Latest Pajamas Media: Rush & Powell, Cheney & Obama

by Melissa Clouthier | May 22, 2009 11:12 am

Who is the new “titular head” of the Republican party[1]?

Rush Limbaugh announced this week that he was stepping down as the “titular head” of the Republican Party. He passed the torch to General Colin Powell.

The passing of the titular torch was symbolic. Whereas the old titular head is a conservative talk show host who staunchly holds conservative core principles, the new titular head is a moderate who endorsed Barack Obama and probably voted for him. So a man who leans so far liberal as to endorse Obama and enthuse about his “fresh ideas” now stands for the new Republican Party.

Pajamas put up my article juxtaposed against Jazz Shaw’s article titled, “Yes, Colin Powell Deserves A Spot In The Republican Party”[2]. Jazz goes on to say this:

In terms of tossing the baby out with the bathwater, it must have been difficult to miss the better than six foot frame of General Colin Powell sloshing around on the back porch. Still, some doctrinaire conservatives have been more than willing to dump the former secretary of state with less fanfare than a greasy cheeseburger wrapper. During his remarks of May 19 in Boston, it became obvious that Powell had noticed:

Rush Limbaugh says, “Get out of the Republican Party.” Dick Cheney says, “He’s already out.” I may be out of their version of the Republican Party, but there’s another version of the Republican Party waiting to emerge once again,” Powell told the crowd.

First, no one is telling General Powell to leave. By voting for Barack Obama, he left. Second, no one is telling General Powell to not come back. He is welcome to come back, but don’t expect your ideas to be taken seriously. Don’t expect anyone to trust you.

To put it in terms a soldier can understand: Don’t jump into the enemy’s foxhole, shoot your own side, praise the enemy’s tactics, missions and methods and come back to talk with “your” soldiers and expect to be embraced warmly.

Moderates: Choose a side. Fight.