Colin Powell/Rush Limbaugh War Rages On

In the circular firing squad known as the Republican party, the two-man skirmish between former Secretary of State Colin Powell and GOP strategist Rush Limbaugh shows no signs of abating any time soon. Their rhetorical battle intensified yesterday, when an incensed Limbaugh told Powell he should just make it official, join "Benedict Arlen" and switch over to 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."

Further taunting Powell, Limbaugh reiterated his claim that the only reason Powell voted for Obama over McCain is the president's 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. It was purely and solely based on race."

Really? The only person? Apparently Rush doesn't visit the comment section of right-leaning blogs very much. But how insulting is that remark?

To claim that one of our most decorated war heroes, a shrewd tactical general possessing a stellar intellect and a deep love for his country, is nothing more than a single-issue voter, and that the issue in question has racist implications. . .

What has Rush in such a tizzy? Well, he was reacting to remarks Powell made in a speech on Monday, in which, once again, he diagnosed one of the GOP's most-glaring problems:

"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."

In other words, Republicans need a new party leader.

So there's the divide. Powell says: GOP needs to dump Rush. And Rush says: Powell needs to dump the GOP. Happy times in Democrat-ville.


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