I didn't know he was still a Republican

.....

May 10, 2009 - Politico

.....

Former Vice President Dick Cheney took an extraordinary public swipe at Colin Powell Sunday, questioning in a TV interview whether the former Bush administration secretary of state was even a Republican anymore.

Cheney, appearing on CBS's Face the Nation, said he was taking the side of Rush Limbaugh over Powell in the ongoing dispute in the GOP between the conservative talk show host and moderate retired general.

"Well if I had to choose in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh," Cheney told moderator Bob Schieffer. "My take on it was Colin had already left the party -- I didn't know he was still a Republican."

A somewhat taken-aback Schieffer asked: "You think he's not a Republican?"

Cheney responded by pointing out that Powell had endorsed President Barack Obama last fall.

"I assume that that's some indication of his loyalty and his interest," Cheney said.

Cheney, a longstanding friend and ally of former Defense Secretary and Powell rival Donald Rumsfeld, butted heads with Powell during the Bush years but usually kept his criticism private.

The comments reflect not just the the former vice president's lingering dislike for Powell, but his strong preference for keeping the GOP moored to conservatism.

"I think we win elections when we have good, solid conservative principles to run upon and based our policies on those principles," Cheney said.