(VIDEO)Colin Powell Rebukes GOP: I Am A Republican ‘but’ GOP Has A Dark Vein Of Intolerance

[egbertowillies]

Today Colin Powell gave a staunch defense and support of the President Obama’s choice of Chuck Hagel for secretary of defense on NBC’s Meet The Press. He however provided his sharpest criticism to date of the Republican Party when David Gregory asked him if after voting for President Obama twice and supporting more moderate social policies, if he could still call himself a Republican.

This question was a rather silly question since it is generally not asked of Blue Dog Democrats who could be considered the reflection of Colin Powell relative to their own party.

David Gregory: As I go through your record on some social issues and even foreign policy issues, I challenge you a little bit to say on what basis are you still a Republican?

Colin Powell with his characteristic civil choices of words excoriated the Republican Party even as his tone seemed rather pleasant. He first said he was a Republican of the Bush 41 and other well known moderate Republicans.

Listen to the videos (I Am A Republican).

In the following snippet, Colin Powell goes even deeper on the attack just coming short of accusing the Republican Party of being racist. He hits all the major failures of the modern Republican Party.

Colin Powell: There is also a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party….They look down on minorities…When I see a former governor say that the president is shucking and jiving. That is a racial era slave term. When I see another former governor – says that the president was lazy. It may not mean anything to most Americans. But to those of us who are African Americans, the second word is shiftless and then there is a third word that goes along with it.

It is quite evident General Powell wanted to ensure that everyone knew what that third word was. He even brought up the non-response or proper response of the GOP to the birther fiasco.

Listen to the videos (GOP Has A Dark Vein Of Intolerance)

Colin Powell left the GOP with a warning. They will either heed it and change or they will be relegated to permanent minority status.

[SummerSnow]

1. "On what basis are you still a Republican? "...Rofl

[NYC Liberal]

2. Did he mention how Republicans start wars based on lies?

I assume not. After all, what would Powell know about lying a country into a war?

[Sunlei]

5. quite a few times he has menitioned and wrote in his books about the bush WMD deceptions.

[pansypoo53219]

3. republikans are no longer republicans.

[meow2u3]

13. The guy on "The Newsroom" said it best

Today's Republicans (teabaggers) are the American Taliban and have cowed the mainstream repukes.

[Sunlei]

4. Colin Powell is a great American.

[Zoeisright]

7. I think you forgot the sarcasm tag.

Because he fucking is a lying war criminal.

[Sunlei]

8. No I didn't. What has he lied about? Keep in mind he was a loyal American General under Bush Admin.

Besides, President Obama trusts him President O says he speaks with General Powell frequently. He is probably about the best Republican that party has.

[NYC Liberal]

9. "loyal American General" ... no, he was Secretary of State.

His loyalty and obedience that he learned in the military is NOT an asset for that position. The president's advisors should be willing to challenge the president when they are wrong. And principled ones should also refuse to lie.

See Elliot Richardson for an example of what Powell could have done.

Do I think Powell is as bad as 95% of the Republicans in power today? No, I don't. But I also don't forget his actions.

[Hippo_Tron]

11. The loyal course of action for Powell would've been to resign his office

And inform the American public that their President was lying about weapons of mass destruction.

[Sunlei]

12. How come no one quit at that time, not a single politican told the American people anything.

I think at that time only Bush, Cheney and some of their close buddie war profiteers knew full what they were doing.

[Zoeisright]

6. If you're a repuke, you are endorsing intolerance, asshole.

God, Powell is such a fucking sellout.

[Hekate]

10. Powell is very helpful to America by remaining Republican and criticizing from within

We need him on our side -- but in my opinion he helps the us and the country by remaining Republican and keeping up the criticisms and warnings to the GOP. They don't need to be this awful -- they were not always this awful -- and it drags the whole country down to have them be as despicable as they have become.

I know he doesn't have a big fan base here, but I do appreciate this part of his character.

[samsingh]

14. if only he had been such a hero in the early bush days

[otohara]

15. Dark Day...Colin Powell Lies

To the entire world for WAR!

[courseofhistory]

16. Why be

a republican then? Be an independent.

[BlueDemKev]

19. I'd be happy to trade Zell Miller for Colin Powell...

[rocktivity]

17. Candidate for this year's "You Call This NEWS?" Award

Maybe it's time for someone else to go over the cliff...


rocktivity

[John2]

18. I'll go further

than that. The Grand Ole Party was hijacked by State's Rightists when the Republican Party got involved with the Southern Strategy. A lot of those racists fled the Democratic Party because of the influx of minorities. That was code when many of them claimed the Democratic Party left them. Their problem is similar to the Civil War and the problem with slavery. America is changing, and some in the Republican Party can't come to grips with that transformation. They want to hold on to a favorite status. A sign of America's transformation was the election of a President with roots from an American white woman and man from Africa, in a country that fought over slavery over a century ago. I don't think anyone in the era could have even imagined it, even President Lincoln, a Black man would hold his ole job one day. You cannot turn back time or destiny. Only God can do that. Those people fighting against it now will die with the Past. They are fighting a losing battle. That is the way things are. Even I had to change my attitudes over time. The only thing you can do is live your life and accept it. Older Americans have a harder time doing that. Colin Powell has some good insights.

[KansDem]

23. Good point!

Those people fighting against it now will die with the Past. They are fighting a losing battle. That is the way things are.

When I read these sentences, I thought of the WTF? moments on election night when FOX News was trying hard to call the election for Romney while Rove was on his cellphone with his billionaire backers trying to assuage their concerns that he wasted their money.

[Sunlei]

24. good points. you would probably like to see the 2007 interview when similar points were discussed.

Sen. Obama and a long interview w/ Tavis Smiley. 10-18-2007, somewhere on the internets

[toby jo]

20. It took a black president to make this apparent to this guy?

I watched this interview - Powell's a hypocrite. He'll vote Republican again as soon as the black man disappears.

[KG]

21. his genitals are in a jar in the refrigerator in a PNAC break room.

[blkmusclmachine]

22. Welcome to the '80s, Mr. Powell. You got some catching up to do.

[Bluenorthwest]

25. Powell looks at racists and says 'they are my people' by remaining a Republican he remains an

assistant to the very people he appears to condemn. Hollow words he speaks, but at least for once he's not lying to the people for his own profit.

[MADem]

26. Colin, Colin, Colin....it's a new era, bro. You don't have to dance forever with the one what brung

ya, especially when that one disrespected you through most of the prom.

He came up in the Nixon WH; he was assigned as the PIO on one of the My Lai investigations, and he kicked over the traces well enough to be rewarded with a WH fellowship. He had some good mentors and a smooth career path, too.

He needs to stop "warning" the GOP and trying to fix them. They're a bunch of racist, dog-whistling assholes, they have been so since the Nixon era, and they'll be so until they self-destruct and reinvent themselves or crawl off and die.

They don't "sort of" look down on minorities--they DO look down on minorities, and they do call us names. And they think that's just fine.

It's like Stockholm Syndrome with that dude. He needs to cut the cord.