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

[drund]

As much as it pains me to say this about a republican, i could vote for him.

[VikingKing]

Challenge: If you are a Leftist, listen to the entire Yuri presentation, and the Islam presentation, then tell me about how your Leftist ideology is so superior and preferrable.
http://allanerickson.wordpress.com/2008/12/11/what-every-leftist-should-hear/

[Michugena]

The leftist label isn't sticking.

[exflatlander]

I took your bait. This site is so obviously right wing scare tactics that only a fool on the right would believe anything they have there.

[MarcosV]

Someone burned down Palin's church today. The police say arson.

[JessWonderin]

APB . . Joe the Arsonist . . .

[Chem is she]

GASP! Crime in a small town? GET OUT!

[in4success]

sarah was behind it. the media started turning away and she was desperate for attention. funny thing tho -- the story didn't grow any legs.

[RPGR]

Nixon was a BAD joke, but what’s NOT so funny is that even HE is beginning to look “good” in comparison to the pseudo “conservatives” (Reagan/Bush41/Bush43) that followed.

Fear and DEBT
DEBT and Fear
Fear and DEBT

It’s come to this:

Nixon - one of the “better” Republicans of the last 50 years - sad, but true (lol)

[redsongia]

Must we keep seeing photos of this haughty woman with 50,000 dollars worth of makeup smeared all over her cheek?

[exPatPatti]

word.

[rebelrebel]

When I was growing up, the Republican Party had much more dignity. I didn't agree with Barry Goldwater and William F. Buckley (particularly in their stance on civil rights) but they were principled men with a libertarian ideology.

Then came the Age of Reagan.

The GOP became the party of Jerry Falwell, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Gary Bauer, Pat Robertson, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and all the familiar faces of today's reactionary heirarchy. Some of these people emerged under Reagan and some came to prominence a few years later, but 1980 was the point at which the GOP stopped being a dignified party and started pandering to the lowest common denominator. Reagan's popularity gave cover to this viciousness.

Maybe it's time for Republicans to start acting like grownups again. But I'm not holding my breath.

[AriannaFan2]

I agree so much with this. Look at John Dean, who can no longer stand with the values of the Republicans. Stephanie Miller, whose father ran with Goldwater, says often that the old Republicans would be turning in their graves. Even Arianna herself, in her talk this fall for Monterey Peninsula College in California (yipee; I was there!) said John McCain used to be an honorable, principled man and that now he has "sold his soul to the devil." There is a very dark side now to American conservative politics.

[ArtCarnage]

Reagan should have been hauled off to jail, instead of getting sworn in as President. He broke the law by conducting secret negotiations with the Iranian government (illegal to do as a private citizen, which he was at that point), which ended up stalling Carter's attempts to get them release, and actually ensured that they would stay hostages far longer than they would have been - until the day secretly mandated by Regan - his inauguration day. The hostage release was every bit as much political theater as Bush's landing on an carrier, parked a mile of shore and positioned for the cameras so that it appeared to be far out to sea.

[JessWonderin]

A nice coverage of the REAL FACTS of the Reagan TREASON . . . it paved the way for his band of merry pranksters to realize their dream of a "secret Right Wing Government" accountable to NO ONE . . . the same group that sold drugs and weapons disguised as "fighting Communists" in Central America and Iran.

[LDnearthesea]

As a Californian, I saw Reagan and his politics turn what was a great state under Gerry Brown's dad, and Earl Warren before him, into the state it is now: huge money disparities between the ultra rich, and the working middle class and poor class, school districts going broke, parks left unattended, roads and bridges falling apart, etc., etc. This is the result of years of the Repugnantcans getting people who should have known better to vote for them, so that they could have their taxes lowered along with the filthy rich, so that no money ended up in Sacramento or in county seats to have anything like a "COMMUNITY" left! No Commons, no common ground, but gated communities and the rest of us living in poverty or near poverty! Homer values are falling off in middle class areas as well as areas known for being slums, like West Oakland, but in Pebble Beach and Beverly Hills, I don't see their property values dropping any! The rich can and do take care of themselves, and the rest of us get screwed!

[exflatlander]

I never liked REagan and was amazed at the adulation he got, not just from his promoters, but also from the man on the street. I figured he wasn't such a bad actor after all; he'd snookered most of the American public. In the end, that's just because much of the American public was dumb enough to be snookered. Looks like they're wising up.

