Funny you should mention this. Here's an example of the GWB White House and a coup de etat.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500864.html

More than illegal wiretapping was involved. What the paper said was that the White House was not accountable to either the legislature or the Supreme Court. The immediate issue was illegal wiretapping, the effect was across the board usurpation of any limits to the power to GWB.

Only the fact that the top 5 people in the Justice Department refused to sign it prevented a Hitler-style takeover of the US government. Albert Gonzalez did sign it as White House counsel, which didn't carry the weight necessary.

Gonzalez did get appointed as AG, though, and was driven out as awareness of his incompetence and bias became more public.

It was a near thing for the US, and one which was not publicized nearly enough.

Arf