In an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos during ABC’s special inauguration day coverage this morning, former Secretary of State Colin Powell lashed out at people in the Republican Party who spent the last four years spreading “birther nonsense” and other “things that demonize the president,” calling on GOP leaders to denounce such talk — publicly.
“Republicans have to stop buying into things that demonize the president. I mean, why aren’t Republican leaders shouting out about all this birther nonsense and all these other things? They should speak out. This is the kind of intolerance that I’ve been talking about where these idiot presentations continue to be made and you don’t see the senior leadership of the party say, ‘No, that’s wrong.’ In fact, sometimes by not speaking out, they’re encouraging it. And the base keeps buying the stuff.
“And it’s killing the base of the party. I mean, 26 percent favorability rating for the party right now. It ought to be telling them something. So, instead of attacking me or whoever speaks like I do, look in the mirror and realize, ‘How are we going to win the next election?”
But Powell, who served as National Security Adviser under President Ronald Reagan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under George H.W. Bush and as the nation’s top diplomat under President George W. Bush, didn’t stop there.
“The Republican Party ought to be out there not restricting voting by voter ID, but saying we want everybody to vote,” he told Sawyer and Stephanopoulos. “It’s a party that has to stop saying, ‘We are going to appeal to you with new messages.’ You need policies — the country is becoming more minority.”
Powell, who endorsed President Obama’s reelection bid in October, said that his critiques of the GOP have left some wondering, “Why are you still a Republican?”
Read More at ABC News . By Michael Falcone.
Photo Credit: jdlaisca (Creative Commons)
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Unfortunately, he is proof that color exceed principles in his case . . he has made himself into a race baiter.
Maybe we should ask Colin for his birth certificate. He nothing but a turn coat. Another Black person made good. We made the biggest mistake in voting in a black man for president.
Wow… if that isn’t the most overtly racists thing I’ve heard. What’s wrong with a black president, or an asian one, or a hispanic one? You’re retarded intolerance only goes to further show your ignorance.
nothing wrong with a black or asian president that is a Real American and does not treat us like Peons. Where have you been for the last 4 years? This is not my first president I have seen or heard. I for one am not brain washed / Indoctrinated. And of a Sound Mind that GOD has given me.
absolute nothing if he is a American born citizen. Powell is covering up like the media about where obama was born.
What does Colin Powell have in common with Senator John Mccain? They are both RINO’s, and neither one will admit to that, but their actions speak louder than words.
Powell and McCain are very suppressive individuals. They seek dominance/nullification of those around them, and the public at large. They thrive on sickness, weakness, apathy, ergo the welfare state: the creation of indigence in the populace to make them easier to control; the nullification of strong individuals in the society; the removal of all constructive persons; and the preservation of the idle, the hopeless, the helpless and the weak. This is actually a social or an individual mechanism to accelerate death. Bottom line, they are computing psychotics, who dress in suits, who ride in limos/private jets (on our dime) while spreading their brand of venom. Is it any wonder Powell drove his wife to anti-depressants?…Semper Fi
[Unfortunately, he is proof that color exceed principles in his case . . he has made himself into a race baiter.} They are also without honor nor integrity for that which is righteous and true... They support the unrighteous agendas of homosexuality and abortion.... They have set their feet on the path of destruction, not only of this nation but also the destruction of their very own souls.
I lost what respect I had for Colin Powell!
Another Ostupid Butt Kisser Turncoat. He is wanting to be in the Elitist camp.
When the truth comes out, these people will have omelets on their faces!!! I hope I’m alive to see it!!!
lizaz – I doubt that the truth will ever come out…. because there is very little time left for America. BUT – In the end, if the liberals don’t change their ways, their reward for their wickedness will gain them the gnashing of their teeth and an everlasting thirst that shall never be quenched.
As much as Republicans have done for this man, he sides with Obama. Does anyone know why? I have no idea LOL
Because it’s not about sides. It’s about partisan cooperation to achieve tangible goals that further the betterment of America. The continued bi-partisanship that is being perpetuated by major media is what’s tearing this country apart. NOT responsible politicians reaching across the isle to achieve goals.
This man was once one of my most respected commanding officers, he was an enlisted mans officer and like by all. Now he has become someone unrecognizable, and despiucable to rational thinking people. He has choosen race over ideoligy and common sense, making himself unworthy of his reputation.
He has sold his self to obumer he will take charge of obumers army
I think he changed because he was tired of being called an uncle tom etc. I have watched others change because of the same thing.
Show a real birth certificate and the Birchers will go away.
Birchers? Does it need to be printed on bark?
