Colin Powell Slams Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh: "Nothing Wrong With My Value System" (VIDEO)

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell took aim at Sarah Palin and the Republican party's emphasis on small-town values during an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakharia that will air this Sunday.

Powell also says that we should rethink its "don't ask, don't tell" policy on homosexuals in the military. And he tells Republicans that they should stop listening to Rush Limbaugh:

"Can we continue to listen to Rush Limbaugh?" Powell asked. "Is this really the kind of party that we want to be when these kinds of spokespersons seem to appeal to our lesser instincts rather than our better instincts?"

As noted by Think Progress, Powell says:

Gov. Palin, to some extent, pushed the party more to the right, and I think she had something of a polarizing effect when she talked about how small town values are good. Well, most of us don't live in small towns. And I was raised in the South Bronx, and there's nothing wrong with my value system from the South Bronx.

And when they came to Virginia and said the southern part of Virginia is good and the northern part of Virginia is bad. The only problem with that is there are more votes in the northern part of Virginia than there are in the southern part of Virginia, so that doesn't work.

Watch it:

Comments

[hudel]

Colin is not a conservative. He was Bush's attempt to spread the wealth by appointing him as Sec State. He is and always was a affirmative action politico.

[aloha43]

Regarding the story that Palin's father said she will be a great grandmother.

How? She hasn't been a very good mother parading those children all across the country. If she stayed home and took care of her family, that would be different. Palin thinks only of herself and her career, so that will get in the way of her being a good grandmother.

Good luck to Bristol on your new pending arrival.

[UberReaganite]

Bush not only lost the 2008 election because he is a complete and utter failure but he already lost the 2012 election for the Republicans party too. Republicans can pick whatever candidate they want and they dont stand a chance of getting elected in 2012. America is sick and tired of Republican BS.

If they go with Palin they will only lose by a wider margin.

Terrorists, UnAmericans, Liberals - those arent the threat to America - Republicans are and they have proven it. That's why smart Americans dont trust Republican leadership any more.

[newbridge]

Hopefully, the Republican Party will go the way of the Whigs and the Bullmoose party. They are the Neanderthals of the 21st Century - Unable to compete, innovate and change to meet new century imperatives. They are no longer viable or acceptable. America has outgrown Rush, Rove, Hannity , Gingrich, Coulter and all their hangers-ons. Colin Powell is right - good riddance to the "Grand Old Party".

[Teyshar]

The Bullmoose party? What did that party due? Come on man that is reaching. Hmm Women's rights..Bull Moose. Uh National Parks..Bullmoose. Hmm Anti trust? Regulation? Unionization? Workers right to strike? Statement that corporations must in the end benefit the nation or be removed of their status. Woulda come in handy in this day and age. I'll take a few neanderthal ideals and ignore a few progressive. Even If I would take more Progressive and less Neanderthal. In the end, somewhere in the middle of the two extremes is an answer.

[yhgtup]

I'm a liberal Dem. But, I have always had much respect for Colin Powell. Had he run for president a few years ago, when it was suggested, there's a small possibility I would have voted for him.

[margo4it]

Has anyone checked into the Palin Deception blog recently?
A lady named Audrey is meticulously proving that Palin lied about her pregnancy. Audrey is a neo natal nurse and her husband is a doctor. Take a look and make you own judgment.

http://www.palindeception.com/blog/2008/12/elan-frank-screenshots.html

[JuergenHartl]

Colin Powell one of the few Republicans that has arrived in the 21st century

[shedances]

I'm a liberal Democrat; but I have a great deal of respect for Colin Powell, esp. after he parted company with Bush. And I think a great majority of voters agreed with his views on Sarah Palin & the direction of the Republican Party ... hence, the landslide we saw in November.

[GeneCar]

Lyndon Johnson, Nixon and Reagan achieved landslide victories in the popular vote. Obama did not. His percent was not much greater than George Bush's 2004. The fact that he did not achieve a landslide is due to Governor Palin. Colin Powell's view of the Alaskan Governor is based on a media caricature not reality. He has never met and talked with her.

[aloha43]

I tend to disagree. Palin was the downfall.

The religious bible belt, redneck belt, conservative right wing, unintelligent idiots were the reason there were that many that voted for McCain/Palin. And they are the only ones who think she is their 2012 person. Do we want idiots running our country? We've had enough of that the last 8 years.

And why in the world would Powell want to meet with her. She is an idiot. She has proven that she can't even hold up to a Catie Couric interview, think of how she would act with Powell?

When Putin rears his head...........

I respect him for not giving in to her stupidity.

[clamperken]

Why would anyone with a lick of sense be interested in talking with Sarah Palin? She is completely absent of any real intelligence. She proved this with her own ignorance of the world around her. Powell, nor any other intelligent person would not waste the time of day talking to a total airhead. His conclusions came directly from the unintelligible words spewing from her own mouth. Quit blaming the media for her lack of qualifications. They didn't answer the questions for her, they simply asked her the questions. It is not thier fault she had no answers to such basic questions as she was asked.

