Press secretary for the Bush Whitehouse, Tony Snow, stated that Bush “has the ability to exercise his ‘own authority’ ..,” [my emphasis]. The comment was made in reference to a dispute in Congress and to presidential discretionary powers; however, what everybody is at pains to avoid is the nature of this “authority” in the US political system. Yes, the authority that is invested in the president is invested by the people through the democratic process; a president then becomes the representative voice of the people; and all things being equal – which they clearly are not – democracy continues in a healthy State! And therein lies the tale; the sickest democracy in the world today is the American ‘democracy.’