Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has been giving his advice to the Republican Party. It echoes the suggestions of other liberals, some who claim to be within the party and some from the other side of the aisle. All of them tell us the key to success is to become more like the Democrats. By all indications, that's what we were doing. One has to wonder if they are trying to destroy the party or simply render it inoperative.

"I think my take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican," Dick Cheney told CBS' "Face the Nation." The same has been said about California's Governator and the Senators from Maine among others. Senator Specter of Pennsylvania was also the subject of similar speculation prior to his split from his former companions. These people have made careers of rejecting Republican orthodoxy and now they think that everyone else should join them in their rush to speed the destruction of our country.

The question then becomes, are Republicans so unsure of themselves that they will give up on their traditional small government emphasis to chase, what some tell them, is the key to electoral victory? Is it worth throwing party distinctives and grassroots supporters under the bus to cater to the fleeting fancies of media driven public opinion. Even if the answer is "yes", the rest of us have to ask if electing Republicans that behave pretty much like Democrats is worth the effort.

The liberal wing (I shall not accept the fantasy of calling them moderates) of the party is actually embarrassed by those of us who cling to "guns and religion". They particularly wish pro-lifers would just go away. Sophisticated people like themselves certainly don't take those things seriously. During the '08 campaign they thought it was bad enough to have a hockey mom like Sarah Palin on the ticket, but having a country singer appear with her at some events was especially mortifying. They look down there collective noses at people who love America like Hank Jr. If truth be told, they look down their haughty noses at people like you and me... yet they think we should be happy to carry their water as they pursue agendas damaging to us, the party and our country, just because they allow us to to be part of their entourage.

Before we, lemming like, rush to follow them off a cliff, it is fair to look at the good they've done for the country and the party. I've tried, and tried, but all I've seen are the times where they have set aside the Republican small government, low personal interference and low tax positions to join with those who want to create more intrusive, more expensive federal and state bureaucracies. Sometimes we work harder than others, but in no case, do we work for this.

The tea parties were a start, but somehow we need to break through the entrenched arrogance and let these people know that their track record does not justify following them to the assured defeat or pointless victories. Discussing this with some of them is almost like dealing with Democrats. Many of us argue issues while they call us troublemakers and accuse us of trying to splinter the party. Because of "moderate" performance, the party is already splintered. Somehow we have to get the message across that either we unite around small government and some social issues or the is no reason to unite.

I see no problem with the big tent party that some are prusuing. The more conservative of us should be more than happy to allow the middle-of-the-roaders help us restore the Republican Party and curb the excesses of Obama administration.