Powell not ready to endorse Obama for re-election

[shawn703]

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell is declining to renew the endorsement he gave Barack Obama four years ago, when he called Obama "a transformational figure."

Pressed in a network interview to say whether he's backing Obama, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff demurred Tuesday.

Powell tells NBC's "Today" show, quote, "I always keep my powder dry, as they say in the military." He credits Obama with stabilizing the financial system and "fixing the auto industry" but says he should have spent more time on the economy.

Powell calls Mitt Romney a viable candidate and says he's "still listening" to Republican proposals. Powell, who served under President George W. Bush, also says "I don't want to throw my weight behind someone" at this point in the campaign.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120522/us-powell-obama/

[BeyondGeography]

1. Remember when Powell used to matter?

Me neither.

[SecularMotion]

2. Are you talking about this powder, Colin?

[Prometheus Bound]

3. No one cares, Colin. You had a chance to make a difference and you blew it.

Now you have to live with being irrelevant.

[marybourg]

6. Well said!

[joelz]

4. Obama needs the endorsement from the turkey who warned us

the Iraqi government possessed weapons of mass destruction?

[RitchieRich]

5. So this is saying exactly nothing.

It says nothing. I does NOT say he will not endorse him, just that he wont commit this early.

My guess is that like many (me) he will go with him again because the other option amounts to a Red vote, which is worse than voting for someone who could have done so much more.

[karynnj]

7. I read this less negatively than the earlier posters

Powell DOES credit Obama with stabilizing the financial system - which is no small or easy thing. He also credits him on the auto industry where Obama did the opposite of what Romney recommended. For a former member of the Bush administration to say of Romney at this point that he is "a viable candidate" is pretty weak. Note that this is NOT followed by a list of superlatives or accomplishments.

As to timing, if Powell really is leaning to Obama, it is better to wait until after the Republican convention. This way, he can say that he did wait and listen to the Republican proposals - all of which seem Ryan like - and reject them while backing Obama. I do think that Powell's endorsement was useful, though not needed in 2008. Having endorsed in 2008, there is a very good chance that an endorsement this year will be down played by the media - while anything else will be used against him.

[DCBob]

10. +1

that is my interpretation as well.

[Harry Monroe]

8. Still listening to Republican proposals?

What proposals? Powell is a tool.

[NRaleighLiberal]

9. Liar. republican. (synonym). Who cares what you think, Colon? n/t

[Javaman]

11. ass for name can go screw off.

he carried the water for moron* at the UN now he's on his Mia Culpa tour to try and save his soul...so he can get some sort of future cabinet position.

screw off ass for name.

[shawn703]

12. If Powell doesn't endorse Obama, it could hurt his chances in November

The war criminal constituency is very important, don't forget...

[patrice]

13. That's appropriate. & I am ashamed of what this thread looks like at this point.

He wasn't the only one who was fucked by PNAC. There IS something called the Pentagon.

[Nihil]

48. Maybe not ...

> He wasn't the only one who was fucked by PNAC.

... but he was one of the ones who was lying there (pun intended) and
only too willing to be fucked for personal gain. What does that make him?

What I'm surprised about is that so many people are prepared to behave
in exactly the same way as Republicans: IOKIYAD is just as bad as IOKIYAR.

Colon Powell has precisely ONE thing in common with President Obama
and that isn't enough in my book to excuse him his lifetime of crimes.

[patrice]

50. You are right. Read down thread and you can see that I am divided re CP.

The problem is about how to be honest about the profound depth and breadth of Powell's "mistake", how to call him and his cohort at the Pentagon/PNAC out on their DEADLY LIES, without raising other issues by referring to other personal, less relevant, traits and, thus, give other partisans cause to discount and avoid the MAIN point, which is that he betrayed his own military culture and mislead the entire country as SOS at precisely the moment when all of us needed his supposed integrity the MOST.

I am trying to be as honest as possible and as respectful as necessary to the task at hand, i.e. to call out an accessory to a horrific crime who has deep roots in the culture that he consciously harmed.

[Nihil]

51. Valid point. (n/t)

[get the red out]

14. I guess he likes representing total lies to the world

Maybe he just can't get enough of that treatment. Glutton for punishment, some people are.

[DinahMoeHum]

15. Who gives a shit what General "Three-Fifths-of-a-Man" Powell thinks?

I haven't forgotten his Kabuki theatre stunt at the UN (before going to war in Iraq).

[RevStPatrick]

16. Mr. Powell, that could have been you...

...sitting behind that desk in the Oval. You could have been that transformational figure.

But you chose to throw your lot in with the Neocons, and that proved to the world what a tool and a lackey you really are. Actually, I'm glad you chose to expose your toolness the way you did. No one will ever be fooled by you again.

Go ahead and "keep your powder dry," or whatever, Mr. Powell. Nobody really cares.

[ladjf]

17. He's a lying "candy ass" anyway. nt

[BootinUp]

18. surprise!

he's still an idiot.

[NOLALady]

19. Powell who?

[AnotherMcIntosh]

24. Maybe Rmoney's VP pick, that Powell.

[KG]

20. piss on Colin Powell

[dennis4868]

21. That's right

If Obama spent more time on the economy (which I believe he has actually), the TRepublicans in congress would have simply stopped obstructing...WTF is Powell talking about?

[patrice]

22. 1+ - Guess we need to ask whose economy, domestic or foreign, he's referring to, since his

timing IS interesting.

I mean, if he's going to pass for a while, why doesn't he just REALLY pass for a while. This does look a little like a replay of old "strategies".

[xtraxritical]

28. An Meet the Press interview increases your speaking fees, substantially.

One of the biggest sellouts in history.

