Powell To Rush, Cheney: Room For Me In Republican Party "Waiting To Emerge"

Boston Globe:

Colin Powell issued a sharp rebuke last night to Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney for trying to exclude him from the backbiting Republican Party. [...]

"Rush Limbaugh says, 'Get out of the Republican Party.' Dick Cheney says, 'He's already out.' I may be out of their version of the Republican Party, but there's another version of the Republican Party waiting to emerge once again," Powell told the crowd.

Read the whole story: Boston Globe

Comments

[RainDance33]

I will always defend Powell. He has made mistakes, but I believe he was lied to by Bush and the rest of them. They knew Powell had more credibility than all of them put together, they also knew he would be believed. His commitment was the prize, and they would covert that prize at any cost, even the mans reputation. Powell's biggest mistake was that at the end of it all....he really didn't believe that they would be so corrupt and devious as to lie to him and offer him up as the sacrificial lamb.

[nogimmicks]

People with honesty and integrity should form the 3rd party.
Jesse Ventura, Colin Powell, Ron Paul. Let the torturers and the bankers stay where they are.
The main challenge for the 3rd Party is the Media.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

It's impossible to reform and moderate the Republican party.

They can't do it. They would alienate their remaining supporters and it's unlikely new supporters would flock to the Republicans at the ballot box.

The most logical thing for Powell, Meghan McCain etc....to do is join the Democratic party.

[InfosolutionWiz]

WELL SAID! They have to litterally force in to reform by the people, and a strong exidos of people to the other party they despised would do it. As of right now it is impossible to reform the tone def radicals running the show!

[rumblingspire]

I like your idea that the dems may need some pruning.

Yes, powell is a sinner, from vietnam to iraq. but , right now, my enemies enemy is my friend.

[ReealOne]

Fear, smear, hate mongering and just outright lying, among many of the GO-NOPER's dirty tactics. It seems to be the only things they know how to do real well. The only problem with that is that THIS time, it won't work, as we have learned now how they operate.

The reason boss/leader Rush Limbaugh, and FAILED XVP Dick Cheney are attacking Colin Powell, is because he knows Cheney dirty little secrets. At least he came to his senses after he found out that he was being used as a "Cheney tool" to take this country into the phony Iraq war, so Cheney and Limbaugh's only option is to try to discredit Powell. Well, for the record, most folks will believe Powell over Cheney any day of the week...and that's solid.

I do have a BIG problem with the Dems in Washington, allowing themselves to be intimidated on some issues. One thing the Dems should learn and understand QUICKLY is that we sent you to Washington as a power majority to get something done for the American people. We sent you there to act BOLDLY and effect change. If you can't do that, then we'll need to vote the weakest links out of there. This is no way means that the Dems need to support Pres. Obama without question, but we do expect you to use the power we've given you or we'll make sure that you lose it. Pure and simple.

[BIG JOHN]

IF SPECTOR CAN DO IT, POWELL CAN DO IT. IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE.

[BluePrideStephen]

I lost my respect for Powel during the creation of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. And who could ever forget his holding that vial and spewing Bush lies. I very nievely felt that he'd support another oppressed minority. Well, education is expensive, whether by the unit or life's lessons. Minorities don't always coalesce in support of one another. And if religion is in the mix, all bets are off. The Democratic party concept is one of BIG tent - where various groups gain strength through unity. A Republican strength is their abilty to divide and conquor.

Isn't their current campaign of name-calling rediculous? Call 'em Social Democrat party IF you'll agree to your more historically accurate name: Know Nothing Party. You can't really be a grand OL' party if you're younger than the Democratic Party...

[dphilip]

Sorry Mr. Powell, you will always be a respected American. But the dems deserve you more than we do.

[ToniaB]

The real question is who deserves you!!!???

[swan1]

He was used just like Condi. GOP wanted to have their "quota" of minority support.

[Veri]

My objection to Powell is, that in the end, he cared more about loyalty to his higher ups than he cared about the loyalty he owed the people who now have to do the work on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He followed his leaders off the cliff. And in doing so, led many others with him. Except, the ones below him have to follow orders. Powell had a choice and betrayed his oath. At one time, I would have considered him an honorable man. Admirable. Now, I have no doubt that he is a decent man. Just severely lacking in honor and integrity.

[Hawaii5-0]

Good point, he was loyal to Bush & Cheney and betrayed the American people; just like all the others coming out of the woodwork now who say they were against torturing detainees.

[Veri]

One of the few practices in life to be "for or against": torture. War, unlike torture, depends on the why a nation goes to war.

War is reprehensible to any civil society. Nations do have to defend themselves against unprovoked attack. War is not clear cut in its morality.

[Pendragon2008]

The only Republican I trust is Ron Paul, for the SOLE reason that every other Republican candidate shunned him, Fox ridiculed him, and after 30 years of being the lone voice in Congress counseling against massive spending, warning that it will bring us to financial crisis, HERE WE ARE.

He has championed the Constitution rather than the Republican party line, defending the rights of ALL Americans, not just the ones in his party.

[research]

Ron Paul appear to mean well,

Ron Paul just doesn't understand that

Conservative libertarianism = plutocracy.

[research]

Powel: What has the GOP ever stood for but Robber barons and plutocracy?

You are a smart practical man.

Is plutocracy better than Democracy?

[lentinelia]

If there is a reemerging Republican party - and Powell is in it ...

Don't we ever learn?
He lied to us once - when it really counted.
He is an ambitious politician.
He wants to be president.

Are we going to let ourselves be mislead - continuously - by the same charlatans?
It is the definition of idiocy - doing the exact same thing and expecting a different result.

Put your trust in Powell.
Right.

[jimbeaux1961]

I once respected Colin Powell, but after watching him use his credibility to sell the Iraq war, which HE HIMSELF OPPOSED, I don't anymore. Colin still had the soldier's mentality; follow orders. More than that is expected of a Cabinet member. Colin Powell had the credibilty to go public with his opposition and stop the Iraq invasion, and although he KNEW it was a mistake, he didn't. A former soldier owes more than that to our troops.

[lentinelia]

Powell tried the path of least resistance.
If he had any integrity, he squandered it by lying to the world - and especially to us.

Everyone distrusted Bush and Cheney - but they did trust Powell.
He used that trust to manipulate us into supporting the war.

I hope he goes to some retirement home - or builds shacks in some foreign country like Carter.

[jmpurser]

If he had any integrity he wouldn't have been a Republican.

[bosha]

Colin Powell objected to the whole invasion of the Iraq war. Cheney and Rumsfeld made him say those things when Powell knew they were not true.

Colin Powell is a more credible person who fought to protect this country as opposed to Cheney who had 5 deferments and manipulated US laws and lied to Congress to "torture' people.

[bosha]

Besides why do you think Powell step down, it was not so much Bush as it was Cheney?

[rabrophy]

Sure there's room for Powell. He helped lie us into a war,what could be more Republican than that?

[DoTheMath]

I was glad to see that former Secretary Powell endorsed Obama for president, but I'm still waiting for him to come clean about the lead-up to the Iraq invasion, including that disgraceful speech. I can't forget hearing people at work gushing about how Colin Powell had laid out the case, cited the evidence, which proved Iraq was a threat, linked to al-Qaida, providing the terrorists with nuclear weapons. That speech had a huge effect on public opinion because people trusted Colin Powell. Why not explain what happened?

[lentinelia]

I agree.
I will never forgive Powell.
How many lost because of him.
I liken him to a salesman knowingly selling a product with a lethal defect.
And don't tell me he didn't know it was bs.
I did.
Everybody I know did also.
I don't care if he's a repub or a dem.
He sold us out.