by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist? The absence of the filibuster in the Senate is a grave threat to the balance of power and our civil liberties. In its accumulation of power, the conservative base of the Republican Party has declared war on the membership of the judicial branch, especially the Supreme Court, which has interpreted the Constitution in high stakes cases, such as abortion, civil rights, and more.

American citizens are directly under attack and the 2006 election is our last chance to correct our path. Our founders passed to us a great republic and we have to decide now if we will keep and repair it or lose it.