Powell’s Long Awaited Response: He’s Still A (Polite) Moderate Republican

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell used CBS’s “Face The Nation” to deliver a highly anticipated response to talk show host Rush Limbaugh and former Vice President Dick Cheney who suggested Powell is no “real’ Republican and has either left the party or should get out of it. And his response was quintessential Colin Powell: dignified, thoughtful and indicative of a public figure who is declining to participate in the prevelent talk radio political culture which puts a premium on anger and demonization.

It came against the context of political battle over the soul of the GOP — specifically, whether that soul will be belong to the soul of talk radio conservatism or whether other ideological political religions are involved. Bush political maven Karl Rove, asked to choose sides by Fox News’ Chris Wallace, indicated he’s with Cheney:…but he notably hedged his declaration:

“[Cheney] sided with Limbaugh. Do you?” asked host Chris Wallace.

“Yes, if I had to pick between the two,” replied Rove, who earlier acknowledged that Powell was — despite what his conservative critics say — a Republican. “But, you know what? Neither one of those are candidates,” he continued. “Neither one of those are going to be people who are offering themselves for office.”

Which skirted the issue: the issue is whether the GOP, in its post 2008-election incarnation, is going to regroup as a party that will require more litmus tests to be considered a “real” member in an effort to shore up its base and use a rebranded and repackaged conservatism as its political product — or whether it’s going to opt for building new coalitions by trying to hold onto its base and be enticing to other voters as well.

Limbaugh and Cheney have become the symbols of those who like the party the way it is and want it to be more conservative. Powell remains one of the country’s most popular moderates (and his biggest critics, most typical, are on the right and the left) and is respected by many moderate and independent voters.

Powell’s interview was not a barn burner and in some ways seemed to be a clenched teeth interview where he remained above the fray…but a mind reader might have some fun reading his unrestrained thoughts:

Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell affirmed on Sunday that he remains a Republican while asserting that his party should become more inclusive. He also rebuffed his party’s relentless criticism of President Obama’s decision to close the detention base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

“Rush will not get his wish, and Mr. Cheney was misinformed,” Mr. Powell said on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” “I’m still a Republican.”

Powell was responding to a jab from former Vice President Dick Cheney, who two weeks ago had said, “If I had to choose, in terms of being a Republican, I’d go with Rush Limbaugh.” Cheney, then speaking on “Face the Nation,” added that he thought Mr. Powell had left the party when he endorsed Barack Obama for president last October.

But on Sunday, Mr. Powell noted his long support of Republican candidates and service to Republican-led administrations, including his role as secretary of state under former president George W. Bush and Mr. Cheney.

“For the previous 20 years I voted solidly for Republican candidates. … I served Ronald Reagan for two years,” Mr. Powell said. “I spoke at the 1996 convention and I spoke at the 2000 convention.”

Powell also solidified his status as someone who reflects the nation’s more independent minded voters:

He added that he had voted for several Democratic presidents: John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and “even” Jimmy Carter. Mr. Powell called it “unfortunate” that Mr. Limbaugh said he supported Mr. Obama because he, too, was black.

“I’d like to point out that in the course of my 50 years of voting for presidents, I have voted for the person I thought was best qualified at that time to lead the nation,” he said. “Last year, I thought it was President-now Barack Obama.”

What will happen next? Most likely Limbaugh will continue his attack on Powell, since the talk show host’s modus operendi is to mock and discredit Republicans who don’t agree with him and his brand of conservatism.

The question is whether this battle — pitting Rove, Limbaugh and Cheney against Powell and other moderate GOPers such as former Pennyslvania Gov. Tom Ridge — will in the end wind up helping the GOP become stronger, or become weaker and splintered.

And whether Barack Obama and the Democrats take advantage of this early Christmas gift being handed to them.