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On CNBC tonight, former vice president Dick Cheney backed off of his claim that Colin Powell is no longer in the Republican Party. Even more shocking is the fact that Cheney apologized to Powell and said that he wasn’t trying to,”rearrange his political identity.”

Here is the video from Media Matters:

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Cheney said, “Well, we’re happy to have Gen. Powell in the Republican Party. I was asked a question about a dispute he was having I think with Rush Limbaugh. I was expressing the consent, the notion I had that he already left since he endorsed Barack Obama for president, but I meant no offense to my former colleague. I wasn’t seeking to rearrange his political identity.” Cheney also said that the GOP should not abandon their core principles.

Oh that zany Dick Cheney, of course he was trying to push Colin Powell out of the Republican Party. This was the point of his agreement with Rush Limbaugh, who makes no bones about his desire to get Powell out of the GOP. I do believe that this might be the first time that Dick Cheney has ever apologized to anyone in public, at least since he became vice president.

It took a man of Colin Powell’s stature to get an apology out of Cheney. I don’t think Cheney apologized publicly to his friend that he shot in the face. The moderates who are fighting for their political lives in the GOP have found their leader. I think Colin Powell might be the only moderate with enough clout to successfully tangle with Limbaugh and Cheney.