There are many reasons that Sarah Palin is energizing the conservative base. It's not just her authenticity, freshness, noble defense of traditional values, and vivaciousness. This lady is finally giving red-state conservatives a voice, and she's taking it to the other side without apologies.

Democrats are crying foul because she's confronting Barack Obama for his worrisome attitudes about America and his way-more-than-casual association with unrepentant domestic terrorist William Ayers. Some squeamish conservatives are counseling that we ignore this issue either because it is unpleasant and unfair or that it's a distraction from the "substantive" issues.

Nonsense. This issue is neither unfair nor a diversion. It is imperative that we learn the extent of Obama's intimacy with this man. It's vital that we examine whether this relationship is part of a pattern of Barack Obama associating himself with people and causes that are hostile to the foundational principles of this nation.

We must reject the Democrats' convenient talking point that McCain and Palin can't walk and chew gum at the same time. That if they focus on Ayers, they can't explore Wright, Rezko, Raines, ACORN, the Democrats' primary culpability for the financial crisis, the evils of socialized medicine, the danger to America in Obama's retreat-and-defeat foreign policy, or his hostility to the free market.

Indeed, we must applaud Sarah Palin for standing up to her opponents and returning hostile fire. We're ready for her to lead the charge, not only on Obama's sordid relationships but also in articulating the monumental differences between the liberal and conservative approaches to governance.

These national Democrats must be kidding when they complain about incivility or dirty politics. They've written the book on partisan incivility during the past eight years with their ceaseless avalanche of lies in service to their psychotic catharsis against George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

But Republicans don't have to resort to dirty politics to score points against Obama and Biden. They just need to get the truth out.

Conservatives, who have witnessed the Democrats' propaganda bloodbath against the Bush administration since Bush-Gore 2000, have wondered, "When is the president going to fight back?"

We see Democrats driving around with their snarky bumper stickers, "Had Enough?" and think to ourselves: "Yes, we've had enough of the lies. We've had enough of the assault on traditional values and the sanctity of life. We've had enough of tearing America down. We've had enough of the mainstream media being in the tank for Democrats and Barack Obama — then shamelessly denying it. We've had enough of Bush Derangement syndrome. We've had enough of their resistance to taking the terrorist threat seriously. We've had enough of the class and race warfare that threaten the social fabric of our society and the economic underpinnings of this nation. We've had enough false allegations of voter intimidation from Democrats who turn right around and threaten criminal prosecution against those who criticize their presidential candidate. We've had enough of liberal candidates deceitfully denying their liberalism. We've had enough of incendiary charges of racism against Republicans such as Sarah Palin for daring to suggest that Barack Obama doesn't see 'America like you and I see America.'"

I don't know about you, but I'm not particularly interested in some bipartisan love fest in which Joe Biden tells us he loves John McCain or John McCain lavishes high praise on global warming fearmonger Al Gore.

The future of this nation is on the line in November, and I don't believe our destiny depends on whether Washington politicians demonstrate collegiality. Isn't it more important that they stand on principle?

We can only hope that more Republican politicians will follow Sarah Palin's valiant lead in defending the traditional values and principles shared by the less than vociferous center-right majority in this nation.

They must quit knuckling under to the opportunistic demonization of achievement, profit and free-market forces. They must resist the patronizing pandering to "the middle class." They must oppose environmental Stalinists, who will destroy our way of life and our economy based on false, sensationalized and disputed science and who demonize anyone who challenges their orthodoxy. They must call down those who insist on pooh-poohing the terrorist threat and downplaying the essential moral distinction between the forces of good and evil in the world. They must protect our borders despite the dishonest charges of racism and nativism. They must protect our Constitution from activist judges.

Now is not the time for conservative politicians to go wobbly, even if some conservative commentators are. It is the time to fight back — to challenge the fundamental assumptions of liberalism and to underscore the threat it represents to this country.

So keep it up, Sarah, and maybe others will follow your courageous example.

David Limbaugh is a writer, author and attorney. His book "Bankrupt: The Intellectual and Moral Bankruptcy of Today's Democratic Party" was released recently in paperback. To find out more about David Limbaugh, please visit his Web site at www.davidlimbaugh.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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