RUSH: Let’s go to General Powell, General Powell on Meet the Depressed yesterday with David Gregory. First question that we have from Gregory: ‘This time about a year ago, General Powell, you were in a feud with former Vice President Cheney, with Rush Limbaugh about the nature of the Republican Party, and this is what you said in May of 2009: ‘Rush Limbaugh says, ‘Get out of the room.” [sic] The Republican Party was talking to you. Dick Cheney says, ‘He’s already out,’ speaking about you. ‘I may be out of their version of the Republican Party,’ you said, ‘but there’s another version of the Republican Party waiting to emerge once again.’ That was a year ago. Was the Tea Party what you had in mind, General Powell…? Do you think Powell didn’t know this was coming? This is a hanging softball, slow pitch.
POWELL: I’m kind of like a Mike Bloomberg in that, uh, he has shifted back and forth. I consider myself a moderate Republican, and I have very, very moderate social views. I’m pretty strong on — on defense matters, and — and I think there is a party in there that wants to come out. But if the Republican Party is gonna come out in a way that Mike Bloomberg is talking about and others are talking about, they’ve gotta take a hard look at some of the positions we’ve been taking. We can’t be anti-immigration, for example, because immigrants are fueling this country. Without immigrants, America would be like Europe or Japan with an aging population and no young people coming in to take care of it.
RUSH: (Groans) I just marvel. We’re told that this is intelligence that you and I can only dream of, that this is wisdom that you and I can only imagine. We are to be in awe of this because we are on our own unable to comprehend this kind of brilliant brilliance. Mike Bloomberg left the party! Mike Bloomberg, the mayor of New York, couldn’t get elected to anything as a Republican outside the City of New York. And clearly, with all due respect, Michael Bloomberg is not the role model or the definition of the future Republican that wins a majority of votes anywhere. ‘We gotta take a hard look at some of the positions we’ve been taking. We can’t be anti-immigration, for example, because immigrants are fueling the country’? What? We are not anti-immigration! This is the kinda talk you get from the Democrats.
Mike Bloomberg’s a lifelong Democrat who became a Republican in order to win after Rudy Giuliani. He switched parties in order to get elected! He only registered as a Republican in 2001. He was a lifelong liberal Democrat. And here’s General Powell. Let’s not forget: A ‘moderate’ Republican who endorsed Barack Obama in 2008. He also says the president’s critics ‘ought to be going after him on policy, not nonsense.’ We’re not going after him on nonsense. The reason the Tea Party exists is policy. Really, folks, how often have we been told since the early nineties how brilliant and how smart General Powell is and people like him. I mean, that whole answer is a walking cliché — and then there’s this. David Gregory said, ‘Well, what’s happening in Arizona, something that’s animating the Republicans right now?’
POWELL: The American people want their borders to be protected. There’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing wrong with making sure that people come across our borders, particularly our southern border, in a legal, safe manner. But at the same time we have millions and millions of illegal immigrants in our country, undocumented individuals, who are working, who are doing things we need done in this country. They’re all over my house doing things whenever I call for repairs. I’m sure you’ve seen them at your house.
RUSH: So he admits that he’s hiring illegal immigrants. Maybe not directly, maybe just in the companies he hires to repair things in his house, and that includes all the rest of us. ‘I’m sure you’ve seen ’em.’ If illegal aliens currently in the country were all give an amnesty and were all to begin to pay taxes, Powell would start hiring the next wave of illegals for the same reason he hires the ones he does today. Why does he hire them? Why do you think he hires them? It’s ’cause they’re cheaper! It’s cheaper to hire illegal aliens than American citizens who have to pay their taxes — Social Security, other taxes. After all, the general’s six-figure retirement income only goes so far. You have to make it work any way you can. But this is striking, is it not?
And this is the role model. This is what we’re supposed to all emulate. This is what we are to understand represents the future of the Republican Party. ‘They’re all over my house. They’re doing things whenever I call for repairs. I’m sure you’ve seen them at your house. We gotta find a way to bring these people out of the darkness and give them some kind of status.’ Bring them out of the darkness? The cliché! Now, look, if he knew they were illegal, he was breaking the law, was he not? But being a moderate Republican (which also means being a Democrat) means never have to worry about breaking the law. Laws are for the little people. Laws are for us, only the conservatives.
