The way Powell could prove his statements.

I know I've posted in the past, being quite unfriendly towards Dick Cheney.

All ugliness aside, I just plain disagree with him on where the Republican Party needs to go.

I have noticed that there is a war of sorts raging within the GOP. Cheney and Limbaugh are on one side, and Powell and McCain are on the other.

First of all, I believe all four individuals above do want to see the GOP remain Grand.

Second, all personal opinion aside, if Powell wants to actually succeed in helping the Republican Party become more "big tent" and moderate, he needs to take a page from the Democratic Party's handbook. No, I'm not talking about becoming more liberal. I'm talking about the DLC: The Democratic Leadership Committee, an independent entity responsible for the "New Democrats," namely the Clintons. Bill Clinton came from the DLC's leadership, which worked to counteract the negative image associated with Jesse Jackson Sr's Presidential run in '84 and '88. They feared the extreme left continuing their takeover of the Democratic Party.

What Powell needs, and I personally believe we need in the GOP, is our own DLC to balance the far-right. If Powell really believes that the Republican Party needs to start bringing in the moderates and social liberals (but fiscal conservatives), he needs to be part of the leadership of said committee. In other words, he needs to back up his words with actions.

CNN's Roland S. Martin has the same idea. From his article at CNN.com:
If such an organization was created, and all of a sudden you had chapters forming in states across the country, you would have the infrastructure to identify candidates to run in local and state races, and challenge the people Powell and others think are driving the party further into isolation as a largely southern and regional party.
It's clear the GOP has enormous problems in the Northeast part of the country, and with Obama winning a sizeable portion of the Hispanic vote, and the party's staunch opposition to illegal immigration, it is going to have a hell of a time in the Southwest and West. And with a fractured party, there is no better time to create an alternative that people can believe in and rally behind.

On CNN last week, senior analyst Gloria Borger said there clearly is a civil war raging within the GOP, and Powell and Cheney are on opposite sides. I chimed in that in any war, I'd trust the guy who put on a military uniform -- Powell -- rather than the guy who ran from serving our country -- Cheney.

In other words, the only way for Powell to prove his point that the party would be stronger if it reached out to moderates more would be to create this kind of organization. If his hypothesis is correct, then the party would grow exponentially, with strong moderate candidates to run for office. If he's wrong, then the worst would be that the party would continue to shift to the right, a path it is already taking.

Powell cannot lose unless he does nothing.

Why Dick Cheney sucks.

Colin Powell is still better than Dick Cheney, no matter what (drug addict, racist, uneducated* [flunked out of college, and barely passed high school, has no pertinent experience in politics whatsoever, yet is still one of the top de facto leaders of the Republican Party]) Rush Limbaugh says. Here's why: Quite simply, Dick Cheney is, well, a dick.

Here's a list substantiating my opinion:

1. Dick Cheney is, unapologetically, a Neo-Conservative.
Cheney founded the Project for the New American Century, a neoconservative U.S. think tank whose self-stated goal is to "promote American global leadership."
2. From 1995-2000 was the CEO of Haliburton.
Cheney and Haliburton are under current investigation by the US Dept of Justice, the FBI, and the Pentagon for allegedly getting unlawful special attention for contracts during the Iraq war.
3. Disdain for the American Public that he was serving.
When told that most Americans were not happy with how the Iraq war was going, he slipped and said "so?"
4. As of 2004, Dick Cheney has received $398,548 in deferred compensation from Haliburton, while serving as Vice-President of the United States.
5. Doesn't like Free Press.
While serving as Deputy Assistant to the president in 1974-1975 under President Ford, Cheney suggested in a legal memo that the President should use the US Dept of Justice to punish the New York Times for an unfavorable article.
6. The John Yoo/Bybee memos:
Cheney advocated the revocation of many of the Bill of Rights, even for US Citizens, during the "War on Terror."
7. He shot someone in the face:
On February 11, 2006, Cheney accidentally shot Harry Whittington, a 78-year-old Texas attorney, in the face, neck, and upper torso with birdshot pellets when he turned to shoot a quail while hunting on a southern Texas ranch.
8. Advocate for Torture:
Waterboarding and "enhanced interrogation" is torture, and therefore undermines the United States' moral authority.
9. Advocate for big government:
Supported Nixon's illegal acts, and has actively pursued expansion of the President's powers, challenging Congressional Laws, including but not limited to: the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the Presidential Records Act, the Freedom of Information Act and the War Powers Resolution.
10. Spied on the American Public:
Part of the illegal NSA warrantless wiretap scandal, spying on US Citizens in clear violation of due process.
11. Dismal voting record during his tenure as a Congressman in 1979-1989, showing more contempt for the American Public (unless you're rich and white):

• Repeatedly voted against programs designed to provide assistance to displaced workers.
  Voted against legislation requiring factory owners to notify employees before closing their plants. Cast 10 separate votes against funding nutrition programs for children, including one vote opposing a move to protect food programs for women and infants from budget cuts.
• Repeatedly voted against maintaining funding for Head Start programs.
  Voted against a measure that granted time off for federal employees to care for sick family members.
• Voted against the Hunger Relief Act, which expanded eligibility for the federal food stamp program.
• Voted against providing mortgage assistance for low income home buyers.
• Opposed college student aid programs contained in the Higher Education Act.
• During the recession of the early 1980s, voted to block extension of unemployment benefits, including a provision that would provide health insurance for unemployed workers and their families.
• Voted against the Equal Rights Amendment.
• Voted for Ronald Reagan’s veto of the Civil Rights Restoration Act.
• Voted to limit Social Security cost-of-living adjustments for retired Americans living on fixed incomes.
• Was one of only eight members of the House to vote against renewing the Older Americans Act, which provided nutritional and other support services for elderly Americans. (If Cheney’s opposition had succeeded, the entire nutritional program would have effectively been shut down).
• Voted against limiting out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare recipients, most of whom were senior citizens. His votes were so consistently counter to the interests of the elderly that a Cox News Service headline declared, “Senior Groups Call Cheney’s Voting Record a Disaster.”
• Not only did Cheney’s votes tend toward unfairness on domestic issues, he actually voted against sanctioning South Africa’s apartheid regime for its repressive policies. He was also a vocal opponent of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison.