Mary Mitchellon at the Chicago Sun-Times says Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's aggressive, "negative tone" as she exposed Barack Obama's association with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers is "dangerous."  Mitchellon also says Palin should "apologize to the Obama campaign and the American people."

I think Mitchellon has a point. 

Conservatives have indeed been misleading liberals--and the nation--for many years now. 

As a group, conservatives have led people to believe we are too ashamed of our beliefs to articulate them boldly in the arena of ideas. 

We misled people into thinking we were doormats who wouldn't stand up for what is important to us.

If conservatives showed up at all to the fight, we were usually few in number, huddled quietly in our little corners and spoke in soft voices so as not to provoke the ire of the "mainstream" media and other liberals in the opposition.  And we have been very careful to not play aggressively, lest the opposition think we're "mean." 

And because of this deception we as conservatives have perpetrated on the people of America--including"mainstream" media and other liberals--they have become accustomed to having the field to themselves. 

Then here comes Sarah Palin who is refusing to play by these established rules for conservatives. 

Oh, probably at the advice of some of her handlers (who have been in this game longer than she and know how it "should be" played) she tried in a couple of her media interviews to be the mild-mannered, submissive little conservative that was expected of her. 

But it just wasn't her.

So she's gone back to being the only conservative she knows how to be: a genuine one.  A proud one. An unapologetic one.

Palin is acting in a manner not seen from conservatives since the Reagan era, except for a brief 100-day stint from the 1994-elected Republican congressional majority.

People are simply not used to seeing this kind of bold defense of the values and ideas which created the greatest nation on earth.  It's shocking for them, perhaps even a little frightening.

So perhaps conservatives should apologize to the Obama campaign and the American people. 

Perhaps conservatives should apologize for misleading them into believing we didn't really have faith in the values we espouse. Maybe we should apologize for taking a mealy-mouthed, mamby-pamby approach to defending the U.S. Constitution and promoting a return to what made America great.

Let me be the first to apologize.  I apologize, Senator Barack Obama; I apologize, American people, on behalf of conservatism for misleading you into believing conservatives weren't sincere about our beliefs.  I apologize to you all, on behalf of conservatism, for not speaking more boldly and fighting harder for the noble ideals upon which our country was founded. 

I apologize for misleading you, and inasmuch as it is within my power, I promise not to allow you to be misled again.

Now, fellow conservatives, if you, too, join me in this repentance, let's get busy joining Sarah Palin in speaking out unapologetically for American values!