May 24, 2009 10:44 AM

Powell: Cheney's "Misinformed"

By
Daniel Carty
Topics
In The News
(CBS)
Gen. Colin Powell said he is still a Republican and that former Vice President Dick Cheney is "misinformed" about his party affiliation.

Powell, appearing on "Face the Nation" Sunday, answered criticism from Cheney, who questioned Powell's loyalty to the GOP after voting for President Barack Obama in November.

"I am still a Republican. I'd like to point out that in the course of my 50 years of voting for presidents, I have voted for the person i thought was best qualified at that time to lead the nation.
Last year I thought it was President-now Barack Obama," Powell said.

Powell said the Republican party needs a new look if it wants to stay relevant.

"I think the Republican party has to take a hard look at itself and decide what kind of party are we?" he said.

"I have always felt that the Republican party should be more inclusive than it generally has been over the years.

Powell also addressed criticism from conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, saying his assertion that Powell only voted for President Obama because "he is black" was "unfortunate."

He admitted the influence Limbaugh has over the GOP is significant, noting the apologies he has solicited from major party figures including RNC Chairman Michael Steele.

"If he is out there, he should be subject to criticism," Powell argued. He said that while Limbaugh is perfectly allowed to have an opinion, he does not have "veto" rights over the opinions of others.

On Face the Nation earlier this month, former Vice President Cheney said that Rush Limbaugh better represents the Republican party than Powell. Clearly, the former Bush Secretary of State has other ideas.

More from Face The Nation (5.24.09):
  • Powell: Obama Didn't Handle Gitmo Well
  • Read the complete transcript

    To watch Colin Powell address the future of the GOP, click below:


    • Add a Comment See all 384 Comments
    by CNH August 28, 2011 9:12 PM EDT
    Title of the book should have been:

    "Dick Cheney -- a shining beacon of brilliant foreign policy strategic planning and all-around righteousness, filling the dark void of Washington ineptitude and cowardice" ... an objective, non-revisionist tome by that bastion of patriotic selflessness, Dick Cheney.

    Available in the discounted fiction aisle wherever petty, vindictive hubristic autobiographies are sold.
    Reply to this comment
    by tugar04 June 6, 2009 8:15 AM EDT
    My Question Is:?..

    Who is Liz Cheney !

    For weeks now, America has been inundated with seeing her appear on Sunday talk shows as well as our nightly TV news shows, stating her opinions which are always in support of her father, Dick Cheney?s positions on America's foreign policy issues. I grant you, she speaks well, but as far as I have read about her, she has a large young family, (one child, still a baby not yet walking). And she once worked in some governmental office in an appointed position, that is said to have been created for her, which by the way, helped her dad?s own private investment situation at the time. This of course gives rise to many unethical questions on her own behalf, and it certainly does not make her an expert on America?s security or foreign matters.

    Right now my question is: Is America Stupid or What ?

    What credentials does Liz Cheney hold to be able to state how America?s elected leaders should or should not say or do, and how leaders of other nations will re-act ?

    What are her credentials concerning foreign policy? Because she's appearing everywhere but in her own home lately. She's even beginning to top her dad's constant appearances on America's Sunday Talk and nightly news shows, and its becoming quite annoying. I never heard of her before, and very little from Dick Cheney before he left the VP office, Now I'm seeing too much of them both! He really is scared of something, and I believe he is talking so much because he's scared. Now his daughter, Liz is America's replacement for Henry Kissinger or something ! The woman just had a baby for God's sakes. And the child is probably still on breast feedings, But she has time to tromp all over the country in defense of her dad's craziness !

    Give us all a break please !
    Reply to this comment
    by mjlewis6 May 26, 2009 1:38 PM EDT
    Cheney was CEO for many years for a successful Halliburton oil services company....can you imagine Cheney taking orders from Bush at any point in time?

    The suggestion is clear that if anyone knows what transpired during the Bush Administration....Cheney is the go-to guy....so let him talk. Evidence is collected that way when a suspect rants and raves.....I am sure he will claim he was taken out of context or that he was only concerned with attacks on America as a defense to 'state sponsored torture' which violates the Geneva Convention Accords on the treatment of prisoners and civilians by a warring nation. Yep....just keep talking Mr. Cheney.
    Reply to this comment
    by Oregon_State_OSU May 26, 2009 12:15 PM EDT
    Cheney is a Total and Complete IDIOT.

    Cheney not only rides the short bus, he drives the short bus !
    Reply to this comment
    by stupa1 May 26, 2009 7:34 AM EDT
    Cheney needs go home & keep quiet for national security!
    Reply to this comment
    by sammy5504 May 25, 2009 11:15 PM EDT
    Take a look across the media spectrum. All WHITE. Many of them can't bear the thought of a black man in the WH. Many of them are long time pals of Dick Cheney, John McCain and George Bush. Their goal is to work with the republicans to try to undermine the President.

    That is why Cheney is all over the TV. And have you noticed that none the the WHITE gas-bags ask Cheney any tough questions. The questions are probabley supplied by Cheney and designed to allow him free-reign to say what he wants.

    Now please, don't tell me that you think that these interviews are anything but put-up jobs.
    Reply to this comment
    by HGOODGUY May 25, 2009 9:32 PM EDT
    THE USUAL PING-PONG PING-PONG ON POLITICS.
    MUCH EXITEMENT OVER ANOTHER NON EVENT!!!
    THE NEWS SHOULD CHANGE THIS CATAGORY FROM NEWS TO ENTERTAINMENT.
    EVERYONE LOVES A GOOD PISSING CONTEST DONT' THEY?????
    Reply to this comment
    by weedapoopl May 25, 2009 4:28 PM EDT
    You guys know how to pick 'em...
    Posted by nancy_naive at 1:22 PM : May 25, 2009

    Oh, right. Like Democrats are any better.

    Both sides are to blame. Don't try to single out only one.
    Reply to this comment
    by weedapoopl May 25, 2009 3:09 PM EDT
    Cheney is a disgrace.

    He wants to be the new leader of the GOP.

    Cheney is one of the traitors who betrayed Republican voters by squandering the opportunity of a lifetime to bring real change to our country,

    an opportunity handed to him by Clinton's "Open Zipper" policy,

    before we even knew about Madoff, Enron, Worldcomm, Andersen Accounting, 9/11,

    before we even knew Clinton had lied to us about WMD,

    Cheney and the other members of the Bush team got their golden opportunity.

    When all the revelations surfaced about what was going on during the Clinton years, like a box of ammo literally dropped in their laps, that should have been fired back at the Democrats like and artillery shell to the groin

    and secured the conservatives in power for twenty years or more.

    But instead the Bush GOP squandered every opportunity, choosing instead to enrich and empower only themselves and their cronies. After 6 years of having a free hand in power, all they did was make everybody hate them for being just as corrupt as Clinton and the other Democrat regimes before him.

    The Republicans don't deserve to return to power as long as they still have the same cast of characters, the same players, the same band of crooks that betrayed us before.

    The Republican party should be elimnated and replaced with a totally new party that returns to true conservative values.

    Call it the Prudency party.

    Phil Gramm and Cheney will be specifically barred from joining.
    Reply to this comment
    by rhs648 May 25, 2009 2:58 PM EDT
    This guy call Powell is no tlonger a Republican he is just an opportunist.

    He supported Hussein Obama so he lost credibility in any single issue as long as he delared himself republican.

    He is just a poltical traitor.
    Posted by picogg

    The Democrats love having a poster child like Powell. It is sort of like having Benedict Arnold on your team working for the other side.
    Reply to this comment
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