The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. - James Madison, Federalist Papers, Number 47
What a simple concept. Something we are taught as children and that we now take for granted.
And yet today, as our President fights for his Supreme Court nominee, and anticipates his prospects of seating a new Chief Justice in the coming years, we are faced with the very real possibility of all three branches of our government being controlled by one political party, to the disadvantage of the People who are in the minority.
The accumulation of that much power into the hands of one party would end our Republic, in favor of one party rule.
The folks at USPatriotsUnited have posted another essay "A Balancing Act"
on the topic of Checks and Balances. It is well worth the read if nothing else but to remind all of us of the steady slide towards tyranny that James Madison warned us about so many years ago.
Update [2005-8-1 13:21:48 by SaraBeth]:And now we have a new ambassador to the United Nations. Unapproved by the representatives of the People. The Checks and Balances of our Constitution bypassed by the arrogance of a single man.