Former Secretary of State Colin Powell took on Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh Sunday, shooting down their accusations that he had abandoned the Republican Party while continuing to dish out advice to the GOP.

"I believe we need a strong Republican Party that is not just anchored in the base but has built on the base to include more individuals," Powell said. "If we don't reach out more, the party is going to be sitting on a very, very narrow base. You can only do two things with a base. You can sit on it and watch the world go by, or you can build on the base."



This kind of advice has riled some conservatives, who warn that too much moderation will cause the Republican Party to merely mimic the Democrats. It stirred figures like Limbaugh and the former vice president to criticize Powell as disloyal.

Powell Defends GOP Credentials, Calls for More Inclusive Party - Presidential Politics | Political News - FOXNews.com (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/24/powell-defends-gop-credentials-calls-inclusive-party/)

Powell voted for a Socialist and wants the Republicans to become more moderate, but claims he is not a Democrat?! What the hell is he then?

Middle of the road? Two things about being "middle of the road:"

1 - you get hit by the traffic moving in either direction.

Or as they say in Texas,

2 - the only thing you find in the middle of the road is yellow lines and dead armadillos.

I once thought Powell was headed for greatness in the Republican Party. But now I realize he stands for very little of substance. Just another old guy trying to stay in the limelight after his 15 minutes is up.

Powell abdicated any claim to being a GOP'er or any pretense of supporting moderation in the party by not supporting McCain. When a RINO doesn't do it for you, you're just kidding.

Powell abdicated any claim to being a GOP'er or any pretense of supporting moderation in the party by not supporting McCain. When a RINO doesn't do it for you, you're just kidding.


I suppose that is his lone saving grace - even if he did not want to support a moderate non-conservative RINO like McCain, he could have done what the rest of us did out of desperation: hold your nose and vote for the lesser of the 2 evils. I notice Powell says very little on how he thinks Obammy is doing now that he has the job.

I suppose that is his lone saving grace - even if he did not want to support a moderate non-conservative RINO like McCain, he could have done what the rest of us did out of desperation: hold your nose and vote for the lesser of the 2 evils. I notice Powell says very little on how he thinks Obammy is doing now that he has the job.

Lets put it to Colon Powell like it is.

Colon voted for an inexperienced jr. Senator from the State that has more political crooks per capita than any other. Colon knew about the associations with Bill Ayres, Frank Davis, he knew about ACORN and their frauds, He knew Obama was not in any way ready to be President, and yet he voted for Obama because they are both of the same race.

Race counted more than Colon's political party.

It could be excused if Obama had ever done anything significant other then giving good speech with a teleprompter, but the fact is he never did. yet Colon voted for him.

Now Colon wants us to call him a Republican. well Colon you can call yourself Superman if you like but the costume Dont Fit.

Powell abdicated any claim to being a GOP'er or any pretense of supporting moderation in the party by not supporting McCain. When a RINO doesn't do it for you, you're just kidding.

Gingrich disagrees (http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/gingrich_colin_powell/2009/05/24/217771.html):

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich backed Dick Cheney’s critique of the Obama administration’s anti-terror policy Sunday, calling it one of several ‘big mistakes’ being made in national security by the Democrats.

But he broke ranks with the former vice president over Colin Powell, saying that the former Secretary of State belonged in the party and that Republicans should be the party of the ‘big tent’ even if fights broke out in that tent from time to time.

“I don't want to pick a fight with Dick Cheney, but I think, the fact is the Republican Party has to be a broad party that appeals across the country and that does so--I mean, we have the governor of Vermont, we have the governor of Rhode Island,” Gingrich said.

“These, these are not states that are traditional Southern, right wing states --- to be a national party you have to have a big enough tent that you inevitably have fights inside the tent … I think Republicans are going to be very foolish if they run around deciding that they're going to see how much they can purge us down to the smallest possible base."

I was so ready for a Gingrich run in '12. Now it seems he has succumbed to the centrist mentality of the GOP.

Powell couldn't stand the thought of being marginalized. So he had to disassociate himeself from Bush/Bush/Cheney ... ie he's playing politics and Obama has the cleavage now ...

I was so ready for a Gingrich run in '12. Now it seems he has succumbed to the centrist mentality of the GOP.

Think about this;

to be a national party you have to have a big enough tent that you inevitably have fights inside the tent … I think Republicans are going to be very foolish if they run around deciding that they're going to see how much they can purge us down to the smallest possible base."

Purge how? Who has been purged from the party? Powell? If Colin Powell doesn't think John McCain, considered a Republican in name only by many, is moderate enough then what is there to say?

The only purging going on is people like Powell, who voted FOR Obama, and people now like, I guess, Newt, who want the right purged. I mean, this is simple; regardless of how big the tent is, someones gonna lead.

The party can't be for free markets and TARP. It can have people in it, some who prefer free markets and some who prefer TARP, but when deciding time comes, you only get one vote. It can have people in it who are pro life and some who are pro choice but, again, you get one vote. Name it, oil, illegal immigration, health care, politics, at the end of the day means one thing; voting.

