Cheney Wrong: Limbaugh, Powell Belong In GOP, Steele Says

While Dick Cheney has all but jettisoned Colin Powell from the GOP, Republican National Committee chief Michael Steele says Powell belongs under the big tent. Steele would even take Tim Kaine, the Democratic Party chair.

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David Gregory, host of NBC's "Meet the Press," invited Steele and Kaine onto his program, and the two decided to play it safe and spar instead of boxing. Gregory scored the most interesting combo of guests among the Sunday news-chat shows this week. He got Steele to say Rush Limbaugh should not be, as Gregory put it, the only voice of Republicans.

Former Vice President Cheney caused a commotion on talk and cable shows with his May 10 remarks to Bob Schieffer on CBS' s "Face the Nation" that Powell had basically left the Republican Party when he endorsed Barack Obama for president.

Said Cheney, "Well, if I had to choose in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh, I think. I think my take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican."

Steele disagreed Sunday. "As the chairman of the party, I want Rush Limbaugh, I want, I want, you know, Colin Powell, and I'll even take Tim Kaine. I mean, he's pro-life, he's pro-business, you know, he's pro-Second Amendment. You'll, you'll fit."

Said Kaine, "My father-in-law was a Republican governor, but I'm a proud Democrat."

Steele also turned up the heat on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over her accusations last week that the CIA had lied to Congress over enhanced interrogation techniques, a.k.a. torture.

"I think the reality here is that Nancy Pelosi has stepped in it big time," Steele said, "...The question for me is does the president support Nancy Pelosi's versions of what happened or his CIA director's version of what happened?"

George Stephanopoulos at ABC's "This Week" developed a story line that will have legs: Democratic divisions over the closing of Guantanamo. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) said Guantanamo should be closed at the "right time," which may likely not be the January deadline set by President Obama when he took office.

"Well, but I -- I just want to press this one more time," Stephanopoulos said to Webb, "because, actually, in January, on January 23rd, you said the president has given a reasonable timeline here in sorting this out. You no [longer] believe it's reasonable?"

Explaining his reversal, Webb said, "Well, no, I don't, actually." Later he added: "We should close down Guantanamo at the right time. I think what has happened is, Guantanamo has become the issue, rather than how we process these people who have been detained there."

On "Fox News Sunday," hosted by Chris Wallace, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had an interesting take -- that Obama's decision to close Guantanamo had chiefly to do with enhancing America's international image.

"I think we ought to leave Guantanamo open," McConnell said. "This whole thing has been about making us popular in Europe."

"The president made a mistake by picking a date certain for closing Guantanamo," McConnell said. "He's changed his mind about a number of things. This is one that requires an adjustment in his position."

John King, host of CNN's "State of the Union," pressed House Minority Leader John Boehner (D-Ohio) on whether there should be an inquiry over Pelosi's CIA charge. Boehner called for her to turn over evidence of lying to the Justice Department but did not explicitly say she should be subject to a probe.

"Lying to the Congress of the United States is a crime. And if the Speaker is accusing the CIA and other intelligence officials of lying or misleading the Congress, then she should come forward with evidence and turn that over to the Justice Department so they can be prosecuted. And if that's not the case, I think she ought to apologize to our intelligence professionals around the world," Boehner said.

These are some of the highlights from the Sunday talk shows -- distinguished by the absence of a string of Obama administration officials on NBC, CNN, ABC, CBS or Fox. Budget Chief Peter Orszag guested on CNN.

STEELE, BOEHNER REACT TO OBAMA ZINGERS

Gregory and King did some clean-up from the May 9 White House Correspondents Association dinner, asking Steele (an African American) and Boehner (always tan) to react to President Obama's shout out to them.

Obama at the dinner on Steele: "Michael Steele is in the house tonight; or as he would say, in the heezy. Wazzup? Where is Michael? Is--Michael, for the last time, the Republican Party does not qualify for a bailout. Rush Limbaugh does not count as a troubled asset, I'm sorry."

Steele reaction: "No. I--that was, that was just good love between two brothers. And I, and I really appreciate the President throwing me a shout-out. It took me totally by surprise. And so this morning I just want to say 'what's up?' right back at you."

Obama at the dinner on Boehner: "In the next 100 days, our -- my partisan outreach will be so successful that even John Boehner will consider becoming a Democrat. After all, we have a lot in common. He is a person of color... Although not a color that appears in the natural world... What's up, John?"

Boehner's react: "You know, as I tell my friends, you only tease the ones you love. And you know, if the president wants to go out and take a walk with me, as I do every day, or I walked 18 holes yesterday. Last weekend it was in Ohio cutting my grass, trimming my beds, I enjoy being outside. But I'd rather be heckled than ignored."

That's it, until next week.


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