Colin Powell: Cheney Took 'Cheap Shots'

Powell says former VP goes 'too far' in pitching his memoir
By Mark Russell,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 29, 2011 12:13 AM CDT
Colin Powell: Dick Cheney Took Cheap Shots in Memoir
Former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, spoke on CBS's "Face the Nation” yesterday, rebutting claims made by Dick Cheney's new memoir.   (AP Photo/CBS, Chris Usher)

Colin Powell fired back at Dick Cheney and his revealing memoir yesterday, calling the former veep's revelations "cheap shots that he's taking at me and other members of the administration who served to the best of our ability for President Bush," reports Politico. In particular, Powell rebutted claims that he publicly badmouthed the war in Iraq and was forced out of George W. Bush's administration in 2004. "The president knows that I told him what I thought about every issue of the day," said the former secretary of state.

Powell also noted that he chose to leave the White House. “It was clear by 2004 that the team was not functioning as a team," he said. “And we had different views, and not just views, not views that could be reconciled." Powell also takes issue with Cheney's marketing. “It's not necessary to take these kinds of barbs and then try to pump a book up by saying 'heads will be exploding,'" Powell said. “I think it's a bit too far. I think Dick overshot the runway with that kind of comment, if that's how he plans to sell his book.” (More Colin Powell stories.)

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