After Criticism From Cheney And Limbaugh, Powell Returns Fire
Infighting within the Republican Party continued yesterday when former Secretary of State Colin Powell fired back at former Vice President Dick Cheney and conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh for criticizing him, the Boston Globe reports.
"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 a crowd of 1,500 business leaders in Boston yesterday.
Both Cheney and Limbaugh have attacked Powell for endorsing President Obama and saying that "Americans want more government in their lives, not less."
"What Colin Powell needs to do is close the loop and become a Democrat, instead of claiming to be a Republican interested in reforming the Republican Party," Limbaugh said on his show. Cheney seconded the comment, saying "I think my take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican."
Republicans have struggled to keep from appearing marginalized in the wake of the 2008 elections that gave the Democrats control over the presidency and Congress. A recent Gallup poll shows that fewer Americans than ever identify as Republican and that support for the GOP has dropped from everyone except frequent churchgoers, self-identified conservatives and seniors.
Powell said that the way for his party to recover is for it to become more moderate and appeal to a broader base.