[patrice]

34. Which fees then get paid by certain PNAC -ian SuperPACs. This IS pretty disgusting.

My complaint above thread is about how some people WILL NOT give you a hearing if they see a personal insult. They use those personal insults as an excuse to shut you down and bemoan your motives to others.

Authentic criticism, such as working the speaking-fees circuits and, thus, using those whom he profoundly HURT in the first place (with the help of the Pentagon, Cheney, and the D.C. based Iraq Group) to reinforce Earth's Oil Kings and, incidentally, turn the Military against the People in the coming budget battles . . . all of that is pretty fucking sad. It looks like this guy is either STILL in over his head, as his role in the Bush admin showed pretty clearly, or he just really doesn't give a fuck, except about certain very limited things.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

23. Is Colin Powell jockeying for position with Rmoney as a VP candidate?

Isn't he generally irrelevant? Why should the MSM now take a renewed interest in what he has to say?

[truthisfreedom]

25. Pussy.

[patrice]

26. Looks as though Romney REALLY does intend to divide the Armed Forces from the People. nt

[polichick]

27. Who the hell cares what this liar thinks?!

It's absurd that characters like Powell, Cheney and Bush remain respected figures in the U.S. - even the White House pretends they are worthy of respect.

Will the American people ever wake the fuck up???

[iamthebandfanman]

29. Now kids, play nice.

There were more than a few people on DU who welcomed his opinion with open arms last presidential election.

Kind of weird he doesnt have an opinion, since Obama has accomplished so much militarily speaking.


At any rate,
its too bad he didnt completely break from the right when he had a chance. Hard to believe he stomached being in that administration for as long as he did.

[Kelvin Mace]

32. Well, I wasn't one of them

I lost all respect for the man the day he signed on to BushCo. Even before that he was an overrated war monger, but went from war monger to war criminal. The blood of hundreds of thousands is on his hands.

[loyalsister]

47. Powell is sincerely committed to the DREAM Act

Obama's immigration policy has been pretty harsh in some ways. He owned up to mistakes and being fooled by the neocons. I give him credit for using enough critical thinking to not be a blind follower at this point.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

30. I don't understand why people still respect this assclown. nt

[Kelvin Mace]

31. Now there's gratitude for you

The man bends over backward to keep you and your war criminal buddies from execution and you repay him with this?

[Zoeisright]

33. Hey Powell, you lying sack of shit:

Fuck off.

[Arugula Latte]

35. There was a disgusting piece in Parade Magazine this week about Powell's concern for "kindness"

Yes, I'm sure the innocent Iraqi people he failed to speak up for were very touched by his kindness right before they were blown to bits.

[FlyByNight]

36. Colin Powell has no credibility

And frankly, who gives shit about what he has to say on, well, anything?

We're still waiting on those WMD to be found in Iraq, Colin. Your former bosses are war criminals and you enabled them. What price conscience?

[JDPriestly]

37. Is Powell hoping to be or to be considered Romney's

vice-presidential candidate?

Is Powell hoping for a cabinet position?

Seems to me he is angling for something.

And Republicans would sell their souls to be able to fool a few more African-American voters.

[Dawson Leery]

38. Colin Powell, accessory to war crimes is one endorsement that we can do fine without.

[goclark]

39. Powell still matters in the AA community

He was honored at the NAACP Image Awards last year I think it was ~

He received a standing ovation!
His support for Obama was meaningful for our community ~ we viewed him as a turn coat when he supported Bush.

[RZM]

41. There's an amusing irony in that characterization

That illustrates the different way that the black community views many issues and people.

According to your assessment, Powell was a 'turncoat' his entire career simply by being Colin Powell and standing for what he did. But then when he switched sides (i.e., became an actual turncoat), he's finally viewed as NOT being a turncoat. It's an interesting way of looking at it because it places his race and not his military/political career at the center of his identity. I never saw him like that at all. To me, he was never 'Colin, the black man who sold out' but 'Colin, the Republican/Chairman of the Joint Cheifs/SOS who happened to be black.'

Although I do believe he was moving towards his 2008 switch for many years. He lambasted civilian hawks in his 1995 autobiography and also slammed the Republican party on racial issues during his speech at the 1996 Republican convention. He (allegedly) opposed the Iraq War in private and apparently did not get along with some of his fellow cabinet members. So it wasn't all that surprising when he didn't come back for Bush's second term and later endorsed Obama in 2008.

[goclark]

45. Rather have him for us than against us

as Democrats

[Giantsfootball10]

40. Well.

Obama will get his Endorsement by the American People on Election day. F*K you CW.

[tabasco]

42. Who gives a shit what the war criminal thinks?

Not me.

[RZM]

43. Apparently NPR will air an interview with him today on 'All Things Considered'

Where he complains that his Feb. 2003 speech at the UN led to an unfortunate association with him and making the case for war.

That's a pretty odd thing to complain about since the speech was all about . . . making the case for war.

I understand and empathize with the regret, but rather than blaming everybody else for drawing the logical conclusions, he should focus on blaming himself for making the case in the first place.

It reminds me of this story. Towards the very end of his life (when he was under house arrest), Nikita Khrushchev apparently said: 'I'm covered in blood,' which historians tend to think was an admission of guilt and statement of regret regarding his role in the Great Terror during the 1930s. Of course people already knew that he had a substantial role in the terror, but it's interesting noting that it still haunted him all those decades later.

Now THAT's regret

[Mnemosyne]

44. Just another war criminal. nt

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

46. A demurral!

[sofa king]

49. I'm trying really hard to care about that.

And so too, I am sure, is the fellow who outranks Colin Powell.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

52. He may not be "ready" to endorse Barack Obama, but he sure doesn't appear

to be support R-Money, either!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/colin-powell-mitt-romney-foreign-policy_n_1538945.html