http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090510/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_cheneyCheney backs Limbaugh over Powell on GOP future
WASHINGTON – Dick Cheney made clear Sunday he'd rather follow firebrand broadcaster Rush Limbaugh than former Joint Chiefs chairman Colin Powell into political battle over the future of the Republican Party.
Even as Cheney embraced efforts to expand the party by ex-Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and the House's No. 2 Republican, Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, the former vice president appeared to write his one-time colleague Powell out of the GOP.
Asked about recent verbal broadsides between Limbaugh and Powell, Cheney said, "If I had to choose in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh. My take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican."
Powell, who was secretary of state under President George W. Bush and held the nation's top military post under President George H.W. Bush, endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president last year. Nonetheless, since the election he has described himself as a Republican and a right-of-center conservative, though "not as right as others would like."
Cheney, citing Powell's backing of Obama over Republican nominee John McCain, said, "I assumed that that is some indication of his loyalty and his interests."
As a Democrat, I think this is a great endorsement.
Considering there is 55 million registered Republicans, compared to 77 million for the Democrats out of 169 mil total registered), there are many undecidededs who lean to the Democratic side.
I think many of them listen to the measured tones of Powell vs the lunatic rants of Limbaugh.
But on a different note, I have no idea what Cheney is doing. He is not meeting with any Republican leaders as far as I know and his own President said, "Be Silent!".
I think Cheney does not realize that only the tiniest percentage of Americans want to hear from Cheney. I mean, if Cheney ran for any office besides Dogcatcher, who could he beat?
If there was an effective President in the last 8 years, he would have shut Cheney up in a second.