ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT BREAKDOWN

With less than a week remaining until the first votes are cast in the Iowa caucuses, GOP voters will soon begin choosing our next President. The viable candidates have all had ample opportunity to explain to voters why they are the best choice to lead our nation. We are at war with Al Qaeda and other radical Islamic terrorists on a global level. The largest state sponsor of terror, Iran, is doggedly pursuing nuclear weapons (despite what the CIA theorizes) and is directly responsible for the deaths of U.S. troops in Iraq. Pakistan faces a continuing crisis that could potentially place the security of their nuclear arms at risk. Axis of Evil charter member North Korea continues to be a major threat to sell nuclear weapons or technology to terrorists. Bin Laden remains at large, occasionally sending out a video to taunt us, and our military needs a major expansion and retooling. That list only scratches the surface, so it's clear our next CINC will face unprecedented international challenges and dangers.

Republican primary voters must keep their core values in mind when making their choice. When Republicans run on and successfully communicate steady, common sense conservative ideas, they are nearly unbeatable. It's the Dems who must ameliorate their views and shift them to be effective in the general election. Republicans need only adhere to their views, which generally reflect the sentiment of middle America and not necessarily the liberal media on the coasts. Modern conservatism can be defined in a few phrases: aggressive war policies, strong border security and national defense, small government, lower taxes, pro-life, and pro-2d Ammendment individual rights. If a candidate does not meet at least those basic criteria, they are something of a moderate and thus cannot represent the base of the party. The GOP Eleventh Commandment has traditionally been not to speak ill of fellow Republicans. That's generally a good idea, but the stakes here are enormous and the time is short. Allow me to commit a few sins here and blast the contenders who are really pretenders.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has been all the rage with the liberal media elites lately, and his surge in Iowa caught everyone by surprise. Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, has apparently hit a nerve with Iowa social conservatives despite the National Right to Life endorsement of Fred Thompson. Governor Huckabee is essentially a social conservative who is has a questionable record on everything else. His record in Arkansas does is replete with tax increases and accommodation of illegal immigrants. He showed a disturbing lack of judgement in his many pardons and commutations. He has zero foreign policy or military experience, and that's been seen in his many factual mistakes over the last month. Huckabee may be a nice enough fellow, but he is not prepared to be President. The media support for him is a big red flag, considering their agenda to nominate the easiest to defeat Republican possible. Not a conservative and not prepared, scratch one Mike Huckabee.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has been near the tops of the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire. He's been a successful businessman, and as the wealthiest candidate has plenty of cash on hand. Despite his best efforts to explain and play it down, his transformation to a conservative is recent and seems to have coincided with his Presidential bid. He comes across as charming and confident, albeit he bears a strong resemblance to Count Chocula. Romney cannot be considered a reliable conservative. There's no way to tell how his views might change once elected. He said the liberal things he had to say to get elected governor of a blue state, and now he's saying the conservative things necessary to become the Republican nominee. His record on illegal immigration as governor is not encouraging. His lack of foreign policy and military experience speaks to his lack of readiness to serve. Not a conservative and not prepared, scratch one Mitt Romney.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Guliani remains at the top of most national polls for some reason. Rudy's social views are decidedly liberal, and his vows to appoint strict constructionist judges ring hollow. His aggressive war policies are commendable, but his experience in international affairs is limited to travel. Guliani is trying to sell voters on the idea that successfully running a small corner store means he can run a global enterprise. His record has faced scrutiny that has revealed touches of scandal and moderate to liberal policies. His leadership of New York on September 11th was admirable, but his penchant for mentioning 9/11 in answering the most unrelated of questions is irritating. Rudy's strategy of losing at first and coming on strong later in more favorable primary venues appears flawed. Not a conservative and not prepared, scratch one Rudy Guliani.

Arizona Senator John McCain is a certified war hero, there's no doubt about it. He is an honorable man who is definitely willing to place the good of the nation ahead of his own political interests. The problem is that McCain has repeatedly shown a zeal for abandoning or compromising conservative principles to achieve consensus progress. The McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law he authored is a tangled mess of a joke that has done little but make it harder for Republicans to compete. McCain always seems to lead the pack in the rush to cut deals with liberals. His support of a "comprehensive" immigration reform bill that granted amnesty to illegals nearly sunk his campaign. While not disqualifying, his age is a concern. Not reliably conservative, scratch one John McCain.

That leaves former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson. His reliably conservative record goes back decades. His foreign policy experience, while not commanding, is adequate and he displays a vast knowledge and clear understanding of the issues. The key is that Fred has the ability to communicate the values of the party in a clear and congenial manner to most Americans. He has a commanding presence that would go far in a general election campaign and especially debate. His support for strict border enforcement and a major investment in our military stands out above the crowd. No other candidate has laid out as many detailed proposals as Senator Thompson, despite the lateness of his entry. If the party of Lincoln is to continue as the party representing conservative values, Fred Thompson is the only possible choice. The Democrat nominee will be a liberal of the far left who can be philosophically exposed in the general, and Fred is the best man for that job. Republican caucus participants in Iowa can insure the continuation of a conservative agenda for their party by throwing their support to the only viable candidate, Fred Thompson.

There are a few other candidates, none of them electable. California Representative Duncan Hunter fits the bill but has gone nowhere and has gained no traction at all. Texas Representative Ron Paul is an ideological fossil whose presence has actually distracted from the process. California Representative Tom Tancredo recently dropped out after running an unsuccessful one issue campaign on illegal immigration, then mystifyingly endorsed Romney despite his highly suspect record on the issue.

Next Thursday starts the process. If Republicans want to win next November and guarantee a strong, secure nation run on conservative principles, Fred Thompson is the only choice.