Posted on 01/20/2009 10:45:33 AM PST by lewisglad
January 20, 2009, 11:34 AM Colin Powell: The America We Remember Is Back Again Posted by Daniel Farber
Complete Inaugural Coverage
Colin Powell, the former Bush administration Secretary of State and now head of America's Promise, called Barack Obama's election to the nation's highest office a "reaffirmation of American principles values that will help us overcome some of the difficulties of recent years with respect to the attitude of the world toward us."
Speaking with CBS News Managing Editor Katie Couric, Powell said America's prestige abroad has improved since Mr. Obama won a decisive victory over Senator John McCain.
"I think it has really, really been an remarkable event in terms of getting everybody to stand back and say, look at what we have seen here in America," Powell said. "The America we remember is back again."
Powell, who was the highest ranking African-American in the U.S. chain of command while in office and a retired four-star general, was surprised by Mr. Obama's quick rise to the job of Commander in Chief and the efficiency of his campaign.
"I am surprised," Powell said. "I am deeply pleased it happened in my lifetime. He did sort of come out of nowhere. But he came out of nowhere with a sense of optimism, self-confidence, but not overconfidence, and a belief in the basic ideals of this country. What he did was ran a campaign that was almost a military operation in terms of its efficiency, and it's dogged determination to achieve a goal, and he said to all Americans, let's come together, as he says so often. It is not a red state or a blue state, but we're all in one country. And he touched the American people at a time when the American people wanted to be touched, and they needed to be touched. They needed to be reminded of what this country stands for."
As an African-American who was once touted as a presidential candidate, Powell offered his perspective on the Mr. Obama's historic election.
"We have a man who happens to be an African-American, but beyond that, he is a qualified, capable, transformational figure – that's why we elected him," Powell said. "The fact he is African-American says so much about who we are as a people, as a country. It has energized the country and energized the world. Parades the night of the election, not only in Chicago and New York, but in Rio, in Berlin, in Obama, Japan -- there is such a place. They're building a statue in it for him already. The world wondered, can America really do this? Aren't they too divided? Can they really pull something like this off? And we said to the world, yes, we can, and we did."
Regarding the ongoing wars that President Obama will inherit, Powell offered his view on how to proceed, "...in terms of Iraq, we can continue the draw-down a pretty steady pace, and the Iraqis get our help, but Afghanistan, a still more difficult task. Still a tribal society, still a very poor country. The government is not functioning as well as we want it to, and you have the drug problem, which I think can destroy any country if it is not brought under control. So additional troops will help, but we need more than just additional troops. We need to do something about the Pakistan side and the government needs to start functioning. It is a political and economic challenge."
It's not unlikely that President Obama will call upon Colin Powell for service in the new era of responsibility.
He needs to STFU. Turd
Amen.
Powell is the reminder that affirmative action disgraces all who participate.
Why they call this man a Republican is beyond me. What a jerk.
Exactly!
and what America is back, General Powell - the 60’s, or maybe the Carter years, or ???
I heard Powell live on CBS. And, while he was pontificating on the state of international affairs, I couldn’t help but think that Iraq is now in the more stable condition it is precisely because Bush ignored the naysayers like Powell and Obama and proceeded with the surge. Of course, Katie Couric couldn’t find the courage to point this out.
For the first time in his adult life, Colon is really proud of his country.
In the America of my memories, we had to check our guns and gunbelts at the door to kindergarten, but could "carry" the rest of the day.
As adolescents we could run around the neighborhood with carbine replicas playing WWII.
As teenagers, hold BB gun "wars".
Kids were encouraged to WIN. Dogs could run free with the pack of kids. We could disappear in the morning and not show up at home until dinner with no questions asked. The police WERE your friend. We didn't know what a lawyer was.
The election of 0be has not returned the freedom that America represented when I was a kid.
Shut up, REMF.
How could I have been that wrong about Colin Powell? At one time I thought he might have been presidential material. He’s looking a lot less than that now. He spit in the face of the person, Bush, who made him a big man in government to curry favor with a leftist pol. Thanks a lot Powell...for nothing.
We heard the same crap after Clinton beat GHWB and Carter beat Ford. When Democrats win the Presidency, America suddenly becomes popular again. ...because Republicans are too "unilateral," "mean," "nativist," etc.
One thing is certain: After a few years with a Dem as CIC America invariably becomes decidedly weaker, which would explain its increased popularity with a world that loves nothing more than to see America in a weakened state.
how you do ‘remember’ something which never happened before?
This is liberal utopianism. The America they love is the America which finally lives up their THEIR ideals. And unless American admits that it has been wrong and is willing to submit itself to these news liberal ideals there will be no ‘loving America’ to be had.
So, enjoy your coronation month Gen Powell. But when the recruiting numbers start to suddenly far off a cliff and your best operators fail to re-up, you can just blame white racism for our newly found weakness.
I bet a million bucks I would have agreed with the comments regarding the opportunist, race pig Powell in Post #11.
Colin Powell - never commanded a combat mission and via his paint job, ascended the ranks via AA.
Maggot who endorsed Obama.
If I voted for McCain because I’m white, the media calls me racist...if 98% of blacks vote for Obama, then that is “revolutionary”.
The left is its own enemy or hypocricy.
How about a lifetime ambassadorship in "Sengala?"
Where exactly did the America "we remember" go in the first place?
Stupid ,.....stupid remark! I'm deeply saddened, cause I thought Powell was supposed to be an intelligent, non racist man.
Well, we were warned.
I used to regard Powell as an honorable man, sadly I was wrong.
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” - Abraham Lincoln
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