[HelenBach]

I'm still waiting for Colin Powell's apology to the Nation for that whole Yellow Cake thing. And I'm on the Far Far Far left. come on! man up!

[chascates]

Me too. He can't give advice till he's willing to own up for that.

[claudeboo]

If Obama's first term does not go well (for whatever reasen), the Republicans will dominate the 2012 election. Let's not kid ourselves about Palin and those on the far right. She will emerge, more polished, more tutored and take full advantage if the democrats stumble. She'll move a little more toward the center - not much - but just enough to make a difference if there's a weak spot.

Also, don't underestimate the power of the Limbaughs and the other rightwing radio heads. They will position themselves to save the republicans by 2012. There's lots of time to get their act together. This is a very dangerouse lot - and with this much time to organize, the next 2 elections will be very interesting.

[NOLIESPLEASE]

My friend, the crap has not hit the fan just yet. Wait til Bush is out of office and the truth starts coming in bit by bit.

You will not see another repug in office for a long time. This is just the bigining of this mess. People will remember. When you have no job, no oppertunity ....you sit back and think of how you got into this mess. Well who's name do you think they will think of ???? BUSH !!! and the repugs.

So incase you have a fantasy of the GOP getting back in power......THINK AGAIN !!! AND THINK HARD.

[schoolmaster]

That Colin Powell would like to be remembered as a soldier in spite of his holding high offices speaks about the man he is, and must be recognized as a humble statesman. His desire not to compare the presidents that he worked with is the testimony that he would like to be recognized more as a soldier. His role in the Iraq war is circumstantial and unfortunate, and he should be remembered for his service to the nation otherwise.

[dndavis]

Powell's role in the Iraq war was freely chosen, not "circumstantial and unfortunate." In the run-up to the First Gulf War, he parroted Bush I's lies about Saddam massing an invasion force on the Saudi border. As Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff of the Americal Division, he attempted to cover-up the My Lai massacre. Powell is, and always has been, unquestioningly obedient to power: maybe that's why he prefers to be remembered as a soldier.

[apoliticalchick]

Please excuse Colin Powell for having a brain
http://democralypsenow.blogspot.com/

[alteregoess]

The small town values thing reminds me of the National Geographic article several years ago about Michael Fay's transect across Africa, in which he snidely denounced people who live in suburbs. Yet he relied heavily on the use of technology such as GPS devices to help him navigate through unmapped areas. Being related to an engineer who helps design such devices and happens to live in a suburb, I found his hypocrisy laughable. Hate the people, rely on their work. Generalizing about anyone because of where they live is ridiculous.

[ladyvoter]

Gen Colin Powell is correct. As long as the Republicans look to the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin as spokesmen for the GOP, the party will continue to decline. There was a time when Republican statesmen like Evette Dirksen, or party leaders like Dwight Eisenhower, defined the party. Now it's nutcase blowhards like Limbaugh , Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly. Or incompetent nitwits like Palin, Clean up the party so we will have a strong 2 party system.

[HyperInfluential]

Why can't the Republican party just fade away from being "mainstream" and become a fringe party before finally dying off? I think it's Orwellian to buy into the mainstream media mindset that there will ALWAYS be two parties, and they will always be the Democrats and Republicans, even though I'm sure it helps them better plan their programming schedule if nothing ever changes. Breaking News: "These two parties are the only two parties, and have always been the only two parties, and will always be the only two parties, and to suggest otherwise is doubleplusungood."

The idea that these two parties are permanent and unchangeable, and they can never fade away, and no third party could ever break through, is SO strongly set in people's minds that a lot of Americans are not even aware that the two current parties didn't even exist at time of America's creation, and that we have had several different major parties throughout our history. I think that without the media propping them up, the self-proclaimed "grand old party" will go the way of the Whigs and the Tories. If they stop being profitable to the media, that will be the end of them.

[JGC1010]

The Democratic party started with Thomas Jefferson. The Republican party started shortly before the election of 1856.

[lapetropoulos]

I'm really sick of all this "small town value" nonsense. I grew up in a small town, lived in a big city and went back to small town living. Guess what? Folks in small towns are often intolerant and closed minded, and incredibly suspicious of people who don't look/act/dress as they do. That's the value set I first think of when talking about small towns. Of course there are people in small towns who are kind and giving (though sometimes only to people in their own community), and value family and spirituality, but those values exist just as strongly in big cities. On the other hand, in big cities, you will find the same negative value set as above. So where does that leave us? Wondering what purpose the divisiveness serves, maybe? The only answer I can find is that it's being used as an intimidation tool during elections. Our only recourse is to call out the politicians who use it, and that does not make us haters.