WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rush Limbaugh fired back at Colin Powell for his critical comments earlier this week, saying Wednesday that the former secretary of state should join the Democratic Party.
"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 radio show Wednesday.
Limbaugh also took aim at Powell's decision to endorse President Obama over John McCain during the presidential election, repeating his earlier sentiment that Powell's move was "solely based on race."
"He's just mad at me because I'm the one person in the country who had the guts to explain his endorsement of Obama," Limbaugh said. "It was purely and solely based on race."
During a speech on Monday, Powell said the "the Republican Party is in deep trouble" and said the GOP would be better off without Limbaugh, according to a report by the National Journal.
"I think what Rush does as an entertainer diminishes the party and intrudes or inserts into our public life a kind of nastiness that we would be better to do without," Powell said.
From CNN Politics
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limbaugh is kicking everyone out of the party
first specter, than McCann now powell
and also the new Republican Leadership Council
soon it will be just Boss Limbaugh and Palin
I think CNN should just list both mens credentials side by side, just exactly what has Rush done for his country ? The fact that he is even a story says alot about our attraction to the car wreck on the side of the road. All the people stopping to gawk at this guy are holding up the rest of us trying to get somewhere.
colin powell has always been a weak person. rush is right.
YES!! YES!! By all means, show Powell the door!
Show John McCain the door!
Show everyone who does not agree with Scumbaugh the door!
And as for those pesky voters, show ALL OF THEM the door as well!!
1)Retired Army General, Former Secretary of State.
2)Loud-Mouth drug addict with zero positive contribution to society.
You decide.
Its more than just concerining that Limbaugh has so many sychophants that hang on every piece of hate and bile this blowhard spews out on a daily basis. Who are these people? They are right wing extremists, not the GOP. I understand the notion of being fiscally conservative but these extreme social conservatives are destroying the party, not the other way around. Who is Rush Limbaugh to attack Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Reagan's former National Security Advisor? Compare that resume to a "shock jock" and recovering oxycontin addict and you'll see that Limbaugh has absolutely no credibility whatsoever.
If Rush has this vast knowledge of how Washington should be run and knows what is so good for the U.S.A. he should get off his soap box and run for political office. With all he believes he knows, he should be able to, single handedly, straighten out the problems of the United States in six months. But Rush wouldn't do that. He would never give up his salary. It's also easier to be a Arm Chair Quarterback than the Quarterback. And his ego would never let it happen either.
Obviously, Mr. Limbaugh doesn't know how to listen to an intelligent thoughtful man. General Powell's comments showed such wisdom of judgment. The fact that Limbaugh would even mention that the vote was along racial lines shows the prejudices of Mr. Limbaugh. Oh how it is easy to place the race card. Comments like his should really convince the Republicans of his biased leanings.
Rush Limbaugh should be recognized for what he truly is: unpatriotic. He is an attention-getting, beligerent, out of control drug addict whose sole purpose is to call attention to himself and and increase his bottom line.
If he cared at all about this country he would be interested in 'Country First' (remember that?), not 'Rush First'
Limbaugh would help the conservative movement if he became a Democrat. We don't want you anymore Rush.
I don't understand how the conservatives in the Republican party want to separate themselves from the moderates of the party. Don't they realize that if their wish comes to pass, their base is so small they will never be in majority status in politics again? What are they thinking?
Arrogance, thy name is Rush. Who knew that God would create one perfect person to carry the standard of the conservative movement.
Every think Rush is starting to sound like McCarthy??
Mr Chickenhawk (and aren't almost all of these Repub pundits?) speaks against the esteemed General Powell.
Come on Limbaugh, just say it, I know you want to, just say "anyone not white and who doesn't agree with me get out of MY PARTY". You know that's what you are thinking.
Rush is this generation's Joseph McCarthy. The ugly red-baiting, blustery commentary, public character assassinations and all around mean spiritedness is all there. Both ripped the Republican party apart and laid the ground work for Democratic dominance. All humane Americans expect better from their government.
The GOP was crazy to follow McCarthy then, and it's nuts to take its lead from Limbaugh now. Unhappily for the party of Lincoln, Rush has the biggest microphone and can shout down anyone who dares defy him. The man is worth a billion dollars or so and won't go away soon. He is an entertainer, as he says so himself, but the only people who are cheered by his performance are Democrats rising to power.
Rush speaks the truth, people quit drinking the Kool Aid and wake up. And if your a liberal dont worry about the GOP, if you dont like it dont worry with it.
First, potty-mouth Rush pretends to know why Powell does what he does, but its another empty partisan attack. Second, Rush is not an "entertainer" as Steele and Powell both said - Rush disperses Republican Party propaganda, and his method is to deceive people by mixing truth with lies like Satan.
Go Rush! Love it the way you piss off the left wing nutjobs. It only shows they all fear you.
To all of you that agree with Rush:
Colin Powell is a great man, someone who should be respected by both parties. As he said that it was a hard decision to make. Rush needs to go away and stop spreading the hate. He should take the other hatemongers and neocons with him and go away. With what Bush and his followers did to this man I do not blame him for backing the right person to lead us out this mess.
Limbaugh got that ego that is way bigger than his mouth.
And you are attacking Colin Powell because of his race. And if he did endorse Obama because of his race, that is merely a single incident of a power play against many that have been vice versa. Such a convenient distraction you are.
Rush gives the democratic party someone that they can default to. When he speaks his venom, he is immediately presented as the "leader" of the GOP and made to look like the person that most republicans are like. He does the republican party a disservice in that regard. I saw a poll recently that showed that nearly 50% of the listeners of the Rush Limbaugh Show on talk radio were people that considered themselves liberals ("progressives"). Rush is the number 1 radio talk show host in America and makes more money than just about all of the other talk show hosts combined because of his listenership.
He does what he does to further his own self interests. And, in doing so, he is devastating the GOP.
Rush is single handedly driving the party down, and that's funny, because he's not even a politician. But if the GOP can't break away from an entertainer's ideology, then the last laugh is on them.
What the Republican Party needs to do is get rid of Rush Limbaugh. He is a millstone around their necks. Old loud mouth just can't keep his trap shut.
Jesse Brookeland, Tx
I applaud Powell for saying what needed to be said. The truth. He is a brilliant man who has served his country. What has Rush Limbaugh done for America but make people afraid and demand they believe the way he wants them to. That is the most unAmerican thing to do.
Thank you Collin Powell, from the bottom of this democratic voting Republican's heart.