First thing Obama should do is rename Reagan International. i was thoroughly disgusted with that obvious glorification of a fraud and the glee of the Republicans in getting away with it. Nect George W. Bush Airport. That's one i'd be frightened to fly out of! Probably find that the pilot was Brownie. (LOL)

[in4success]

it did not begin with reagan -- it began with nixon, rove, cheney and rummy and the "southern strategy" which was based on fear and division, stead, policy and vision. reagan's success was fostered in that ideology.

[Mildmannered]

Palin's Wasilla is the Meth Capital of Alaska

[Treehuggindirtworshiper]

sources please

[reggieb]

how lazy are you??? all you have to do is google meth capital of alaska and you get a ton of hits

[in4success]

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=mozclient&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&q=meth+capital+of+alaska

[madbear]

Spoken from a true American, whom has served this Country, with Honor.

Thank-you

[slowtono]

And now Mr Powell has decided that the left is right so he doesn't polarize the parties. Wrong move! Left is deviant and disastrous.

[cyoohoos]

Right is very wrong. Any rational person can see that.

[pvo]

The irony of the these political terms "right vs left" kills me....In Vietnamese, "right" means, literally, right (correct) and "left" means just the the opposite. Seriously though, given my cultural background, it's quite disturbing to hear that the GOP is still referred to as "right". ...I guess it would help to remind myself that they're only words that don't necessary reflect the true values/mores in civilized, humane society

[EricLightborn]

Rush Limbaugh is devious and disastrous right along with O'Reilly, Cunningham, Hannity and on and on and on. Powell is onyl saying what a million Americans already think about how sad it is that a long-time strong and honorable party is now circling the drain of popular opinion. Do you ever listen to both sides of an issue? Or do you just listen to Limbaugh and clones then quickly turn off anything that disagrees?

This problem of "appealing to lesser instincts" as Powell put it is what is strangling the political discourse in this country. I love to hear what the other side thinks even though it often gets me a bit steamed. A liberal is never going to enjoy listening to Limbaugh just like a conservative is never going to enjoy some Air America but it is important to look over the fence before you start making declarations about who is and who isn't corrupt

[sowhatdemos]

Left is deviant and disastrous.


Oh, really? Then give up your claims to social security, civil rights, equal & women's rights, vacations, unemployment and all other paid leave that THE DEMOCRATIC LEFT VOTED FOR so you could lead a better middle class life. Since we are so deviant you right wingers don't deserve a GD dime of our hard fought rights for TRUE Americans!

[Chbronze]

As I remember most southern democrats were fiercely anti-civil rights, it was the republicans who helped Johnson.

[marykins123]

It's great to hear that the Powell I respected has found his voice once again. The Bushies had silenced the man. Now, where are the other statemen of the Republican party???? About time they find their voice - Sen John Warner is a good place to start.

[TooLooze]

I'm sorry, but he silenced himself. It will be difficult for Gen. Powell to regain the respect he once had. Rush has been on the air for years and he could have been a lot more vocal during the election cycle.

[exflatlander]

I have to agree. I like Powell, but we've had 8 long, terrible years that are now propelling us into many more years or ruin from which we may never fully recover. Where was Powell then? People respected him, saw him as a voice of moderation, but he lied us into this war ( I really can't believe he bought the WMD arguments when people like me saw the truth) then disappeared from public view. I wish he'd spoken up in Bush's first term. It could have saved us a second term anyway.

[zest]

Powell has got it right this time. Small town values are narrow town values and though quaint, are not condusive to a global society.

[ebanks84]

AMEN.

[hereitis]

cosign.

[happyblubird]

Hey, I am from a small town and I agree. There is a lot to be said about "small town, small thinking...."

[exflatlander]

Just yesterday i was reminiscing about living in a small town. What ignorance and narrow-mindedness. Oh, yeah. And everybody there was a Republican.

[lucylou]

small town values: Wasilla is the meth capital of America...

[middlemarch]

as are nany small towns in the midwest. that's the problem with using symbols instead of real thinking.

