This post is a howl of anguish; A rant of frustration; An attempt to “re-center” my political soul.

It was Sunday, high noon on the Florida Panhandle. I had just dropped my son off at a his friends house so they could work on their joint science project. I was in my “Man Cave”. I had donned my exercise gear, wrapped my right knee, had a towel, tuned the TV to watch “The Game”, Vikings vs. Steelers; Favre vs. Roethlisberger. Volume turned waaaay up because so I could hear over my Rowing Machine. This is my hour, made sacred to me cause it’s Pro Football season. I was assured of one hour just to enjoy the game while at the same time lose myself in the rowing my daily 10000 meters. Then the wife comes down and says I got a phone call… No biggie.. probably one of my guys telling they will be late for work Monday…. It wasn’t.

I said hello and some lady told me she was calling from “American Solutions” and would I listen to a recorded message from Newt Gingrich and then answer one question after the message. Being the good republican, I said sure (kickoff was a few minutes off) and Newt’s message began. It was a stock campaign speech, time to recapture our future, Obama is leading us to socialism, etc and then he invoked the Ronald Reagan’s name to support his cause. This caused me some unease, and as to why you will soon read.

The Recording ended and a different woman came on and said did I listen to the recording (d’oh, lady, I’m still on the line) I said sure and she then asked the question: “Did I agree with Speaker Gingrich that we needed to fight Obama’s Agenda?”

Ok, they said answer one question and this was it. I said “Of Course”. Then came what I was expecting, the old request for money. I waited and it came, would I be willing to donate $250 for an autographed copy Of Newt’s latest book. Not $25, Not $50, not even $100. Nope, the lady had the brass balls to ask me for TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS.

I am not a poor man, nor am I a rich man. I’m your average college educated guy, medically retired from the Navy due to ticker problems, making his way in the IT world as a contractor. If I didn’t have a family provide for, I would be content to work in a bookstore and live a monk-like existence with my only concession to luxury would be insistence on having an HDTV for Sports, Fox News and the Discovery Channel and a Computer with an Internet connection. Oh, yeah.. and the Rowing machine. I make a decent living, but I know the value of a buck and I pay my bills and I’ve got 9 more years till my mortgage is paid, my couture is by Sam’s Club and I drive a 12 year old Ford Ranger. (My wife keeps telling me to treat myself to a new car, we can afford it, but I’m Stubborn and would rather save the money…So I guess you could call me a tightwad.)

So I sorta gagged on the $250 smackers request and then I got pissed. I told this lady (in no uncertain terms) that I would only support Newt Gingrich when he withdrew his support for Dede Scozzafava and endorsed Doug Hoffman in the NY-23rd District race. Period.

Well, I got to give the lady on the other line credit, she gamely tried to explain why it was important to do something, but I interrupted her, not having any of it. I told her that the old compromising GOP that blew its chance in between 1994 and 2006, that became part of the problem and not the solution, were things of the past as far as I was concerned and that’s why I’m supporting Rubio over Crist and Hoffman over Scozzafava. Then I told her that if Reagan were alive, he would have been first to support Hoffman over Scozzafava, etc.. I was on fire! By now, to most normal people, it would be apparent I wasn’t giving Newt’s Organization crap, plus the game had started and I knew my hour of Zen had been ruined by this phone call. But the Lady kept trying to get me to give money. So I brought out the big gun.

I said that there was no way I giving money to a man who was banging his secretary behind his wife’s back, while they were impeaching President Clinton for porking Monica Lewinski and lying about it. (Technically, Clinton never “Porked” Lewinski, but I digress). I admit, It was the ultimate cheap shot, especially considering I was a Westpac Sailor in my day and really don’t give a damn to what adults do behind closed doors and am a libertarian in the Cheney mold on such issues. But it shut her up and we both hanged up on each other (I think she beat me to the punch… damn it)

So I got on my Rowing machine, started rowing and tried to concentrate on the game, but then I remembered the Commercial with Newt and Pelosi about Agreeing on the Climate Change Scam, and I started rowing harder, and then I remembered Newt with Al Sharpton, and I started rowing harder and then the whole choosing to support Dede Scozzafava over Doug Hoffman and (TIME OUT ON BLOGGIN ..PITTSBURGH RETURNED A VIKINGS FUMBLE FOR A TOUCHDOWN!)

Oh, Where was I ..Oh yes, well I finished my Rowing, Looked up the YouTube clips of Newt with Nancy, Al and defending Dede Scozzafava. Then I began to write this rant to cleanse my soul. (TIME OUT: VIKINGS RUN A KICKOFF FOR A TOUCHDOWN)

To all my fellow Republicans. We cannot win if we do not stand for the basic principles Reagan espoused. Limited government, Strong Defense, Individual Freedom. The only way to reduce the federal government is to limit the taxes it collects and to prioritize the spending of the taxes to effectively strengthen our country and its defenses. Newt, Dole, Bush had their chance and they blew it. Bush had a war on his hands, and while he eventually got it right in Iraq (or as right as we can..It’s up to the Iraqis now) he wasn’t as successful in Afghanistan. And Bush must share the blame waste of taxpayer treasure called TARP. But despite Bush’s failures, his financial sins pales to the orgy of spending we have seen these last ten months. And a Republican party endorsing a candidate that would rubber stamp such spending is capitulation to the Democrats. I can no more endorse Dede Scozzafava as I could endorse Olympia Snowe or Arlen Specter. Such Republicans and former Republicans give the Democrats the fig leaf of Bipartisanship they so desperately crave. (STEELERS INTERCEPT FARVE…RUN FOR TD!! 1 MINUTE LEFT IN GAME–STEELERS WIN!)

To our Republican Leaders in Congress, the RNC, RNCC, NRSC… You lose your base when you abandon your base. You could have supported Toomey over Specter. You didn’t. You can still support Hoffman over Scozzafava.

And Newt, quit making commercials and appearances in support of Democratic agendas. And stick to writing History books. Your day is over as far as the future of the Republican Party..we don’t need you anymore. Feel free to play elder statesman…but that is about it as far as I’m concerned. If you need more convincing about Newt..I present the three You tube video’s below.

Newt and Nancy endorsing the Climate Change Scam:

Here is Newt and the Reverand Al:

Here Is Newt trying to explain why he is endorsing Scozzafava over Hoffman. Just like when the NRSC supported Specter over Toomey: