If Ronald Reagan was running for president today and the Soviet Union was still a threat, the Conservative talk show commentators of Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh , Mark Levin, Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin to name a few , would be happy to have the Soviet Union continue, the words “Tear down this wall Mr. Gorbachev” would never be uttered and the Shining City on the Hill be nothing more than the dream of a liberal actor who wanted to put Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court bench, wanted to send US troops into the Mid East as part of Multinational Force and of course wanted to really grant amnesty to illegal aliens without building a fence. 
    Hannity, Limbaugh, Levin, Coulter, Malkin et al would be beating their chests (in the case of Limbaugh, Coulter and Malkin, beat their breasts--sorry Rush, looks like you put on few pounds) and vilifying Ronald “the liberal” Reagan. The Soviet Union would still have millions of people in countries such as Poland, the Ukraine, Slovakia, etc. under their thumb and nuclear missiles would still be trained on the US with no hope of ending the cold war.

     Thank God, that in 1980 Hannity was only graduating from high school and at best would be busy as either a bartender or construction worker for the next few years and wouldn’t know how to spell conservative until several years later.  At this time in my life I had already been a supporter of Goldwater. A few years later I would return home from Vietnam after serving 16 months there with the Marines. (I didn’t see Hannity, Rush, Levin, Coulter or Malkin there). I think Rush may have been playing some hard rock music as a DJ or maybe was saying how great them Royals were in KC. Of course if Reagan had not taken on the Fairness Doctrine – Rush Limbaugh never would be a radio conservative and in 1988 I might not have become a Rush Limbaugh listener and eventually a Ditto button wearer. (I think I still have one that I wore at some Republican Convention. It has a red light that blinks).

     I am especially saddened by the Mark Levin comments. In the early 80s Mark worked with Ed Meese and others in the Reagan cabinet. What was your position on Ronald Reagan’s nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor, Mark? Did you quit and leave in disgust or did you support her nomination? Mark what was your position on President Reagan and his signing of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which legalized 2.8 million undocumented workers? Did you quit in disgust then Mark? Did you leave the Republican Party? Did you support President Reagan’s bailout of Social Security, and his taxing of Social Security benefits? Did you agree when President Reagan signed off on a tax increase on gasoline in 1983?

     And where were you Ann and Michelle? Oh yeah, Michelle you were only about 10 years old at the time and the nuns at Holy Spirit haven’t even tried to cure you of your name-calling with that filthy word "liberal". Ann, I think you may have been busy pledging the Delta Gammas at that time. You were to become my favorite political columnist/writer, but Patricia Heaton has always been my favorite Delta Gamma.

     In 1980 I was working my butt off for Reagan's nomination and later his election. I was a Reagan volunteer, and State Delegate. I will never forget when he picked up my youngest daughter who was 5 years old at the time (she was excited about meeting Ronald Reagan, but later when we were driving home she said rather disappointedly that he didn’t look like Ronald McDonald and I had to explain to my daughter that this man was going to be the leader of the free world and that great things were going to happen because of him). I made thousands of phone calls in 1980 for fundraising and for getting out the vote, I went door to door in various neighborhoods, handed out literature at the polls, put up signs, got up at 5 am on Election Day and put door knocker voting reminders on doors before going to various polls to hand out sample ballots. 

     What did you do to help Reagan get elected in 1980 Sean? Rush? Ann? Michelle? I won’t ask you Mark.  I was part of the grassroots efforts, a Conservative in the Goldwater libertarian mold, but reaching out and calling on all Republicans, as well as Independents and even moderate Democrats.

     Where were you Sean, Rush Mark, Ann, Michelle in the 80 and 90’s?

I think it was in 2001 Hannity started to claim he was a conservative. I appreciate all you are doing for the troops Sean, I appreciate your conservative support, but you are wrong in vilifying John McCain. I was there in the 1980s and 1990s and I appreciate John McCain and his pro-life support. We held rallies at churches and on the steps of government offices. We stood in front of Target Stores protesting Dayton Hudson Foundation giving millions to Planned Parenthood. We handed out thousands of red flowers at churches in memory of the unborn, we helped those committed to pro-life by helping young women who decided to have their babies by finding clothes, toys, blankets, furniture, etc. to help reduce their financial load.

     Michelle, your eloquent articulation of conservatism is extraordinary. I wish that I was as capable as you in my support of conservatism. But your hate speeh toward McCain makes you sound and look like a KOS Blogger. 
    In the 1990’s I was told by political acquaintances that I was to the far right of Rush Limbaugh. I took that as a real complement. I believe I am an economic conservative. Cut taxes, Cut spending. Foreign policy conservative—defeat communism, defeat radical Islam. And a true social conservative—pro-life, pro-family. These are the ideals I saw in Ronald Reagan. I fought for him, I fought for these issues. Why do I support John McCain? Because I am a true conservative who sees in John McCain a true foreign policy conservative.  He stood with Reagan to defeat communism and he stands today to defeat radical Islam. He is true social conservative with a great history of pro-life and pro family support.  He is true economic conservative – cut taxes, cut spending. Do away with earmarks.

