The World Has Changed

To: Editor, San Francisco Chronicle

“The World Has Changed,” proclaimed the headline on the front page inaugural edition of the San Francisco Chronicle. Indeed it has:

On January 20, 2009 Iran and North Korea ended their nuclear programs, Hamas and Hezbollah recognized Israel’s right to exist and Al Qaeda renounced terrorism. Canadians stopped flooding U.S. hospitals and Mexican immigrants applied for visas. San Francisco ended Sanctuary City status and closed its pot clubs.

Guilt laden liberals, and religious leaders, fulfilled Martin Luther King's dream: They now judge people by the content of character, not color of skin, and the Chronicle puts facts on the front page and its opinions on the editorial page.

The change we’ve been waiting for is here, we hope.

NOT A TIME FOR SUNSHINE REPUBLICANS

December 1776 was a desperate time for George Washington’s Continental Army. The British had routed it in New York and New Jersey, forcing its retreat to Pennsylvania, bloodied, demoralized and ready to quit. But Washington would not quit. On Christmas Day he assembled his tattered troops, many with rags on their feet. He had his officers read a passage from Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, “The Crisis.” Washington then led his men across the Delaware to attack the Hessians at Trenton. Four years later the British quit. Paine’s immortal passage: (Abridged)

“These are the times that try men's souls…The sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink, yet the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.“

Republicans, we have a river to cross. This is not a time for Sunshine Republicans. We face a daunting task: The 2006 and 2008 election defeats will try our Republican soul, and they should. They are deserved, but not permanent, remember: “I am only wounded- I am not slain (St Barton’s Ode)

In 1964, Barry Goldwater received only 38% of the vote; four years later Richard Nixon was president. In 1976, Watergate defeated Jerry Ford; four years later Ronald Reagan was elected. “The Party of Reagan” won five of the next seven presidential elections to 2004, led the defeat of Communism, and launched 25 years of prosperity.

The Republican Party was created for a daunting task; to end slavery and save the Union. Today our task is to END “Democrat lite Republicanism“ and save our Party. Let’s cross that river, take a hard look at our “product” and correct the defects. The CRP officers, county committees and our influential clubs and organizations are the fountainhead for Republican values and issues. IT'S OUR JOB to produce an inclusive “21st Century” Republican product that boldly proclaims the core tenets of our Party. They are canons of belief; not slogans for cheerleaders.

“Government shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. The government that governs least governs best.” (Thos. Jefferson) “Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction; it must be defended constantly.” (Ronald Reagan)

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Let’s especially tell the nation and the world that we will never demean the Commander in Chief, or demoralize our military, and embolden the enemy. WE ARE NOT DEMOCRATS! (or Europeans).