Powell: I Am A Republican, But Party Needs To Change

WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says he's still a Republican, but the party needs to change and be more inclusive.

Powell is a moderate Republican who says he endorsed Democrat Barack Obama over Republican John McCain for president because he thought Obama was the better candidate.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney and radio personality Rush Limbaugh have openly mocked Powell's political leanings _ questioning whether he still is in the GOP.

Powell says if the GOP doesn't reach out to more people, then the party will rest on a narrow base of supporters. Powell says that by moving to the right, the GOP risks losing right-of-center Republicans to Democratic and independent parties.

On his presidential votes, Powell describes himself as having a long, solid record of voting for Republicans. But he says he did vote for Democrats John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Jimmy Carter.

Powell appeared on CBS' `Face the Nation."

Comments

[Nomccain]

08:27 PM on 05/24/2009

We have all seen what the GOP agenda was, the results, and Americans rejected it tooth and nail. Get used to it!

[Raster]

08:01 PM on 05/24/2009

Extremists are keeping the Republican Party in turmoil, trying to eject everyone who doesn't toe and kowtow to the Cheney-Limbaugh line. It's going to balloon the Democrat Party to gargantuan proportions for a political party which will be unstable. Whether Dems will split into 2 parties, moderate and liberal, will be an open question.

[ANGEL53545]

08:34 PM on 05/26/2009

I HAPPY TO TELL YOU IN THE POLLS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ARE BOTH LOSING TO THE INDEPENDENTS. PEOPLE ARE GETTING ANGRY AT BOTH PARTIES.

[tompoe]

05:11 PM on 05/24/2009

Powell is a war criminal. I doubt the World Criminal Court cares if he thinks he's a Republican.

[Shawn Drewry]

04:07 PM on 05/24/2009

Seems like Powell felt in his heart that Obama is the right person for the job of president and Cheney is furious that Powell allegedly dblcrsd the Rpb. party by backing Obama, and now everybody has a temper tantrum about it. Not sure though...LOL

http://www.ShawnDrewry.com

[j-rich]

02:07 PM on 05/24/2009

You're the Proper Republican in my Opinion. But Listen General, if the Party Does Not change, than you need to switch to Independent or even better, come over to our side!

[dimplesmile7]

02:42 PM on 05/24/2009

The sad part is Powell is right, but how do you change angry racists in the republican party. They ran the party for so long and still don't want to relinquish the power to the younger generation. You can not move forward with a klan mindset. The party will remain at 21% or less.

[brandalucia]

03:04 PM on 05/24/2009

Powell IS on the Democrat side. When he endorsed the most liberal politician to ever run for national office he was agreeing with a very, very liberal agenda. His wife Alma is an active, long time Democrat and Powell is a closet Dem.
Why he feels he has to play this game is the question. He was in the closet during the Reagan years so he would rise in the ranks; it worked but conservatives knew he was a fence-sitter even then.

[ObamAtomic]

03:37 PM on 05/24/2009

Reagan who? One generation ago! OMG:)

[digitalprophet]

05:18 PM on 05/24/2009

but he still cowered to Cheney and lied to the UN.. Unfortunately.. Because otherwise I admire the man.

[SPQR1775]

12:57 PM on 05/24/2009

As a military officer, General POWELL is a man of astute integrity to the fedelity of the Constitution and the priciple of a goverment "For and by the PEOPLE!" DICK CHENEY and his last 8 years of Governance was the literal rise of the Fourth Reich and thank the lights of the universe that higher conscious cause and is still causing to germinate a new awakened conciousness across the globe and especially in America. The days of reckoning is almost at hand, Rove, Cheney, and Alberto Gonzalez and others in the former Administration along with Alito and Roberts on the Supreme court will soon be memories of the pass. Their is a new birth coming forward, from Gay Rights to Human Rights, America will be welcome among the community of nations. It is the younger of the Western Nations and its maturity is about to come full circle in 2010, 2012 and beyond. THE GOP cannot stop the CHANGE we seek, and yes the GOP will become a -negative(-) PARTY in 2010. Time for action is now, it is a new REDEMPTION. Tell the multi millionaire like Cheney a hypocrite who ran from wars 5 times and swindle his way into running the nation. Not even his daughter can save him now, the man needs to go before the Hague!

[AFAN]

12:50 PM on 05/24/2009

Colin Powell I have been a huge supporter but your party left you a long time ago when Eisenhower left office in 1961.

[brandalucia]

03:07 PM on 05/24/2009

Powell was smart...I'll give him that. He was a liberal like his wife but needed to disguise that to further his career. It worked.
Supporting Obam, the most liberal man ever to run for office and who is 180* different from GOP agenda...Powell is a Democrat...always has been.

[wadenelson1]

11:20 AM on 05/24/2009

You Sir, are a war criminal who knowingly lied about the existence of WMD's in Iraq before the United Nations. You have no voice in American politics.

[Doe Mahanes]

12:44 PM on 05/24/2009

Thank you very much!