http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45685498/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/

I suggest you use your remarkable research skills and track down the video. The transcript alone does not do this text justice. This is a Republican who feels betrayed by his party.

Joining us now is retired Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson. He`s
former chief of staff for Secretary of State Colin Powell. He served
during the first term of the Bush administration.
Colonel Wilkerson, thank you for being here. It`s nice to see you.

Thanks for having me, Rachel.
MADDOW: Let me ask first, looking back on the start of the war and
looking back on the past 8 1/2 years, how it feels to you to have the Iraq
war ending now and having all the American troops coming home.
WILKERSON: Let me say first that I want to thank you for your very
eloquent and accurate commentary with regard to the state of condition of
the U.S. Armed Forces.
It`s unconscionable in some respects that we have let these people
sacrifice for as long as they have in Afghanistan and Iraq and literally
gone on with our lives. Reduced taxes, as you pointed out, and shopping as
President Bush said, and so forth.
These men and women not only deserve to come home, they deserve to
come home a long time ago. The preposterous protests being made by members
of my political party, like John McCain and Lindsey Graham and others just
boggle my mind.
We need to move in a military sense back to a position of strategic
agility. That is to say, we need to be in offshore confirmation. We need
to be in battle groups and marine amphibious groups and Air Force in Qatar
and Saudi Arabia. We need to have that agility to be able to move as we
need do to influence actions if we need to with hard power in eastern Asia.
It`s absurd that we were mired in Iraq so long. Secondarily, we need
the Iraqis to do their own thing, the greatest defense Iran with respect to
Iraq is Iraqi nationalism. When my son served in Kirkuk with the third
Iraqi air force, he said the only thing that unified those members of the
air force, Sunni, Shia, whatever they were, was their hatred for Persians.
This kind of nationalism in Iraq is the best defense against Iran.
Not U.S. forces on the ground, unless, of course, your plan is to go on to
Syria or go on to Iran from Afghanistan and from Iraq. And, of course,
that was the plan of George Bush and Dick Cheney, a plan that was put
asunder by the fact that Iraq turned so badly in the years 2004, `05, `06
and `07.
MADDOW: I think there are a lot of hard questions to ask about what
we learned from the Iraq war experience as a nation. The kind of things
you were just mentioning there about the split between civilian experience
in the last 10 years and what our military`s experienced in the foremost,
especially for those of us who are civilians, I think we have to think hard
about that.
One of the things I really don`t understand, it`s a wide open question
to me, is how the experience of the Iraq war changed Republican politics.
I feel like it`s surprising to hear Republican politicians all talking now
as if it is 2005. As if nothing has happened that`s any different than
when the first few years of when the war started.
Do you understand how Republicans may feel differently about war and
peace and foreign policy than they did before the Iraq war experience?
WILKERSON: The only way I can explain it, Rachel, is their hatred of
President Obama. And I say that with some circumspection.
They want to defeat this man. They want to bring this man out of the
White House. They want to embarrass this man. They want to put this man
through every kind of turmoil they can possibly put him through
politically.
So, they will take almost any stand even -- and this is what really
grates on me as a Republican -- even if it`s not in the interest of this
country, they will take a stand and have repeatedly taken stands that
oppose the president simply because they oppose the president.
It`s not America. It`s not the United States. It`s not our best
interests. It`s certainly not our national security interests. It`s
getting rid of this president.
That is political opportunism and political blindness of the first
order. And it may cause me to leave this party eventually, I must say
that.
MADDOW: Is there -- do you see any hope within the Republican Party
for a new vision, a conservative realistic not reactionary foreign policy
emerging? Is anybody leading on that?
WILKERSON: I see Ron Paul. I see Walt Jones from North Carolina. I
see a few others who speak sanely and soberly.
But as far as the leadership goes, whether it`s domestic policy, tax
reform, taxing the wealthiest in this country, which incidentally Dwight
Eisenhower did for eight years at the rate of 90 percent, an arch-
Republican, if you will. Any issue you want to pick, my Republicans seem
to be intent on suicide.
MADDOW: Retired Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of staff for
Secretary of State Colin Powell in the first term of the Bush
administration -- sir, I always enjoy talking to you and in particular on
this subject and tonight. Thank you. Really appreciate it.
WILKERSON: Thanks for having me.