HITRAP is an acronym coined by retired Marine Lieutenant General Bob Milligan when he was Comptroller of Florida. It means "Honesty, Integrity, Trust, Responsibility, Accountability, and love for and the People we serve." What this country needs are more Bob Milligans!

Why is the Republican Party in so much trouble? The easy answer is, "Because it deserves it." There are many people in that now fast dying Party, in fact who follow politics in general who say, "that's just how politics is." Perhaps that is so, somewhat. But, the U.S. system of government was never intended to be a case of "gotcha" or one "ups-man-ship" or political careerism.

Men who had an abiding faith in the Almighty Creator of the Universe wrote the Constitution. Eleven year earlier when they penned in the Declaration of Independence, they wrote: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," read on because, "that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--" The writers believed, and they were right, that rights flowed from a source superior to the King or any other human, they and we believe that rights have their origin in and flow from the Creator.

(As an aside: A Creator creates. The Holy Bible, in John 1:1 states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." God is the Almighty Creator of all things, in the Universe and beyond and it was that Creator that brought forth things that are observable and quantifiable into being incident to His spoken Word. Genesis 1:3 states, "And God said, 'Let there be light: and there was light.'" He did not wave His arms, take matter in His hands and mold it, do a dance, shake his body, bow or kneel, God spoke and there was light. Now, back to John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Matthew 12:36 states: "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment." And that is followed by Matthew 12:37, which states: "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." From this one can deduce that there is infinite power in the Word, and similarly in the words that we utter; what we utter is what will be. For those unbelievers who challenge my assertion that neither Obama nor Rodham-Clinton will be the next President, they will not, so pass the word. Does that translate into McCain will be? I don't know, yet.)

"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed," This raises the question about the limits of Government's authority and that question is answered in the next phrase, "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government."

A good friend who recently ran for office came in second to a young man who's theme was that given his lawyer background and knowledge of a bagful of dirty tricks, the voters should elect him and he would bring home the "bacon" for the next fifty years. If that is the foundation upon with that particular electorate wants political leadership, I for one, pity them. Their ignorance and selfishness make them unworthy and incapable of serious participation in the political process envisioned by the writers of the Declaration or Constitution. But, we have them, and to them appeal those politicians whether Republican or Democrat, who want fifty years of influence and power, in short "political careerism." Political careerism is the root cause of the dysfunctional state of politics in the United States; and, I loathe political careerism and political careerists. Anyone care to inform me what the approval rating is for Congress and the President? Thanks, I already know.

It has been said, "The voters get what they deserve." "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

Finally, Obama and Rodham-Clinton notwithstanding their ability to dupe large portions of the electorate are certifiable liars. Both are guilty of a plethora of repeated lies. A little piece from a largely unread book states in Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." And they want to be President of the United States of America; and, want my vote? Get serious! What this country needs are more Bob Milligans!

Semper Fidelis