Never mind, again, if all these people currently in the country given amnesty, it sounds to me like he would hire the next wave of illegals because that’s what built the country. After you give these that are already here amnesty, why stop there if that’s how you build the country? What is this? ‘The American people want their borders to be protected, nothing wrong with making sure that people come across our borders in a legal and safe manner.’ That’s not… We’re not concerned that they come across in a safe manner. Legal, yeah, but attitudes like his are not going to promote legality. And then on Meet the Press, one final question. David Gregory said, ‘You described him as a transformational figure’ this would be Obama ‘to have a potential. Has he lived up to that or do you find yourself disappointed?’
POWELL: He has to focus on now governing, not worrying about the daily campaign problem or re… reacting to everything that comes across the cable news channel. I think he needs to sort of get above all that. Uhh, yes, Mr. President, they will kick you like a dog, treat you like a dog, but, hey, that’s the nature of our system. America’s a great country, and this is the way we do our politics.
RUSH: Oh, the wisdom from on high has been pronounced on Meet the Press yesterday from General Powell! Going after Obama on nonsense? Is this the General Powell of Valerie Plame? Talk about going after somebody on nonsense, ever heard of Scooter Libby? Going after somebody on nonsense and knowing full well that Libby hadn’t done anything? Didn’t Powell let Libby and Rove get treated like dogs?
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RUSH: Charlotte, North Carolina, as we return to the phones. This is Wayne. Thank you for waiting, sir. You’re up next.
CALLER: Thank you for taking the call, Rush. Look, I’m a little confused and I’m hoping you could help me out today.
RUSH: Yeah.
CALLER: Okay, back to former secretary of state General Colin Powell —
RUSH: Yeah.
CALLER: — and his lecture yesterday on the mainstream media. How did he know exactly, how did he know that he’s had and has been having so many illegal aliens working on his house? Either he checked the documentation of these people and hired them anyway, which means he broke the law, or he just assumed based on their skin tone and their accent, which means he’s guilty of racial and ethnic profiling. Either way he needs to be held accountable. This is his Macaca moment. His opinions aren’t suitable for an airport security check if he’s profiling, let alone national TV.
RUSH: Well, I must say it’s an interesting question. Nobody asked General Powell, ‘How do you know that everybody working in your house is illegal?’ You know, General Powell is one of these people in Washington you don’t assail, you don’t challenge. When he says it, it is, I mean if you’re an inside the Beltway media person.
CALLER: Well, that needs to change, don’t you think?
RUSH: Yeah, well, but it isn’t going to. I mean he’s going to appear on these programs where he’s treated with the proper respect and deference, and if he says, by the way, not only is everybody working at his house illegal, it’s happening at yours, too. David Gregory coulda, ‘Well, I don’t know about that, General Powell,’ but he’s not going to react that way, just gonna assume that’s the case because that’s the template, that’s the narrative: Hey, they’re already here anyway, and they’re doing all this wonderful work, and they’re wonderful people. It’s all about open borders and amnesty. They all agree with it.
CALLER: Well, I think he owes Governor Jan Brewer an apology and he probably owes La Raza an apology for racial profiling.
RUSH: (laughing) It reminds me, you know, back on November 3rd of 2009 on this very program, ladies and gentlemen, ‘Top Ten Republican Moderate Moments,’ that we did on this program. We’ve gone back to our archives at RushLimbaugh.com. Very quickly let me run through the top ten GOP moderate moments. Number ten: Newt Gingrich doing a PSA on global warming with Nancy Pelosi in 2008. Number nine moderate moment GOP history: Bush-Quayle ’92. Number eight moderate moment GOP history: Dole-Kemp ’96. Number seven most moderate moment in the Republican history: Ford-Dole ’76. Do you see a pattern here? Top ten moderate moments, Republican history, number six: Jumpin’ Jim Jeffords jumps from the Republican Party. Top ten moderate moments in Republican history number five: Arlen Specter switches parties. Top ten moderate moments in Republican history, number four: Richard Nixon resigns in disgrace. Top ten moderate moments in Republican history number three: Dede Scozzafava endorses the Democrat, Owens, in New York 23. Top ten moderate moments in Republican history number two: the McCain campaign of 2008.
