It’s never good when opportunists, the unprincipled, and outright ingrates seek to advance themselves at the expense of past friendships, past favors, or the truth. It’s especially troubling when those who act in such a contrived and disloyal manner once held national office or still operate from a platform of national stature.

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Former Republican Governor Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania and former General Colin Powell have both recently gone out of their way to criticize conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. Why? Other than to curry favor with the Obama White House, the liberal mainstream media and those on the cocktail/Hollywood circuit, there seems to be no legitimate reason for them to go after someone who is simply and strongly expressing the opinion of tens of millions of his fellow Americans.

When recently discussing these two gentlemen on his radio program, Mr. Limbaugh rightfully asked and said, “Who’s really changed? I’ve been who I am for 20 years. When it comes to core beliefs and principles, I haven’t changed…and during these 20 years these same type of Republicans sought me out. They wanted my help in the ’94 Congressional races. They wanted my help in 2000 and 2004. They wanted my help in 2006. Many members of Congress called this program and wanted to get on this program. Now all of a sudden, I am the primary problem with the Republican Party.”

To Mr. Limbaugh’s question and points, I would ask these questions of those Republicans and ingrates who now shamefully attack him to advance their own self-interests: Do you ever actually listen to his program? Do you understand that he honestly believes and espouses conservative values? Do you understand that he is truly fearful of a leftist ideology that now controls our government, our media, and our colleges and universities? Do you understand that he is worried that if you water down or change sacred principles to pander or morph into the party in power, that it’s extremely unhealthy for the Republic? Do you understand that some on the left are trying to snuff out the voices of dissention and freedom of speech and you have become the useful idiots of their censorship campaign?

In concert with the concerns of Mr. Limbaugh, conservative radio and television host Sean Hannity has recently been saying, “I don’t think the United States of our parents exists anymore.” For me, that is a line that resonates for several reasons. The main reason being that over two years after writing the novel “America’s Last Days,” there is not a week that goes by that I don’t get an email from a reader - usually military, police, or current or former government types -- which echoes the words of Sean Hannity by saying, “Thanks for writing a novel that addresses exactly my fears for our nation. As far as I’m concerned, the United States of my parents and grandparents no longer exists and the far-left will ensure that it does not exist in our “history” books for my children to read.”

In this novel, a super-militia which believes in traditional values has been created, and is headed up by the former Director of the FBI and the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In a fictional meeting between the head of this militia called “The 1776 Command” and the sitting President of the United States, the head of the militia says in part: “Mr. President, we believe the United States of America is broken beyond all repair. We believe that the liberals in our government, in the media, and in our schools and universities, have made things so twisted that what was once the United States of America no longer exists…we believe…that a new nation must be formed. A nation that will be imbued with all that our Founding Fathers dreamed would be the bedrock of the United States of America.”

While not advocating -- that is NOT, Obama Justice Department -- for revolution, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity do share many of the beliefs and fears of my fictional characters as well as the real fears and beliefs of tens of millions of their listeners and viewers. And for that, they are being vilified by the left and abandoned by former “friends.” Vilified precisely because they choose not to walk away from their core values and conservative principles.

Understanding the motivations of those who put self and party before nation, I think it’s safe to assume that those going after Limbaugh and Hannity will never be thanking me for writing a novel that articulates the excesses and dangers of the left. No surprise and no problem.

What is a problem, is that those elbowing each other out of the way to cravenly get an invitation to an Obama State dinner will gleefully sacrifice their alleged beliefs, the loyal-opposition voices of Limbaugh, Hannity, Glenn Beck, and Mark Levin, and the rights of the American people, for a seat at that table.

Seems like “America’s Last Days” to me.