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| Powell may endorse Obama in TV interview |
| 2008-10-18 |
| General Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State, is preparing for a live TV interview tomorrow amid intense speculation that he is ready to endorse Barack Obama’s campaign. Aides from John McCain’s camp are bracing themselves for another damaging blow, with one being quoted yesterday as suggesting that such an announcement from General Powell would be “personally embarrassing” for the Republican nominee – with whom the General has been friends for 25 years – and would “create momentum against us”. General Powell, who once considered an attempt to become America’s first black president, has strong credentials on national security policy – one of Mr Obama’s weaker policy areas. Since quitting as Secretary of State in 2005 he has distanced himself from President Bush. Last month he said that electing a black president would send an electrifying message to the world, before adding that he would base his decision on which candidate “blends a right measure of experience and judgment”. In London this week, where he attended the Africa Rising festival, General Powell took the stage at the Royal Albert Hall to declare: “I stand before you tonight as an African-American... It took a lot of people struggling to bring me to this point in history.” Mr McCain’s campaign continues to be dominated by Joe Wurzelbacher, the Ohio plumber who confronted Mr Obama at the weekend to ask the Democrat why he planned to raise taxes for small businesses. The Obama campaign has countered by pointing out that the plumber’s current income level would make him eligible for tax cuts, rather than a proposed increase that applies only to those earning more than $250,000 (£130,000) a year. At a rally in Miami, Mr McCain said: “Americans ought to be able to ask Senator Obama tough questions without being smeared and targeted with political attacks.” The Republican also earned laughs at a charity dinner in New York, which he attended with Mr Obama on Thursday night, by announcing that he was replacing his entire campaign team with “a man named Joe the Plumber”. He then suggested that Mr Wurzelbacher’s income would soon be eligible for a tax hike having “signed a very lucrative contract with a wealthy couple to handle all the work on all seven of their houses” – a reference to the McCain family’s bulging property portfolio. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #15 :-) |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2008-10-18 22:40 |
| #14 Oh, I know .... just used that to riff on his connections. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-10-18 18:43 |
| #13 Powell doesn't need a job BTW Powell doesn't need money, lotp---he does want to be a "person of consequence" (you don't get where he got without really wanting it). |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2008-10-18 16:29 |
| #12 Thanks for the info Besoeker. Honestly, why does Colin Powell have to endose anyone? Even if he was going to support Mccain - Ultimately, (besides the parrot press corp and ignorant schleps) who gives a crap. Just like any of the other fringe organizations like NOW or every other idiotic celeb out there...it's like the height of arrogance or delusional self importance to think that your endorsement means anything to anyone w/half a brain. A couple BTWs - If you're still undecided at this point your clearly too ignorant to vote. If you've decided that obama is the right guy then you either too stupid or too delusional to vote. |
| Posted by: Flitch the Imposter aka Broadhead6 2008-10-18 15:19 |
| #11 Inconvenient truth, TMY, and therefore consigned to the memory hole. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-10-18 12:21 |
| #10 Noone's going to actually notice or remember that in 2003 we took away the authority for running the occupation from the DoD and gave it to the STate Department, run by Colin Powell, and they proceeded to do as much as possible to lose over the next three years. |
| Posted by: Tranquil Mechanical Yeti 2008-10-18 12:18 |
| #9 Broadhead: The disconnect as I have understood it originated with Cheney and Rumsfeld. Powell, the head diplomat of a failed diplomatic effort, became the wartime odd man out. He didn't enjoy his Rumsfeld association or his wicket maiden role. He's a shoe in for SECDEF or UN AMBO under an Obama administration. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-10-18 10:33 |
| #8 Last night Mike Reagan said Powell (who he deems as a friend) was a favorite of his dad & right to be pissed at the Bush admin and this is some sort of payback -- I don't get part of that as this hurts McCain vice Bush. I am often critical of W so I don't know the full details of Powell feeling he was used by the admin or what not. I also find it odd that Powell would endorse an empty suited shiftless dandy over one the few true war vets in the congress. I've always had kind of mixed opinions on Powell. I think the guy is always trying to do what he thinks is right - though I often disagree w/him - kind of like mccain. I'm often very cynical so heck, I'll say it: maybe there is a skin color component to this. |
| Posted by: Flitch the Imposter aka Broadhead6 2008-10-18 10:02 |
| #7 Zelig. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-10-18 09:58 |
| #6 Yup. Been waiting for this for weeks. Powell doesn't need a job BTW. He made his money after retiring from the Army in good part by being appointed to the board of tech companies like American Online (AOL), where he joined at the same time as another African American Clinton official, namely Frank Raines. That's Raines as in the guy who ran Fannie Mae into the ground and is a senior Obama financial advisor Powell is now with the huge Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Who among other firms, launched Google and Amazon. There's a web of strong links between the wealthy left and Colin Powell, which has helped his son break into the big ranks easily as well. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-10-18 09:39 |
| #5 Powell has been twitchy ever since the Bush Administration threw his precious little doctrine under the bus. Getting "fooled" by the French at the start of the war, keeping quiet during the Plame game, Powell has been in bitchy payback mode ever since. |
| Posted by: Minister of funny walks 2008-10-18 09:17 |
| #4 'Benedict Arnold made many contributions to the War of Independence and was critical in turning the decisive battle of Saratoga around. And so, I have to put that in context with this very offensive act that he made, which I reject out of hand.' That would sell well in America circa 1792 wouldn't it Colin. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-10-18 08:41 |
| #3 He thinks Obambi'll give him a job? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2008-10-18 07:19 |
| #2 Where I come from this is referred to as double speak: “Rev. Wright is also somebody who has made enormous contributions in his community and has turned a lot of lives around,” Powell said, “And so, I have to put that in context with these very offensive comments that he made, which I reject out of hand.” |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-10-18 05:35 |
| #1 Some perspective. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-10-18 04:45 |