     On the issues about McCain-Feingold I totally disagree with John McCain. But McCain- Feingold will never cost one American life and we can move on and make changes. McCain-Lieberman, I also disagree with him, but McCain-Lieberman will never cost one American life. McCain-Kennedy I also disagree with. Waterboarding is another issue that I also disagree with the Senator on. But I was not a POW and I was never tortured. I will defer to the Senator’s position if he has to weigh the lives of Americans at home against the possible torture and possible death of American servicemen and women in the future.  

    In Vietnam, good men died, sometimes because of bad political policies and decisions. When President Reagan sent troops to Lebanon, good Marines died. I love Ronald Reagan, but that time he was wrong and I believe he made a grave error. In Iraq and Afghanistan, brave men and women have died and are still dying. Some of those deaths happened because of bad policy and bad decisions. Some of those bad decisions and policies were fought by John McCain. I trust Senator McCain as our Commander In Chief. I have talked with some servicemen that have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and their consensus is that Senator McCain would be a great choice for Commander in Chief. Of course if the Democrats have their way, their absentee ballots might not be counted, so they might not even have a vote. And if Ann Coulter has her way these same brave men and women will have to salute Hillary Clinton.

     This is the single issue that should control a true conservative’s vote at this time in history. With economics, there may be people suffering with a mortgage problem. But no one dies. The economic condition may worsen and some may lose jobs, but they do not lose there lives. I want a president that I can entrust with the lives of our young men and women serving. I ask you Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin et al, will your bitterness toward Senator McCain, your actual calling for conservatives to stay home, lead to a victory by democrats. Do you really believe that either of the Democrats would do a better job of protecting this country? Or is your philosophy ‘Lets make a conservative political point and if someone has to die that’s all right.” Can you live with that? Ann, can you really ask that our good military people to salute a Hillary Clinton.

     But now is the time for all Republicans to rally around the candidates who are left. I would have support Mitt Romney if he won the nomination and I would have worked hard to get him elected.

     All I ask of you Hannity, Rush, Mark, Ann and Michelle et al, is to support Senator McCain if he is nominated and I believe that he will be. I ask you to support him not simply because he is a Republican, but because of the true conservative litmus test of economics, foreign policy and social policy issues. And he is a true conservative on the issues that matter most, those that can mean the life and death of American Citizens.

     Why am I writing this to you Hannity, Rush, Mark, Ann and Michelle? Because over the years I have listened and agreed with you on most issues. I respect you. I enjoy your commentary. I have been a fan. I even have Sean on my speed dial. But your character assassination of John McCain is unwarranted. When it comes to partisanship, I am about as partisan as one can be. I believe that it is good be partisan. But if your rhetoric should cause the defeat of Senator McCain against a Hillary or Obama, you will have done a true disservice to this country. 

    I don’t think that Conservatives should blindly fall into lockstep, but I do ask that you do what is truly best for this country. I didn’t always agree with Ronald Reagan, but I truly believe that Ronald Reagan is the greatest of all US presidents.  He was a man I admired and trusted. I do not agree with John McCain on lot of issues, but I do believe that he is the best person to lead this country at this point in time. He is also a man I admire and trust. There may be other greater conservatives who could run this country. But first they have to have the courage to run. The courage to have their lives scrutinized and be under a microscope, to have every word they uttered since the first grade be examined and interpreted, to have every word they have written be read, re-read and then questioned in inane interviews  by media that want to find your Achilles heel and bring you down. They have to be electable. Republicans have to be especially prepared. After all, Republicans eat their own. Your sharp tongues cutting away at their outer layers until the soft underbelly is exposed and gobbled up by the pundits, bloggers, pollsters and then thrown out to the liberal media for the finish.  All because they just may not be as conservative as Hannity, Rush, Mark, Ann and Malkin think they should be. It seems today that the most dangerous weapon we have to face is the microphone of a conservative talk show host, who would rather posture and pander for ratings than do what is truly best for this country.

     God bless the United States of America and save us from the perils of liberalism and the arrogance of “I am more conservative than you” rhetoric. And finally I ask… What did anyone of you do to encourage and bring forth another great conservative leader to be willing to run and serve as President of these United States?  

     Have the great conservatives become great cowards. Let’s put out an all points bulletin: NEEDED --  ONE REAL CONSERVATIVE TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT. PLEASE!!!!  Come on Michelle Malkin. Go and find us a conservative candidate that we can rally around. Beg that person to run. If there is a man that you think would be great conservative, go grab him and tell him to grow some balls because the Conservatives need him. If its a woman, tell her to shave her legs and wax her mustache, the Conservatives need her. And above all, get out that litmus paper and have them all pee on it to make sure that the color turns conservative enough for you. And Ann, I hope that McCain does get the nomination, I really want to hear you support Hillary Clinton. I bet when you played as a little girl and when you didn't get your way, you took your ball and went home. Well, Ann, get your balls and go home. And Sean, when you have another Support the Troops event, please don’t invite Ann Coulter. We don’t want or need her kind of support. If she is there I promise I will organize a protest complete with Ann Coulter mock lynchings and have her inducted into the Jane Fonda Hall of Shame. This is just a lot of a RANTS from a Grunt.

Semper FI