Cheney backs Limbaugh over Powell on GOP future


WASHINGTON – **** Cheney made clear Sunday he'd rather follow firebrand broadcaster Rush Limbaugh than former Joint Chiefs chairman Colin Powell into political battle over the future of the Republican Party.

Even as Cheney embraced efforts to expand the party by ex-Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and the House's No. 2 Republican, Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, the former vice president appeared to write his one-time colleague Powell out of the GOP.

Asked about recent verbal broadsides between Limbaugh and Powell, Cheney said, "If I had to choose in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh. My take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican."

Powell, who was secretary of state under President George W. Bush and held the nation's top military post under President George H.W. Bush, endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president last year. Nonetheless, since the election he has described himself as a Republican and a right-of-center conservative, though "not as right as others would like."

Cheney, citing Powell's backing of Obama over Republican nominee John McCain, said, "I assumed that that is some indication of his loyalty and his interests."

Cheney's remarks on CBS' "Face the Nation" were the latest step in his slow-motion estrangement from Powell since the two worked closely together to manage the Persian Gulf war in 1991 — Powell as the Army general who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Cheney as defense secretary for the elder Bush.

Under the younger Bush, Powell initially backed action against Iraq's Saddam Hussein and delivered a famous U.N. speech laying out the U.S. case. But Powell and Cheney increasingly parted ways over the Bush administration's policies on the war and terrorism, with Cheney usually prevailing. Powell left the administration after Bush's first term.

Wading into the debate over the GOP's future, Cheney called efforts by George W. Bush's brother Jeb, along with Cantor and Romney, as "a good thing to do," but set a limit on how far the party should go.

"The suggestion our Democratic friends always make is somehow if you Republicans were just more like Democrats, you'd win elections," Cheney said. "Well, I don't buy that. We win elections when we have good solid conservative principles to run upon."

Powell has argued the Republican Party needs to move toward the center and reach out to growing black, Hispanic and Asian communities, but instead has been shrinking because it hasn't changed as the country changed in the face of economic distress. "Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less," Powell said last week.

For months, Powell has urged the party to turn away from the acid-tongued Limbaugh. "I think what Rush does as an entertainer diminishes the party and intrudes or inserts into our public life a kind of nastiness that we would be better to do without," Powell said.

"Colin Powell is just another liberal," Limbaugh retorted. "What Colin Powell needs to do is close the loop and become a Democrat." Limbaugh said Powell is "just mad at me because I'm the one person in the country that had the guts to explain his endorsement of Obama. It was purely and solely based on race." Both Powell and Obama are black.

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Republicans don't even have a goal. A reason to exist. Their primary reason to exist was the existence of Democratic party.

That isn't good enough for me. Basing your goals on denying something is weak.

But then again, they aren't really the opposing party to democrats. They are the same party.

The real purpose of Republican party is to grab the natural enemies of Democrats, and keep them in limbo, without goals, without any battle plan. To join Republicans, therefore, is to forgo freedom and self-determination, and to be forever lowered to a lifetime purpose being a designer nuisance.

Cheney and Limbaugh wished they had one-quarter of the integrity and honor possessed by Powell.

"D$ck Cheney made clear Sunday he'd rather follow firebrand broadcaster Rush Limbaugh than former Joint Chiefs chairman Colin Powell into political battle over the future of the Republican Party."

Exactly!

Powell could have handled his Obama vote better? -YES, Cheney? (isn't he dead yet), Rush Limbaugh *SERIOUSLY???*...

The GOP needs an infusion of youth, vitality, intellegence and political savy... I just don't see where it can come from right now....

Sarah Palin?


enough said I guess....

Say it aint so joe.

If Powell had integrity and honor he would have stood behind the republican party and worked with them to resolve whatever issues they are having.
He left the republican party to jump on the Obama band wagon.

just a small reminder..

the GOP made Powell the fall guy for the Iraq nukes thing.

Powell, did you expect him not to vote for Obama? (really? c'mon) I think he just could have done it better... but he was bitter about being made a scape goat (did I say goat??)

the republicans handled Powell wrong, and lost the support and influence of a respected leader... the GOP definately needs help (and lots of it)...

What's wrong with leaving the Republican Party?

Thats just Cheney talking, not all repubs agree with him >_>

If you believe in a certain parties stance on things and you affiliate yourself with that patry you should stand behind what you believe in. And if you have problems within that party you should strive to fix them. To me thats having Integrity and Honor.

And sometimes people change their minds. Republicans have become Democrats and Democrats have become Republicans. And some left the parties to become Independents.

And they have probably done it for personal gain instead of standing behind what they truely believe in.

The ones that I know. They changed their minds. People do that.

Yes they do change their mind and usually it's for their own personal gain.

Changing one's mind is human nature.

Unless their party deserted them, changing their ideology. How about that.. A man can be fighthing for the same idea, have the same goals, and yet the party changes Its course.

That is exactly what happened to the republican party. Instead of being conservative, they became the war mongerers and the neocon virus infected all of them. I know only one real republican. rep. Ron Paul, regardless what anyone says, he is definetely a true and real republican.

He resigned over Bush's and Cheney's policies.
I couldnt knock him for being smart!