[wpkcallaway]

I was glad to read Powell's comments regarding rush limbaugh. I only wish more prominent people would come out against the kind of divisive and hateful rhetoric that is spewed by limbaugh, hannity, beck, and all of the rest of them. I love my family and if there was a problem within my family, I would work to bring them together. These guys love their country, yet they want to divide their country. It makes no sense to me.

[Punkynsnow]

It's all about the almighty dollar. This crap these guys spew gets ratings, which translates into advertising dollars. If people stopped tuning into these clowns and their ratings dropped, the advertisers would take their money elsewhere and these shows would disappear.

Unfortunately there are enough people that tune in that they stay on the air, spewing their venom and misinformation.

[ebanks84]

If Americans would get more educated, they would not NEED people like Rush and Hannity. They would have better sense and know these people are bad news. Education is the key to understanding all people.

[exflatlander]

What has happened with the collective American mind-set is that everything is a wrestling match. Doesn't matter if it's fake. They want to believe because it gets their adrenaline up. We've become a nation that is turned on by the sight of blood, literal or political. I got sick every time people said," Obama needs to fight back, use that name-calling tactic himself." In other words, spill some blood. Hell! there's a reason they loved Sarah the Pit Bull.

[ebanks84]

If americans would get more educated, they would not NEED people like Rush and Hannity. They would have better sense and know these people are bad news. But as long as we have back woods, beer drinking, unintelligent redneck type people, we will always have listeners to Rush and Hannity because that's the only language they understand.

[sowhatdemos]

Try living here in Tennessee! But to their credit no hillbilly has ripped my Women for Obama sticker of my car yet!!

[jazzycafe]

I know. I can't believe people actually take Limbaugh seriously. It's about time people saw him for what he really is.

[happyblubird]

They are entertainers, only in it for the money. They don't care about values or the morality of what they say, and in Limbaugh's case, he has to medicate to make it work for him.

[ullyses]

Does Rush still takes those "happy" pills?

[Bariis]

I absolutely agree with his comments!

I'm still not big on Powell just yet, giving the last few years but he's starting to come around (with the endorsement, etc..), realizing a lot of the things certain stubborn republican politicians are boorishly turning the other cheek to. It's time they woke up and gave acceptance a chance!

Palin, take notes on this one!

[ebanks84]

Palin better take note or she'll be left behind with the other back wood crowds.

[700rpm]

That would be a good thing.

[jetsfan1970]

although i appreciate colin powells words i dont think the gop's lossesit has much to do with rush,sarah etc it has to do with Bush,Cheney and him. after 9-11 the nation united behind bush and followed him where he wanted to go. Powell's speech at the un and his credibility convinced us the iraq war was the best thing for our security. Within th first six months it was becoming obvious everything he told us wa a lie. if he really blivied what he was saying he would have come out then. but instead he waits to now why?

my bitter and cynical view is pure self interest. powell was attached to both president bush's becoming the highest ranking african-american official in us history until President Obama even getting his son to the head of the fcc.

powell now realizes that there will be no more bush's in dc so he needs a new sponsor.

if i was President Obama i would could keep him at arms length.

[Punkynsnow]

Powell is a stellar soldier first and foremost. He fell on the sword and kept his mouth shut because he has lived his whole adult life under a military code of ethics. Once Bush's time was ending, he was free to express his opinion, which he did in a carefully deliberate and reasoned manner when he gave his endorsement to Obama.

He knows he lost tremendous credibility and respect after he went before the UN to argue the administration's point, and I think by expressing his opinions now he is hoping to restore some of what he has lost. I still personally think he's a very decent man.

[CeeCee]

I completely agree with you!
Well said.

[PresWatch]

I totally disagree with you.

[ebanks84]

AMEN.

[MonaLisa65]

I agree with Punkysnow, too. My father, a life-long republican, was career military. When all that was going on, he said the same thing about Powell, that he was 'following the code'. Dad also made it very clear that a REAL leader would never have put one of his men in that position. He never said so, but you could tell he'd lost all respect for the President.

But it didn't even touch my father's respect for the General.

[exflatlander]

And this is why we need civilian leadership to maintain a true democracy. An organization that will follow any clown just because there's a "Commander in Chief" sign on his back doesn't understand the basic premise of democracy: that the people, not the clown are the leaders.

The mind-set that you circle the wagons and remain loyal no matter what has put this country, and ironically the military, in its biggest danger in living memory.