Rushing Rush off the stage

Now that he’s taking potshots at his own from the side of enemy lines, former Secretary of State Colin Powell has the temerity to take on the role of advising the Republican Party he betrayed. In his newfound zest, Powell is hearing things that the rest of us aren’t. “The Republican party must stop “shouting at the world” and start listening to minority groups if it is to win elections in the 21st century,” was Powell’s advice in a CNN interview with Fareed Zakaria yesterday.

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But the “shouting at the world” the little folk keep hearing is only the boastful shouting among progressives who believe their time has finally come. The loudest shouting coming from the U.S. tells the tale of how progressives have voted in a “Messiah” ready to take his place as “King of the World”. According to the Office-of-the President-elect-in-loud-transition, all peoples of the world are overnight global citizens. No longer a world superpower, America is now Amerika, yada, yada, yada. Yet wherever Powell is hanging, he keeps hearing the Republican Party “shouting to the world”. Powell who (God only knows how) still considers himself a Republican, said his party should also stop listening to conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. “Can we continue to listen to Rush Limbaugh?” Powell asked, using the `royal we’. “Is this really the kind of party that we want to be when these kinds of spokespersons seem to appeal to our lesser instincts rather than our better instincts?” Funny how the former Secretary of State never got around to mentioning lofty ideals like that when he was still officially a Republican. Courage seems to burgeon on safer ground. To use the words of a blogger responding to the CNN interview: “Powell bailed out on our country and HIS president when we were at WAR. Need I say anything more?” Now that the chattering classes know that Powell crossed party lines to endorse President-elect Barack Obama in the 11th-hour of the November 4 election, he has this urge to rush Rush off the American stage. Powell would like to pull the plug on ever having to hear the odd reminder that in spite of his noble past, he’s now just another lousy turncoat. Not much dignity in that category. Powell’s vicious attack on El Rushbo is cowardly at best. At least Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Company have the temerity to pursue their longtime intent to silence Conservative talk show with proposed legislation called “The Fairness Doctrine”. Now that he’s fully ensconced on the other side, Powell made it clear that “his” party’s attempt “to use polarization for political advantage” backfired last month. His accusations against party and former colleagues brought out the worst from typical name-calling progressives. “I don’t know why Powell is surprised that paid entertainers like Limbaugh and Coulter should have become the spokespersons of the modern day Republican Party,” said blogger “jumping”. “Their biggest hero is, after all, a movie star who was upstaged by a monkey.” That was their biggest hero on screen before he came to the White House, while jumper’s hero came from a Denver Greek Temple screen, and is already being upstaged by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich who authorities say tried to sell his leader’s senate seat for one cool million. Meanwhile, millions flock to EIBNet to hear the inimitable Rush. Powell, who keeps hearing voices that aren’t there forfeited the worth of his advice to Republicans on October 19, 2008, the day he dropped his principles and went running over to the other side.