And — dadelut dadelut dadelut dadelut dadelut — number one top ten moderate moment in Republican history: Colin Powell endorsing Barack Obama, the Democrat, for president in 2008. Now, you can make up your own list. By the way, we should point out General Powell has clarified his remarks and told USA Today that he doesn’t hire illegal immigrants. Well, he said they’re all over his house but he doesn’t hire ’em. The contractors hire ’em, but he knows the contractors. But he’s not hiring them, he’s hiring the contractor. Now, this is splitting hairs because it’s General Powell’s payments to the contractors that permit — and I haven’t clicked on the story link here to read how the secretary general is shaping this. I’ll read it during the break.
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RUSH: Angela, Montclair, Virginia, welcome to the Rush Limbaugh program. Hi.
CALLER: Mega dittos, Rush, since ’94, and 24/7 member since 2008 —
RUSH: Thank you very much.
CALLER: — thank you for taking my call. Colin Powell on the programs yesterday saying that he’s a moderate, why didn’t he endorse McCain? Now, it’s very clear to me and always has been very clear to me that he supported Obama strictly on race.
RUSH: Yeah, yeah, I said that, and boy —
CALLER: We all know that.
RUSH: — an avalanche of excrement descended on me when I pointed that out, so you have been warned.
CALLER: Well, you know what, that’s okay, because I’m a black person, and I didn’t support Obama, and I’ve lost friends, but I stand on principle. Now, Armstrong Williams, he made it very clear that he was having a tough time not supporting Obama because he wanted to see a black president. At least he was honest about it, okay?
RUSH: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
CALLER: Colin Powell lied. I knew he was lying when he came out with that. He can’t stand on principle, he’s a liar, he’s a disgrace, and I’ve lost all sorts of respect for him.
RUSH: Thank you very, very much.
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RUSH: All right, General Powell, ladies and gentlemen, has clarified himself and his statement is: ‘I don’t hire illegal immigrants,’ period. That is the extent of General Powell’s statement: ‘I don’t hire illegal immigrants.’ Well, let’s see here, now. Grab audio sound bite number 21. This is from Meet the Depressed yesterday, David Gregory: ‘And what’s happening in Arizona is something that’s animating the Republicans right now, General Powell.’
POWELL: The American people want their borders to be protected. There’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing wrong with making sure that people come across our borders, particularly our southern border, in a legal, safe manner.
RUSH: Thank you.
POWELL: But at the same time we have millions and millions of illegal immigrants in our country, undocumented individuals, who are working, who are doing things we need done in this country. They’re all over my house doing things whenever I call for repairs, and I’m sure you’ve seen them at your house.
RUSH: So not only are there illegals all over his house, they’re at yours, too. He’s certain. But today a clarifying moment from General Powell: ‘I don’t hire illegal immigrants.’ It is a little muddied. It isn’t exactly clear. We have a statement yesterday on the Meet the Press that they’re all over his house, like roaches. How many of you describe anything as being ‘all over your house’ unless it’s vermin or roaches, or kid’s clothes, yeah, they’re all over the house, and yours, too. But now: ‘I don’t hire illegal immigrants,’ that from General Powell. All right, so the matter has been clarified, correct? It’s been cleared up. And, by the way, I don’t know about you, but General Powell said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with making sure people come across our borders in a legal and safe –‘ I’m glad to know that. I’m glad there’s nothing wrong with that. I had my doubts, but it has now been pontificated from upon Mount DC, that it’s okay, there’s nothing wrong with people coming across in a legal, safe manner. Whew, ’cause I was wondering. Remember General Powell describing how we’re gonna deal with the enemy in Iraq. He said we’re gonna chop it at the head, we’re gonna kill it. That’s pretty clear. It was pretty clear when he said ‘Vote Obama.’ That was pretty clear. This isn’t clear. You go on Meet the Press and say, ‘They’re all over my house,’ and then Monday you say, ‘I don’t hire illegals.’ But this, my friends, this is the future of the Republican Party, this is where we should all be reaching, dreaming, what we should all emulate. General Powell is the head of the Republican Party. I made him so. I mean, I abdicated the throne, so to speak.
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RUSH: Ladies and gentlemen, El Rushbo here.
I have a question regarding all of the illegals running around General Powell’s house. If he doesn’t hire illegals, who is it that’s running around his house? He did say they’re all over his house. Somebody’s there. We don’t know who it is. My question to General Powell is are there not a lot of unemployed black folks in Washington who do home repairs? I would think the construction business there is in trouble like it is elsewhere. I would think there would be a lot of potential hires, African-Americans, do repair work. You wouldn’t have to go the illegal work. Of course he didn’t, he said, didn’t hire them.