Well I guess the big Colon has just dropped an even bigger dookey!
Now I don’t see how he can ever recover from this.
Playing offense for a defense for Obama and his commie minions.
It is astounding!
Well you might as well go ahead and declare you are a big fat Colon commie / socialist sympathizer Mr. Colon.
Let’s get these jerk commies out of the Republican Party and start fighting to get our rights and freedoms back!!
I’m not a “birthed” per se. I am a retired Business Professor with 40 years service. I also am a website developer and I have substantial computer graphics ability. On the day that the “long-form-birth-certificate.pdf” was placed on the whitehouse.gov website I downloaded 3 copies. When I learned that various people had found that it appeared to be a computer-created image instead of a scanned image I opened the copy I had downloaded using Adobe Illustrator. Using this program, I was able to learn that the document I had downloaded consisted of 9 layers with a number of images combined to make a facsimile of a Hawaiian Long Form Birth Certificate. Each layer can readily be moved about. I subsequently learned that over 120,000 copies of this document were downloaded the first date it was placed online, so I’m not unique in having obtained the fraudulent image.
Had the creator(s) not been in a rush they might have simply “rasterized” or “flattened” the document into a single layer and saved it as a “.jpg” image. The birth certificate now found on the Whitehouse.gov site is called “long-form-birth-certificate.jpg”. This cannot be subected to the examination that Sheriff Arpaio’s Posse put it to.
I can provide a copy of the document that I downloaded to anyone who asks for it. I would attach to e-mail addressed to you. You would need the Illustrator program to verify what I have described. It is part of an expensive suite of graphics program called “Adobe Creative Suite.” Anyone who does graphics for magazines, internet, or advertising would probably have this program.
I would like that copy. qxflyboi@gmail.com Who’s to say that you didn’t create the layered illustrator file as well? I’m a design professional too.
I would like a copy showe55@frontier.com Thanks
How quickly they forget, Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign started the ineligibility of birth place . Not the Republicans. Rumor has it the only reason she and her campaign stepped away from it???? Obama the Chicago thug threatened Chelsea. Do you think for one minute that Hillary Clinton would have stepped aside for any other reason than the safety of her daughter.
For your information, the long form PDF is still on the GOV website. Nice try.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate-long-form.pdf
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/birthcertificate.asp
I don’t know what the big deal is about showing ID to vote. Powell said that we should want everyont to vote, and that is correct. Why does showing ID mean you cannot vote? Almost everyong in this country has a photo ID so why can’t you show it? I live in Pennsylvania where we were supposed to show ID but as the election grew nearer, they stopped it, saying some people did not have enough time to get one which to me is BS. You have to show ID to board an airplane, welfare recipients need to show ID to get a check, to go to your own bank and cash a check you need photo ID so saying needing to show ID to vote will prevent people from voting is ridiculous! The Democrats were so against showing ID because then all the illegal’s couldn’t vote!!!!!
It’s not about showing any given accepted ID, it’s about stopping state that were trying to create NEW Voter ID cards that are specifically used JUST for voting. Much of this legislation was introduced right before the election, meaning that there were MANY groups of people that wouldn’t have had the means to obtain the new cards before the election. Based on the polls, many of those groups were voting Democrat.
I would create a scannable National ID card with the person’s picture, their SSN, their finger print along with a hologram that cannot be duplicated which has to be presented by anyone to any law enforcer when asked. This is for your own protection, not to intimidate you. You would be issued one after you took the oath and become a citizen. I do not undertstand why anyone would get mad or feel intimidated if they are asked to show their ID. Me….I am proud to show my ID. I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.
Despite that fact, to me at least, that sounds very Orwellian… we pretty much already have that. Something that the rest of the world recognizes, and uses. Passports. Why create additional forms of identification? The simple answer is control.
Since a Republican gave Colin Powell his first chance, he was only a ‘pretender’ ….. his true thoughts and actions are now cmoing out about how he feels about the whites. All blacks feel the same way… some just hide it better than others.
I disagree, I know a few Blacks who are God fearing men and women that are truly upset with this president in the White House and the policies that the democrats embrace. They knew what this man was when he was a senator in Illinois. Man needs not to be highly educated to have common sense to investigate by reading for themselves of those that they vote for but sadly there are millions like Powell who are two faced… takers and not givers in this life. God will see to it the greedy ones will reap their rewards, gnashing of teeth and a never ending thirst in the end.
Dear god Paddy, you’re probably right! He probably wants to make separate drinking fountains for us too! What the hell are you thinking you uninformed bigoted tool. Grow up.