Time To Choose: Sacrifice Power For Principles Or Sacrifice Principles For Power?

That is the question after Christine O'Donnell's huge upset win over GOP establishment candidate Mike Castle in Delaware yesterday. There are many lessons to be drawn from that contest and many new questions as a result.

The first lesson is that the Tea Party is not just a movement, it is a revolution. Remember what Tommy Lee Jones said in the movie Under Siege?

"Hence the name: movement. It moves a certain distance, then it stops, you see? A revolution gets its name by always coming back around in your face."

The RNC and RNSC haven't gotten the message yet. The Tea Party Revolution is upon them and they need to get with the program or commit political suicide.

The question now becomes: "Will the GOP sacrifice power for principles or principles for power?"

Take, for instance, what Karl Rove did on Hannity when he attacked Christine O'Donnell. According to the American Spectator:

Mere minutes after Fox News had reported the victory of conservative activist Christine O'Donnell over Establishment Congressman Mike Castle in the Delaware GOP U.S. Senate primary, former Bush Deputy Chief of Staff and Fox News consultant Karl Rove was in place on Sean Hannity's TV show to analyze. Or…well…something. The normally rational and analytical Mr. Rove had vanished. In his place was someone who looked like Karl Rove, sounded like Karl Rove…but spoke like the last guy out of the hoped-for-victory-party of the landslide losing candidate for Register of Deeds in NoPlaceville, Texas. What on earth was Rove thinking? He was bitter, angry, cutting, demeaning, mean-spirited…and those were the nice things he had to say about O'Donnell.

Even former Bush White House Press Secretary Dana Perrino stuck to the old GOP establishment talking points by constantly referring to candidates who "could win."

Rove and Perrino, like most establishment GOPers, were hoping to get that Senate seat in Delaware even if it meant abandoning Conservative principles to get it. In other words, they are more than willing to sacrifice principles for power.

But the Tea Party Revolution is going in the opposite direction. We value principles over power because without strong, consistent principles, power becomes corrupt.

Well, it also turns out that the National Republican Senatorial Committee is also deaf to the call of the Tea Party:

Carl Cameron of Fox News is reporting the National Republican Senatorial Committee will not be helping the official nominee of the Delaware Republican Party for the United States Senate in her Senate campaign.

Apparently, if their is no chance of getting the power, supporting the principles means nothing to the RNSC. This is yet another reason why they don't get any money from me.

Since the RNC and RNSC have abandoned princples for power, I suggest to everyone who was thinking of donating to either of those organizations to hold on to your money and instead donate it directly to candidates that will hold on to their principles regardless of whether or not such faithfulness will translate into power.

Rove Attack, NRSC Refusal, Will Aid O'Donnell
Jeffrey Lord
American Spectator
September 14, 2010

UPDATE: Apparently, the NRSC has had a change of heart:

NRSC Chairman Cornyn’s Statement On Delaware Senate Race
National Republican Senatorial Committee
September 15, 2010