Powell touts his GOP bona fides

WASHINGTON, May 24 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday that despite his differences with the Republican Party he is still a member of the GOP.

In an appearance on CBS's "Face the Nation" program, Powell said while he is still considers himself a Republican, he called on the party to become more inclusive of differing political views and to let up on its constant criticism of U.S. President Obama's decision to close the terror detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"It is a complex problem, and President (George W.) Bush wasn't able to close Guantanamo on his watch. And President Obama came in saying he would close Guantanamo, and he has run into some of those same sorts of problems. So I think we need to kind of take the heat out of this issue," Powell said.

Although he endorsed Democrat Obama for president, Powell said in the interview that has long supported Republican candidates and served in Republican-led administrations.

He said he had voted for several Democratic presidents, including John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Jimmy Carter.

"I'd like to point out that in the course of my 50 years of voting for presidents, I have voted for the person I thought was best qualified at that time to lead the nation," he said. "Last year, I thought it was President-now Barack Obama."

He said the GOP must open up or risk withering away.

"In almost every demographic indicator, the Republican Party is losing. North, South, East, West. Men, women, whites, blacks, Hispanics."

"Are we simply moving further to the right," Powell said.