As a party, Republicans are about to meet and nominate their candidates for election to the offices of President and Vice President of the United States.

I have two important points to make, should the Party wish to win in November.

The first point is that you presently have a Republican President. He’s been President for eight years. You may argue about the policies, the intentions, the convictions of George Bush but you cannot argue that he has not advanced any Republican policies and principles in the last eight years.

America would be a far different place had Al Gore or John Kerry been President.

The Bush Presidency is a base to build upon, not a place to run away from. Let’s honor and respect the man who has led our Party and our nation.

My second point ought to be obvious. We are not Democrats.

In 2006 the Republican party lost an election it should have won. We forgot our principles, our history and became Democrats and it cost the Party control of the House and Senate. Since then, none of our policies and principles have been advanced except with great effort.

We are not the party of pork. We are not the party of politics. We are the Party of Principle.

As it stands when I write this editorial, the Republican Party will lose additional seats in both the House and Senate. Our ability to block Democratic socialism will be lost. Taxes will rise. The military will weaken. The government will become an increasing intrusion into every aspect of our personal affairs.

There is a lesson in the 2006 election for our Party. We must learn it and put it into practice at every level, national, state and local.

We are not Democrats.