Today, I returned from a trip to Europe with a few of the brightest minds in political communications including, Dave Bossie, founder of Citizens United and former Speaker, Newt Gingrich. The trip allowed them to shoot the final footage for Rendezvous with Destiny, a documentary about the legacy of Ronald Reagan through interviews with world leaders, historians, and former associates.

In France, we walked the shores of Normandy where the graves of 9,387 soldiers offer a moving reminder of the sacrifices made by America on behalf of freedom and where our 40th president marked the 40th anniversary of D-Day with a speech at Pointe du Hoc in the summer of 1984. In Poland, we visited with Lech Walesa, co-founder of Solidarity and in the Czech Republic we met with Vaclav Havel, the former president who embraced democracy in defiance of Communism. Both men recognized the failings of the extreme political left and were influenced during their careers by the optimism best communicated by Ronald Reagan.

So I return from this trip optimistic. Not because the opportunities afforded us by Reagan's vision have been truly embraced by Republican leaders. And certainly not because I believe the values of the right are best represented in the Republican's choice of John McCain. The economy is in trouble, the dollar is weak, energy prices are soaring, housing is in a slump, and food prices are on the rise. But I am optimistic nonetheless, perhaps because this trip has highlighted stories of individuals who overcame much tougher challenges and much longer odds than those we face on the political right.

And speaking of the political right, we are at a crossroads. Not since the days leading up to the Contract with America, has the need for a change in Republican leadership been so obvious. Republican leaders have failed us. For more than a decade, the vision and opportunities outlined by Reagan and further articulated by Gingrich have been squandered by ineffective Republican leaders who fail to connect with the values of the American people.

By definition, leaders lead. It is not enough to promote positions that are not-as-left as the Left and only challenge the periphery of the Democrat agenda. From spending and earmark reform to energy and health care, Republican leadership has marginalized its core values and appears content with permanent minority status; even as the prospect of an Obama presidency and expanded Democrat majorities in Congress looms large.

Indeed, change is in the air and through our own efforts and those of other like-minded organizations in the political arena, I am hopeful this election season will yield a new crop of capable leaders within the ranks of the political right.

Enjoy!

Scott W. Graves
Editor-in-Chief