Oh the glory of living in a battleground state that holds the First in the Nation Caucuses.  It seems the GOP is laying some ground work in Iowa to prepare for the 2012 primary season.  Iowa really isn't seeing a whole lot of presidential contenders right now but we are getting a lot of advice about who we should vote for, what principles to leave behind, and the importance of party unity.  (Notice there was no discussion about advancing the Republican party platform in there.)

The lead off batter for the GOP this summer was Governor of Mississippi and head of the Republican Governors Association, Haley Barbour.  He came to speak at a fundraiser and was he was giving a rock solid speech until he uttered this:

“There are tens of millions of pro-choice Republicans that are just as good Republicans as I am, and we need to support them,” he said, adding: “That’s what party building is about, and don’t think that is giving up your principles.”

So, the Governor from one of the most pro-life states in the country thinks that giving up your principles is not giving up your principles.

Next up to bat in Iowa for the GOP a few weeks ago was our favorite President's son, Michael Reagan, who also spoke at a fundraiser with the image of a big tent in the horizon.  What the image of this big tent includes is mainly letting go of those issues that we can't agree on (i.e. the social issues) in favor of party unity.  Hmmmm...........I wonder what Barbour and Reagan would say to welcoming those big government Republicans into the fold for the sake of the party even if we don't agree with them.  I already know the answer.

I don't know who the third batter will be for the GOP in Iowa but I already know what their message will be.  As for me, I choose principle over party and I think that the winner of the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit 2012 straw poll sums it up best.

And if you think about it, there have been so very many who have told us that what we need to do as conservatives is to abandon some of these attitudes toward the sanctity of life and traditional marriage and free enterprise, just move to the center.

Well, I’m not sure that moving to the center makes a whole lot of sense, especially when the advice is coming from people who certainly don’t have ours or the country’s best interest at heart.