Alan Keyes Op-Ed: Colin Powell Hoists His True Colors

Alan Keyes

In response to Mr. Powell's recent comments, the conservative activist goes in on the moderate Republican politico: "This is a piece occasioned by Colin Powell's recent remarks on Meet the Press peddling the lie that the GOP lost the last two presidential elections because conservative voters are racists who have forced the Party to become too conservative. His deceitful diatribe unequivocally confirms what I've said for years to people who approach me with the thought that I or any other principled conservatives have any reason whatsoever to support Powell for president or anything else. He is, and has always been, a loyal servant of the leftist elitist faction. Of course, he has been promoted and celebrated by its GOP wing, which served him up in prime time at the GOP convention in 1996, for a speech in which he proudly paraded his pro-abortion views. That occasion lingers in my mind as a good example of the sham nature of the GOP pretty much since Reagan left office."

Mr. Keyes continues his commentary: "The Party now exists mainly so that the GOP 's crypto-socialist leaders (Powell, McCain, Romney, Boehner, and others like them) can facilitate the elitist faction's anti-constitutional agenda by co-opting and dissipating the energy of conservative grassroots voters. Such voters want to conserve America's constitutional heritage of God-endowed rights and self-government. But the GOP leadership wants to promote the leftist view that people dedicated to conserving it are racists. Powell speaks for this leadership. His appearance on Meet the Press is aimed at preparing the ground for their planned offensive against the GOP's voter base."

More: "Powell also went out of his way to speak with contempt of people he snidely dismissed as 'birthers.' As I've pointed out repeatedly, the issue of Obama's eligibility is about the natural law basis of the American Republic and the rational thinking that justifies the people's right to self-government. By dismissing those who demand that the Constitution's "natural born citizen" language be taken seriously, Powell and the other henchmen of the elitist faction dismiss the notion that the words of the Constitution matter. They promote the tyrannical view that the elitist faction can pick and choose which constitutional provisions will be respected, and which will be swept aside. That assertion of tyrannical power has always been the main point of the elitist campaign of senseless ridicule and snide dismissal against anyone who raised the issue. Now the same tactics are being deployed to sweep aside the first Amendment's protection for the free exercise of religion and the Second Amendment's recognition of the people's responsibility as individuals to keep about themselves the equipment they need for the defense of liberty."