Monday, May 11, 2009

Cheney: Powell A Democrat

From Elliot Blair Smith at Bloomberg:
Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Republicans are better served by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh than by former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
“My take on it was Colin had already left the party,” Cheney said on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” noting that Republican Powell endorsed President Barack Obama, a Democrat, during the 2008 presidential campaign. “I assumed that that is some indication of his loyalty.”
Cheney, 68, clashed with Powell, 72, a retired four-star general, over tactics in the war on terrorism during former President George W. Bush’s administration.
Asked if he would “take Rush Limbaugh over Colin Powell,” Cheney said, “I would.”. . .
During the “Face the Nation” interview, Cheney renewed his attack on the Obama administration’s terrorism policies, including its decision to close the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention center and to release Bush-era Central Intelligence Agency memos on interrogations.
“I’m convinced, absolutely convinced, that we saved thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of lives,” Cheney said. “I think if you look at this intelligence program, that when things are quieter, 20 or 30 years from now, you’ll be able to look back on this and say this is one of the great success stories of American intelligence.” . . .
Cheney added that “there is room for moderates in the Republican party,” citing former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Virginia Representative Eric Cantor.
“But the suggestion our Democratic friends always make is somehow, you know, if you Republicans were just more like Democrats, you’d win elections. Well, I don’t buy that,” he said. “I think we win elections when we have good solid conservative principles to run upon and base our policies on those principles.”

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