Constitutional checks and balances at risk

In crafting the Constitution, the Framers recognized that democracy, by its very nature, would allow despots to emerge and sow the seeds of factiousness. To ensure that no single individual or branch of government became powerful enough to threaten the lifeblood of the republic, safeguards were put in place in the form of checks and balances.

After 233 years, these measures have failed. The root cause is the abject fealty to Donald Trump by most Republicans in Congress, with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy leading the pack.

Liz Cheney and a few other Republicans — most notably Mitt Romney — who refuse to embrace Trump’s despotic narrative may be the last line of defense against the collapse of democracy as envisioned by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and the rest of the Framers.

Jim Paladino Tampa