Roger,

If I understand you correctly, you don't have any desire to discard the US Constitution or Bill of Rights, but only make some changes to limit the power of the President, improve checks and balances, and limit financial influences? And you do support the democratic process, although possibly in a parliamentary system of government? Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

The "bad guy" here isn't the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, but the "bad guys" that have circumvented and subverted it. The rule of law is a prerequisite for any democratic system, and you need a moral and ethical people for that rule of law. You're obviously right that the concentration of power in one person is a bad thing. Congress hasn't been doing its job, so we see the rise of the unitary-executive. However, the US Constitution provides the necessary checks and balances, if exercised. Ultimately, the problem is human nature, and to date, the US Constitution and Bill of Rights has been the best check to it in an imperfect world. Personally, I'm not that enthused about a parliamentary system just based on what Blair has managed to pull off in the UK, not to mention the police state he established in the process.

Joe