Good News for Dems: Dick Cheney Hearts Rush Limbaugh

The good news for Democrats is that Dick Cheney, despite assurances about exiting the stage, keeps talking. The better news for Democrats is the message the former vice president chooses to emphasize.

One of the main goals of the DNC this year, for example, has been to position Rush Limbaugh as a leader, if not the leader, of the Republican Party. Yesterday, Cheney helped move this argument forward.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said on Sunday that he preferred Rush Limbaugh's brand of conservatism to former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's, saying Mr. Powell had abandoned the Republican Party when he endorsed Barack Obama for president last year.

"Well, if I had to choose in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh, I think," Mr. Cheney said in an interview on "Face the Nation" on CBS. "I think my take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican."

Mr. Cheney said he "assumed" Mr. Powell's support of Mr. Obama over Senator John McCain was "an indication of his loyalty and his interest."

This is, of course, music to the DNC's ears. Putting aside the question of whether Powell's image deserves rehabilitation -- there's ample reason to believe his Bush administration service tarnished his reputation beyond repair -- the former Secretary of State remains a respected public figure. For most of the country, I suspect, admiration for Powell dwarfs toleration for Limbaugh.