The Republican Party is not an endangered species but can do a better job of outreach, recruiting candidates and getting the message out, Sen. John McCain said Sunday.

In an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” McCain responded to a question referring to a story in Time magazine, describing the party as “in distress.”

“I probably would not go that length,” McCain said. “We all work in cycles for many years. We have seen parties down and parties up. That’s a great thing about American politics.

“But having said that, do we have to do a better job of getting our message out? Do we have to do a better job recruiting candidates? Do we have to do a better job of outreach? Outreach to many Americans that don’t feel that they can be part of our party? Absolutely. Absolutely.”

McCain asserted that many GOP policies “are as viable today as they have [been] in the past,” but did concede, “In all due respect, the previous administration, by letting spending get completely out of control, by betraying some of those principles of our party, cost us a couple of elections.”

At the end of April, Republicans launched the National Council for a New America, coordinated by House Minority Whip Eric Cantor , R-Va. The program has been compared to a “listening tour” to be held in small venues and featuring some marquee names like Govs. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Haley Barbour of Mississippi, former Govs. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Jeb Bush of Florida — and McCain.

“I think it’s a great thing,” said McCain. “Why not have a conversation with the American people? Find out what they want.”

McCain said he believes the GOP has to be “an inclusive party,” which raises questions about hot-button issues such as abortion and gay marriage. When asked whether he thought there should be more tolerance on those issues, McCain said, “We can have people in our party who do not have the same views on specific issues as long as we share common principles.

“I think we’ve got to broaden our — enlarge our tent and at the same time stick to our fundamental principles which are right of center,” he said.

In contrast, former Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” he’d rather follow broadcaster Rush Limbaugh than former Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell when it comes to the future of the Republican Party.

“If I had to choose in terms of being a Republican, I’d go with Rush Limbaugh. My take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn’t know he was still a Republican,” Cheney said.

Powell, who was secretary of State under President George W. Bush and held the nation’s top military post under President George Bush, endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president last year. Nonetheless, since the election he has described himself as a Republican and a right-of-center conservative, though “not as right as others would like.”

Cheney said he endorsed the efforts of those involved in the National Council for a New America as “a good thing to do,” but with a caveat.