Since the election of George Bush to the presidency in 2000, a gradual but steady increase in the single decision-making authority of the executive has been taking place. Beginning with the absolute assurance of the threat of WMDs in Iraq to the latest exposure of support of illegal Guantanamo military tribunals, the president has used every means possible to increase his unilateral executive decision-making.

Unfortunately, the list of these presidential decisions is long and may continue to grow if not checked by our congressional or judicial branches of government.

Starting in 2000, there is the Patriot Act, the opening of Guantanamo, the undermining of the Geneva Conventions’ regulations regarding the use of torture, the movement of prisoners to unknown countries abroad, the revealing of a CIA operative, Valerie Plame, the widespread use of wiretapping without a warrant – bypassing the established FISA court authorization – the recent attack on the governmental examination of global financial accounts, and most recently the Hamdan case exploring the preferred case of military tribunals in violation of prisoners’ rights under the Geneva codes.

In six years, in both foreign and domestic affairs, this president has turned away from a government of checks and balances, to increasing control by the executive branch. Our candidates for office in 2006 and 2008 must be committed to the restoration of these checks and balances – central to our democracy.

Frances Wirta

Houlton