I’m one who always believes in serving the Country — not a person, not a party. I seek every day to advance the foundational principles and values of this Constitutional Republic: limited governance and the system of federalism, fiscal responsibility, individual sovereignty, free market economy and strong national defense. I know the issues necessary to restore our Republic’s economic growth, strength and security. I don’t look for 100% on a litmus test; rather, I understand getting someone who’s 70-75% is a good start.

That said, Donald Trump is not my ideal presidential nominee; however, I nonetheless will do everything I can to get him across the finish line. I believe there’s a far better chance to have a positive impact on our Republic with a Trump, than a Clinton.

So what’s perplexing to me, understanding folks have principles and values, is the difference in the response from the GOP as opposed to the Democrat party when it comes to the respective nominees. Here’s an example from Real Clear Politics:

Illinois congressman Adam Kinzinger tells CNN’s Wolf Blitzer why he will not be supporting GOP nominee for president Donald Trump.

“My district voted for Donald Trump. I have a lot of great people that support me that support Donald Trump, that are probably a little upset with what I’m doing. I say this, look, great people support him. People each have their own reasons, their own decision to decide who they want to vote for.

For me though, I came into politics as an extension of my service in the military and service to my country. I’m a Republican because I believe that through Republicanism is the best way to defend the United States of America, but I’m an American before I’m a Republican. When I see a frontrunner, or actually a nominee now, that throws all these Republican principals on their head, that a president who has almost unchecked power in foreign policy, who talks about how great Vladimir Putin is, how he doesn’t even know that the Russians are in Ukraine, makes fun of the disabled, and the whole litany of things from the Gold Star family on. For me personally, and I’m not trying to say to other people that you can’t support Donald Trump, I’m saying for me personally, how can I support that? Because he has crossed so many red lines that a Commander in Chief, or a candidate for Commander in Chief should never cross. It’s a tough position for me to be in…”

Rep. Adam Kinzinger and I came to Congress at the same time back in 2011. I know him well, and his record of service to this Nation as an Air Force AC-130 pilot is honorable and above reproach. It would be very easy to attack Rep. Kinzinger as not being a team player, but we must come to an understanding that there is a two-way street to leadership.

Leadership is not about being served; rather, it’s about serving others. As a battalion commander, I learned all of those years that being a successful leader is about enabling others to rise, not propping yourself up on them. Leadership is about taking a diverse group of people and uniting them in the endeavor to achieve a singular goal. In the case of this presidential election, it’s all about reclaiming and advancing liberty — that’s a unifying message that would support Trump’s “Make America Great Again” theme.

These rallies need be about open dialogue with the people — and I mean all people — that means going into the communities that need to know economic enslavement and dependency is not consistent with the values of our Nation. I would suggest Donald Trump take the time over the next few days and read about one of my favorite military leaders — Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a simple professor of rhetoric from Bowdoin College in Maine. His is the story of a ordinary man who rose at a critical time to do something extraordinary, yet his life was grounded in humility.

I know it’s easy to become angered with Rep. Adam Kinzinger, but there is a culpability that falls at the feet of Donald Trump. Now, I do find it amazing that the Democrats, and their liberal progressive media accomplices, just line right up behind a pathological liar like Hillary Clinton. Let’s realize something, that we, on the constitutional conservative side do have a conscience, and as Adam Kinzinger just evidenced, we search our souls. I don’t think the Democrat party has a soul; just look at what they did to the Bernie Sanders supporters. Meanwhile, Sanders, for all his talk, just fell in line — and if you think Hillary Clinton will honor any progressive platform if elected…ask yourself why she’s received tens of millions of dollars from Wall Street hedge fund managers and the likes of Warren Buffet. Funny, Hillary Clinton even said she would raise taxes on the middle class, and Buffet was clapping. The message from the Trump campaign should be about two things right now: $400M to the Iranians and Hillary Clinton raising taxes on the middle class.

Let me repeat what I said yesterday: no one wins or survives in a circular firing squad. But it takes leadership to turn the circle into a firing line that can deliver well-aimed and lethal fires upon the target. That’s what is missing — and needed. I know there are those who just feel everything’s fine, and Donald Trump is doing exactly what you want. But even with all of his bluster, General George Patton never lost a battle, and his troops knew he was bold, audacious and ambitious — but he wanted the best for his men, victory. And victory is not about the one, it is about this Nation.

Those of you who’ve never studied Col. Chamberlain, just know, he was one of the leadership case studies we all had to learn as new Lieutenants. There was a reason why, because Chamberlain was not a professional military officer, but when he was given the most important mission and position on the second day at Gettysburg, he led. That’s what we need, that’s what folks are looking for: someone to inspire ordinary to be extraordinary.