Powell, Limbaugh war of words heats up

BOSTON, May 21 (UPI) -- The rhetoric about the future of the Republican Party has heated up between former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and talk show host Rush Limbaugh.

Powell, during a speech in Boston earlier this week, spoke about the GOP's identity crisis after election setbacks and polls indicating the party's popularity is at historic lows, the Boston Globe reported Thursday.

"Rush Limbaugh says, 'Get out of the Republican Party,'" Powell said. "(Former Vice President) 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, who endorsed Barack Obama's presidential bid, parted ways with former President George W. Bush and Cheney over the Iraq war.

Limbaugh launched a counteroffensive on Powell Wednesday on his radio show, the Globe said.

"He's for more spending," Limbaugh said. "He's for higher taxes. He's against raising the social issues. He's for affirmative action. He's for amnesty for illegals. He endorsed Obama."

The conservative talk show host said the only thing emerging in the Republican party "is Colin Powell's ego. Colin Powell represents the stale, the old, the worn-out GOP that never won anything."