Be proud if people consider you an extremist. Some of our greatest leaders accomplishing the most good throughout history have been considered extremists.

There's nothing wrong with being passionate about what you believe, or taking a stand even if it's unpopular and could cost you in the end. There's nothing wrong with deeply held beliefs, convictions and principles. There's nothing wrong with being an extremist.

Middle-of-the-roaders are for the weak-hearted. The passionless. The uncommitted. Going along to get along sucks.

Anchorage Rep. Les Gara is an extremist. When this ultra-liberal starts singing the praises of AGIA, I get worked into a mini-frenzy. It's hard for me to hear.

But I admire that Gara has done his homework, made a judgment and is willing to fight for what he believes. It just so happens that just about everything he believes I find wrong-headed. But Gara is a man on a mission fighting for a cause. I admire that.

While I'll admit I do get worked up when liberals start spouting off, it's nothing compared with the near-intense anger I feel when a conservative proposes or supports a liberal policy for the sole purpose of political gain. I am sure this equally angers my friends on the left when their like-minded back conservative policy for personal gain.

Remember the movie "Braveheart." It profiles William Wallace. A man with passion. A man with purpose who had dedicated himself to a cause. He didn't have a personal-gain bone in his body.

The 1995 Mel Gibson movie takes you on an emotional roller coaster as we see Wallace trying to free Scotland while going against the oppressive King Longshanks.

Longshanks is an evil soul and holds little virtue. He's easy to dislike. But the movie really riles up your anger when during a crucial battle, some of Wallace's own countrymen betray him for personal gain.

This movie helps me relate to why the very thought of Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell makes my bones hurt. Before Parnell decided to run for governor I used to talk with him about issues and policies. He was a staunch conservative.

In fact he's the main reason I voted for Sarah Palin. I thought Parnell, like William Wallace, would march into Palinista land, sword in one hand, shield in the other, ready to fight for his conservative beliefs.

With the strength of his convictions I believed Parnell would rid Palinista land of liberalism, socialism and anti-oil populism.

But instead Parnell entered Palinista land, jumped off his horse, threw down his shield and sword, fell on his knees and surrendered.

Just this past week on my radio show, Parnell made the ridiculous claim that ACES provided stability for investors. The largest tax increase in the history of Alaska, a pure money grab with no thought of how it will affect future investment, provides stability for investors?

Raising taxes to the point where there is no blood left in the turnip promotes stability? I know Parnell does not really believe that.

But just as with the countrymen who betrayed William Wallace for personal gain, Parnell has betrayed the conservative movement so he can secure the endorsement of a governor he believes he needs to get elected to Congress.

A William Wallace, Sean Parnell is not.

And then there is Anchorage Rep. Kevin Meyer. Another man who believes in the conservative movement. He believes in the private sector. He believes in the free market. All things AGIA is in direct opposition to.

So why would Meyer vote in favor of AGIA? I believe Meyer, who works for Conoco Phillips, is afraid he'll been seen as too pro oil. Therefore he laid aside his convictions and voted for personal gain.

Meyer says he voted the way he did because the question before him was, did TransCanada comply with the law of AGIA? If it did, he must vote for it. That was his benchmark.

No asking if is it good for the state? No asking whether it will it get us a pipeline. Just the passionless, robotic, near deadlike approach you would expect from someone afraid of a fight.

A William Wallace, Kevin Meyer is not.