Rush Limbaugh isn’t letting Colin Powell get away with trashing him in public.

The conservative talk-show host unleashed a litany of complaints against Powell during his show Monday, calling him a “turncoat” for supporting Barack Obama, and someone who did “certainly nothing exceptional, you’re no George Marshall,” when he was national security adviser and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.

Rush’s wrath came after Powell, President Bush’s former secretary of state, told CNN that Republicans should stop listening to Limbaugh and said Sarah Palin helped polarize the party this election season.

Now, Limbaugh is arguing that the GOP hasn’t been listening to him – as evidenced by its selection of John McCain as the party’s 2008 presidential nominee.

You can read the Limbaugh transcript here.

Here are some of the juicier parts of what Limbaugh said:

You know what really has Colin Powell upset, it’s because I said his endorsement of Obama was about race, and I’m not supposed to say those things … The Republican Party nominated Powell’s perfect candidate. The guy’s going after moderates, independents, Democrats, a guy who is not conservative at all, McCain, didn’t stand up for much conservative, and he’s out there now saying he won’t support Palin if she seeks the presidency again, or he might not.

What’s going on here with this Colin Powell thing is that the Washington establishment — Powell’s not a Republican. McCain’s not a Republican. These guys are not even mavericks. They are Washingtonians. Washingtonians have their own culture and their own desires, and it is to matter.

There are exceptional military men and women throughout our nation who could have served as national security adviser or chairman of the chief joints of staff, to quote Rita X, many ex-military people who could have been the secretary of state. Hell, Hillary can do it, anybody can do it. I’m sure you did a good job, General Powell, certainly nothing exceptional, you’re no George Marshall. But I can’t think of a single occasion where Secretary Powell stepped up to the plate for the Republican Party or the conservative movement.

How can you even claim to be a Republican, General Powell? When have you ever stuck your neck out for Republicans and conservatives?  Never. I mean sabotage George W. Bush with the Armitage leak and Scooter Libby, that’s just one thing, but Ronald Reagan, Bush 41, Bush 43 all helped advance General Powell’s career."

General Powell has no vision. He is not in touch with the public in any meaningful way. He’s a Washingtonian. He’s not in touch with the public. He lives in a bubble so he doesn’t have to expose himself to contrary arguments.

He said nobody lives in small towns and that’s why they’re small. "I’m from the Bronx. Something wrong with my values" he asked. What is this hatred for conservatives and small town people and Sarah Palin? It’s because they are effective. They represent challenges to the Washingtonians’ control of the Republican Party. I know a lot of people that are from the Bronx, General Powell, and if you think the values there in the Bronx today reflect the ones you grew up with, take a trip back and see if the street corners and the activities there are the same as when you were growing up, General Powell.