My one resolution for 2010 is scribbled on yellow post-it notes scattered about my office. They all read, “The line is drawn!” This is not meaningless symbolism; never forget Christmas Day 1776, a day when our young American experiment was near collapse. Two notes were written that fateful day; but for reasons known only to God, one was read and one was not.

General Washington authored the first note. His soldiers had suffered a terrible defeat the previous August and death, desertion and disease had shriveled his Continental Army from 20,000 to a measly 3,000. Knowing the enlistment of many of his men would expire in just six days, he ordered a precarious military strike on Trenton. The note he scribbled contained three simple words: “Victory or Death!”

The Continental Army’s march to Trenton was anything but parade worthy. One-third of Washington’s soldiers traveled without boots; their feet wrapped in burlap to dull winter’s bite. Driven by liberty, the march began at dark on a miserable Christmas Day. Boating soldiers, horses and artillery across the Delaware River in the dark, in a sleet storm, consumed 12 hours and it was 4:00 am before the patriots reassembled on the east bank for the ten mile march into battle.

Trenton was the winter outpost for 1600 mercenary Hessian soldiers under the command of Colonel Johann Rall. His note, the second prophetic message of that Christmas Day, was written by a stranger. Col. Rall was a hard-drinker and he spent this Christmas evening celebrating in the home of a man ironically named Abraham…Abraham Hunt. Shortly after midnight, a soaked and shivering loyalist burst into the house and handed a note to a servant to be delivered to the Colonel. Perturbed by the intrusion, Col. Rall stuck the unread note in his waistcoat pocket and resumed playing cards.

When the Continental soldiers launched their 8:00 am attack, the all night sleet storm had rendered their flintlocks inoperable so their first assault utilized the stealthy bayonet. The quietness of these first encounters removed many Hessians from the battle prior to a barrage of noisy artillery fire.

When Col. Rall finally roused from sleep he took to King Street to rally his forces. Before he could organize a bayonet counter-attack, he suffered mortal wounds from artillery grapeshot, and was evacuated to a nearby church. He died that evening, his pocket still containing the un-read note: “The American army is marching on Trenton.”

With the 1600 Hessian troops killed, captured or dispersed, the Continental forces trudged back to the safety of their tents on the west bank of the Delaware. During their 25 mile, 48 hour march, they suffered four wounded in battle and two fatalities from exposure. The battle at Trenton was pivotal in America’s quest for liberty.

Today, just like Christmas Day 1776, America’s founding principles are under attack. During the War for Independence, Edmund Burke stated, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.” Please join me and others who refuse to sit idly by and let our great republic be destroyed.

“The line is drawn!” is my resolution. This year I will invest every available moment filling the 2011 Montana Legislature with freedom loving patriots. The states are obligated to establish the boundaries of the federal government and they have been silent for far too long. This must change.

The 2009 Montana Made Firearms Act was our first line-in-the-sand, reminding the federal government of the limits stated in the Tenth Amendment. If Montana voters grant us veto-proof, patriot majorities, we will nullify Obamacare, carbon cap-n-tax, the Clean Water Act and other areas we deem the federal government has overstepped its constitutional authority. The line is drawn!