Gingrich and Powell can accuse the party of wanting to purge the left within the party but they can't get around the fact of how the GOP voted on issue after issue after issue the last nearly decade.

Whomever leads doesn't have to be 'correct' GOP on every issue but it would be nice if they were on most of them.

Think about this;



Purge how? Who has been purged from the party? Powell? If Colin Powell doesn't think John McCain, considered a Republican in name only by many, is moderate enough then what is there to say?

The only purging going on is people like Powell, who voted FOR Obama, and people now like, I guess, Newt, who want the right purged. I mean, this is simple; regardless of how big the tent is, someones gonna lead.

The party can't be for free markets and TARP. It can have people in it, some who prefer free markets and some who prefer TARP, but when deciding time comes, you only get one vote. It can have people in it who are pro life and some who are pro choice but, again, you get one vote. Name it, oil, illegal immigration, health care, politics, at the end of the day means one thing; voting.

Gingrich and Powell can accuse the party of wanting to purge the left within the party but they can't get around the fact of how the GOP voted on issue after issue after issue the last nearly decade.

Whomever leads doesn't have to be 'correct' GOP on every issue but it would be nice if they were on most of them.

When you have people like Gingrich, who hold (what I thought was) the banner for conservatism say things like this:

“I don’t think anybody has the authority to read anybody out of a free party”, Mr. Gingrich said in an interview. “Having started my career in Georgia when there were no Republicans and we were eager to show up, and having been in the House for 15 years as a member of the minority, I’ll tell you if we didn’t have moderates, we would never have become a majority party.”

This doesn’t sound much like a purging of moderates like McCain or liberals like Powell. Currently I would say conservatives have been purged from the party. Newt just purged himself with his latest appeasement of the middle and left. I can’t wait to hear what Rush has to say about all of this.

Which reminds me… why has Paul been so quiet on all of this?

Think about this;



The party can't be for free markets and TARP. It can have people in it, some who prefer free markets and some who prefer TARP, but when deciding time comes, you only get one vote......

Last time i checked TARP was signed by a Republican President.

Last time i checked TARP was signed by a RINO President.

:fixed:

Powell voted for a Socialist and wants the Republicans to become more moderate, but claims he is not a Democrat?! What the hell is he then?He is clearly not a Republican, because if he were he would admit that Republicans are inclusive because they will stand up for every American's freedoms. Democrats are the ones who wish to hyphenate everyone into subcategories and promote the class resentment. Yet so many folks have come to believe the exact opposite; that's some great marketing from the Dems, and the Reps have allowed themselves to be abused.

... the Reps have allowed themselves to be abused.

It's not too hard when you have a growing left wing and propaganda machine behind them called the media.

Last time i checked TARP was signed by a Republican President.

Yes and voted for and approved by the new Democrat one.

Last time i checked TARP was signed by a Republican President.

Very good! It was a mistake then and I said so. Many people did. Over 70% of the American people at the time said so. It was worse than a mistake; it was a catastrophe for our nation.

Last time i checked TARP was signed by a Republican President.

Seems to me, you liberals should be very happy W opened the door and set the stage for what will become H's greatest accomplishment: irresponsible spending...just another Bush policy he is continueing on a much grander scale.

So if I read you correctly, H is four times worse than W. It was a truly major dissappointment for conservatives when W ushered in socialism. And now it has beome the only tool in H's sadly inexperienced hands.

It must really suck to know you voted for the anti-Bush and now we're stuck with the anti-Christ.

Seems to me, you liberals should be very happy W opened the door and set the stage for what will become H's greatest accomplishment: irresponsible spending...[/B][/COLOR]

Exactly. The left owes, obviously, a tremendous amount to W. for starting many things they could have not got going on their own. Certainly, they worked to get in position and had the ideas and desire and took advantage of the opportunity, but, without a Republican saying "Hey! Let's take over banks and insurance and car making!" it never happens.

However, it's probably not a good idea to expect appreciation for anything from the left. Hell, they seem as angry now as ever, witness by the heated jihad to get Bush and Cheney and their counsel and set their own mark on our politics; illegalizing the predecessor.

Gingrich disagrees (http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/gingrich_colin_powell/2009/05/24/217771.html):

I was so ready for a Gingrich run in '12.

I was watching him on Meet the Press with my mother-in-law, and she said "this man HAS to become President". And I agreed, except that Newt has almost as big an image problem as Dan Quayle had. He evokes this knee-jerk dislike from all quarters, for absolutely no reason at all. I remember years ago watching his Reinhardt lecture series and was impressed enough to encourage others to watch him - people who hitherto had publicly expressed their dislike for the man. They changed their minds after the lectures.

Most people I know who don't like him really don't know very much about him. Anyone I know who doesn't really know him that well would be surprised at how much they agree with him.