As a "principled" Conservative, I am by definition, actively conserving as a way of life, thoughts, and political philosophy about the role of government in the life of Americans.

But most importantly, as Conservatives- we actively promote, Conserve, and are guided by our nation's Founding Principles and the very unique, and supreme law of our land- the Constitution.

This is FACT.

It's not negotiable, variable, or open to interpretation.

If you're not comfortable with the concept of our First Principles, and in particular the absolute and bedrock foundation of our country- a Limited Government, then you are not a principled Conservative.

You may be a fiscal Conservative, a social Conservative, or any combination of thoughts and values, but your position as a principled, or Constitutional Conservative immediately disappears when you're willing to trade any bit of freedom, liberty, or responsibility in exchange for any increased role of government in your life or mine- at any point in time.

When you look back 30, 40, 50 or more years, and look at every single major problem, hardship, or hurdle we have faced as a nation of individuals, you'll notice that they all have at least one major factor in common- they all resulted from our govt injecting itself into affairs it has no business, or legal standing, being involved in.

In other words, it reached outside the Constitutional Fence that is in place to restrain and contain it, and each transgression- if allowed to continue unchallenged, sets a precedent inviting another one.

What we continually face today is a direct result of progressive members of the GOP allowing this, and to be fair, their complacent or ineffective Conservative colleagues as well.

As a Conservative, I am a nuisance to many in the GOP. My belief in the Founding Principles is unshakable, and I am unwilling and unable to compromise on those principles, nor am I going to go away quietly. In this ongoing battle within the GOP- going back to at least the 1940s, something has got to break.

My grasp of, support of, and allegiance to those Founding Principles that propelled America to greatness is bulletproof. I do not see anything remotely resembling a similar armor plate in the GOP, and I see cracks growing continuously.

In Michigan, the clock is ticking on the Michigan Republican Party and it's hold on power- as well as their national brothers and sisters of like mind, and their ongoing rearrangement of the deck chairs is nothing more than an exercise in futility of a dying and increasingly irrelevant vision of governance.

Lip service, ineptitude, excuses, and scapegoats continue to be the order of the day, and they constantly remind me of the fact that my principles provide me solutions and a clear path to them- while their lack thereof leaves them without a map in a darkened forest of numerous winding paths and partisan opponents picking them off at every turn.

They can't do the right thing- because they don't even know what it is.

If the damage, loss, and injury was merely suffered by those responsible for it, I'd quietly stand aside and allow their eventual political demise. But the proponents of a growing and controlling govt harm me and mine as well, and that is unacceptable, to say nothing of intolerable.

Good people are being hurt, there is a price to be paid for that, and as Conservatives, we will not stand down, we will not bend, and we will not break.

NEVER!