I am a proud Republican. I have been a Republican all of my life. I voted for Reagan and both Bushes. I have never donated a single penny to a Democratic Candidate. 

The Republican Party was founded on a set of values and principles which are expounded in our Republican Creed, and exemplified by our greatest leaders, including Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Eisenhower. 

“Our great President Dwight D. Eisenhower has counseled us further: “In all those things which deal with people, be liberal, be human. In all those things which deal with people’s money, or their economy, or their form of government, be conservative.”
— 1956 Republican Party Platform

I will wholeheartedly support any Republican candidate whose actions and words reflect the values on which our party was founded.  In the past two years, I have made financial donations to most of our local representatives, including Dickie Bell, Emmet Hanger, Ben Cline, and Steve Landes. I have marched in parades. I joined the local Augusta County Republican Committee in an effort to make a difference.

But my honor and integrity are not for sale.  Period.

I feel that it is our duty, as Republicans, not only to support our elected officials while they govern using the values and principles of our party, it is also our duty as Republicans to call them out and hold them accountable when they fail to live up to our values and principles.

Sadly, there are very few TRUE Republicans left in leadership positions in the Republican Party today. 

Today’s GOP party leaders and elected officials are failing us miserably. Corruption is running rampant at every level of our party. Our GOP leaders speak often of our Republican Creed, but their words ring hollow. Their actions do not even come close to what our creed requires. 

What’s worse, when anyone speaks out against what they want to hear, they are immediately labeled as “liberals”, “closet Democrats”, or RINO’s.  The real irony is that it’s today’s GOP leaders that are the real RINO’s.   And they have the gall to call us true Republicans RINO’s!

This week was just another example of the corruption that pervades our party. There can be no defense when a sitting President calls the leader of another country and asks them to investigate his chief political rival, and to coordinate that investigation with his personal attorney. 

The transcript released by the White House itself reveals our President doing just that.

This disgraceful action cannot be blamed on the Democrats. It cannot be blamed on the media. It cannot be blamed on the whistleblower. It cannot be blamed on Adam Schiff. It cannot be dismissed because of “all the things he has accomplished as President.” 

Richard Nixon accomplished much during his presidency. He established trade with China. He created the Environmental Protection Agency. He signed into law both the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act. He started the process of getting us out of the Vietnam War. He balanced the budget. He established OSHA. Voting age was lowered by Constitutional Amendment during his watch, and he supported the ERA amendment. He won re-election by one of the widest margins ever: 520 electoral votes to McGovern’s 17 votes.  He carried FORTY-NINE states!

But when it was revealed he obstructed justice, our own Republican Leaders did their duty and held him accountable..

It’s time for our current party leaders and elected officials to step up and DO THEIR DUTY as well.  

OH, YEAH:  Our Republican Party Platform used to say this as well: 

“We believe that basic to governmental integrity are unimpeachable ethical standards and irreproachable personal conduct by all people in government. We shall continue our insistence on honesty as an indispensable requirement of public service. We shall continue to root out corruption whenever and wherever it appears.”