Tim Walberg is a liberal.

He knew that guns, gays and abortion are the fundamental issues of our time and talked of little else on the stump. So where is this kinder, gentler Tim coming from? Is this the little boy who dreamed of being a forest ranger while frolicking in the wooded acres Chicago’s south side, as he recently told a beltway reporter?

Sir, I know you grew up in the 60s. But it’s time to put that hippie persona to rest. We elected you to round up immigrants in a rickety pick-up and ship ‘em back. We sent you to Washington to pass a whopping 23 percent sales tax on consumers in your “fair tax” plan. We voted for you to kill the Department of Education, because as you said, a nation of 300 million people does not need a federal system.

Perhaps it’s time for a true Republican to stand up against this turncoat in next year’s primary, finally reclaiming the 7th District for family values. I know it breaks Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment — “Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican” — but Walberg already hurled that imperative out the window in 2006 with his ad assassination of Schwarz.

Why has thou forsaken us, Rep. Walberg? A cynic would say you’re terrified of the next election since the Democrats have taken back Congress, have topped the polls and have vocally targeted your seat. A cynic would note you still preach traditional social issues to evangelical churches and conservative groups, but you turn on the limp-wristed, lefty charm when appealing to the more than 50 percent who didn’t vote for you last year.

But I have faith in you, reverend. I know that although you’ve lost your way in the cesspool that is our Capitol, you’ll return to the warm embrace of the conservative clan before the 2008 election.

You’re going to need buckets of cash to survive this skirmish, after all. And they’re the only ones who are going to fill your collection plate.