Posted on 10/19/2008 7:56:13 AM PDT by JustTheTruth
WASHINGTON - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for president on Sunday, criticizing his own Republican Party for what he called its narrow focus on irrelevant personal attacks over a serious approach to challenges he called unprecedented.
Powell, who for many years was considered the most likely candidate to become the first African-American president, said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he was not supporting Obama because of his race. He said he had watched both Obama and his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, for many months and thought “either one of them would be a good president.”
But he said McCain’s choices in the last few weeks — especially his selection of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his vice presidential running mate — had raised questions in his mind about McCain’s judgment.
“I don’t believe [Palin] is ready to be president of the United States,” Powell said flatly. By contrast, Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, “is ready to be president on day one.”
Powell also said he was “troubled” by Republican personal attacks on Obama, especially false intimations that Obama was Muslim and Republicans’ recent focus on Obama’s alleged connections to William Ayers, the founder of the radical ’60 Weather Underground.
Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.
“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.
“I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me,” Powell said. “Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower.”
In an interview Sunday on Fox News, McCain said he was not surprised by the announcement.
“I’ve always admired and respected General Powell,” said McCain, who cited the endorsements he had received from former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, Alexander Haig, James Baker and Lawrence Eagleburger. “We have a respectful disagreement.”
Powell, a retired Army general who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under the first President Bush before becoming secretary of state in the current administration, is one of the most highly decorated military officers of modern times and an admired figure in both parties. The Obama campaign is likely to cite the endorsement as an answer to critics and undecided voters who have questioned the foreign policy credential of Obama, a first-term senator whose national experience amounts to four years in the Senate.
Powell said a major part of his decision to turn his back on his own party was his conclusion that Obama was the better option to repair frayed U.S. relations with allies overseas.
“This is the time for outreach,” Powell said, saying the next president would have to “reach out and show the world there is a new administration that is willing to reach out.”
In particular, he said, he welcomed Obama’s president to “talk to people we haven’t talked to,” a reference to Obama’s controversial pledge to hold talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
“I think that [Obama] has a definite way of doing business that will serve us well,” Powell said.
“All the way with LBJ” is his motto.
Transformational figure. No, evil charlatan that blind people can’t see.
Obama has already promised to abandon any plans for the next generation weapons.
Guess that’s perfectly alright with Powell.
The money phrase is Colin's question about what would it matter if 0bama WERE a Muslim?
“Transformational figure” is code word for “The Black Candidate”.
“I think that [Obama] has a definite way of doing business that will serve us well,” Powell said. Who is the “us” to which he is referring here?
Powell is a traitor
” Powell said a major part of his decision to turn his back on his own party was his conclusion that Obama was the better option to repair frayed U.S. relations with allies overseas.
‘This is the time for outreach,” Powell said, saying the next president would have to “reach out and show the world there is a new administration that is willing to reach out’
In particular, he said, he welcomed Obama’s president to “talk to people we haven’t talked to,” a reference to Obama’s controversial pledge to hold talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. “
Frankly I don’t give a rat’s patootie about what are so called allies think of us. The duty of the US President is to put US interests first. If a bunch of socialist, anti Jewish, anti Christian, pro surrender, pro appeasement cry baby government titty babies don’t like that tough bohunks. I’m all in favor of reaching out provided the person you reach out to knows you might just have a very big stick in hand in case he tries any nonsense.
As for the comment about talking to people we have not talked to. That is beneath contempt and shows the true color of Powell. Making nice with terrorists or their sponsors is not wise. Only a lower wolf shows its neck to the alpha. Equals stand their ground. Betters take it. I say the US is better.
Does it surprise anyone that Powell had been talking to BO for a long time? Did Powell even once mention Iraq and the “War on Terror”?
One thing is completely clear Powell was wrong in saying that Obama was a lifelong Christian.
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