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Colin Powell: The America We Remember is Back Again (triple bag barf alert)
CBS News ^ | January 20, 2009, 11:34 AM | Daniel Farber

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.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: katietheclown
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To: Mr. Mojo
Exactly. The world loves us when we show weakness. They hate us when we show that we are the only superpower on the planet which makes all other nations irrelevant and they can do nothing to stop us from doing what we want.
61 posted on 01/20/2009 2:07:23 PM PST by jveritas (God Bless our brave troops)
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To: lewisglad
“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”

This statement is INCORRECT. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he was NOT in the chain of command that runs from the President through the Secretary of Defense and to the combatant commanders. At the time he was CJCS, the combatant commanders were CINCEUR, CINCPAC, CENTCOM, LANTCOM, SOCOM (can't remember them all) plus the unified commands (TRANSCOM, SPACECOM and a few others. Not even the Chiefs of Staff of the services are in the chain of command. They are force and logistics providers for the combatant commands.

The NCA, National Command Authority runs from the President, SECDEF, and combatant commanders. The combatant commanders report to the Secretary of Defense, not to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

God forbid facts should get in the way of a B.S. story.

62 posted on 01/20/2009 2:14:58 PM PST by Babalu ("Tracer rounds work both ways ...")
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To: lewisglad

I’m amazed at some of the angry posts directed at Collin Powell on this thread. And to think you freeptards wanted this pathetic little racist man to be our president. You people deserve Barack Hussein Obama.


63 posted on 01/20/2009 2:15:47 PM PST by Godebert
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To: lewisglad

I hope Hillary is to Obama what Powell was to Bush


64 posted on 01/20/2009 2:18:34 PM PST by Rightly Biased (Gentlemen, please. Rest your sphincters.)
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To: lewisglad
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."

Bush was naive.

65 posted on 01/20/2009 2:47:02 PM PST by gogeo (Democrats want to support the troops by accusing them of war crimes.)
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To: chuck_the_tv_out
he’s just whoring himself for a nice juicy job, that’s all. his words are meaningless...

Maybe so, but I think he's sincere.

66 posted on 01/20/2009 2:53:05 PM PST by gogeo (Democrats want to support the troops by accusing them of war crimes.)
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To: chuck_the_tv_out

“he’s just whoring himself for a nice juicy job, that’s all. his words are meaningless.”

Against my will, but in light of what has been happening lately, I have to agree with you. I guess his military retirement pay wasn’t enough to live on. I know mine hasn’t been. On the other hand, I think I’d rather be found standing on a street corner with my dress hitched up...and I’m not female.


67 posted on 01/20/2009 4:58:11 PM PST by Old Student (We have a name for the people who think indiscriminate killing is fine. They're called "The Bad Guys)
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To: lewisglad
I'm still waiting for Powell to provide one substantive sentence since he left the Bush Administration. Let's see if he can muster up something that isn't meaningless:
"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."
STEEERIKE ONE!
"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."
STEEEERIKE TWO!
"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."
STEEERIKE THREE!

On this day in 2000, I cringed at the idea of listening to George W. Bush -- the worst public speaking Chief Executive in the history of recorded sound -- for four years. Given the alternative, I was relieved (but not happy) about having to listen to him for an additional four. Now, I've got a different problem; people who know how to speak well, but refuse to say anything that isn't, at its core, pliable and meaningless.

68 posted on 01/20/2009 6:17:00 PM PST by L.N. Smithee (Yes, I am black. No, It's NOT wonderful. No, I'm NOT proud of him. No, I DON'T want any Kool-Aid.)
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To: L.N. Smithee

good point


69 posted on 01/20/2009 6:22:15 PM PST by cyborg
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To: jazusamo

I feel the same way you do.


70 posted on 01/20/2009 7:45:09 PM PST by MplsSteve
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To: Old Student

“Against my will, but in light of what has been happening lately, I have to agree with you.”

Against will? What happening?


71 posted on 01/20/2009 11:58:34 PM PST by chuck_the_tv_out
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To: gogeo
he’s just whoring himself for a nice juicy job, that’s all. his words are meaningless...

Maybe so, but I think he's sincere.


Yeah, he has a way of making ppl think that huh. No, he's not.
72 posted on 01/20/2009 11:59:51 PM PST by chuck_the_tv_out
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To: lewisglad
Hey Powell: Photobucket
73 posted on 01/21/2009 12:18:14 AM PST by mojitojoe ( A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves)
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To: chuck_the_tv_out
“What happening?”

Colin Powell, whom I used to respect, wandering around in public with his head up and locked. No evidence he's trying to find a Plexiglas window for his bellybutton, either.

74 posted on 01/21/2009 9:27:09 AM PST by Old Student (We have a name for the people who think indiscriminate killing is fine. They're called "The Bad Guys)
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To: lewisglad

Does anyone have a link to those classy pictures of Colon Bowel boogeying down with that rap-dude from the election?


75 posted on 01/21/2009 9:34:27 AM PST by Antoninus (America didn't turn away from conservatism, they turned away from many who faked it. - Mark Sanford)
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To: lewisglad


Never mind, I found it.

This is how I will forever remember this man.
76 posted on 01/21/2009 9:35:49 AM PST by Antoninus (America didn't turn away from conservatism, they turned away from many who faked it. - Mark Sanford)
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To: Antoninus

Ice Ice Baby!


77 posted on 01/21/2009 9:40:04 AM PST by windsorknot
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To: chuck_the_tv_out

Why?


78 posted on 01/21/2009 9:40:38 AM PST by gogeo (Democrats want to support the troops by accusing them of war crimes.)
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To: lewisglad
I feel sorry for Powell. Perhaps he's homsick for his native habitat:


79 posted on 01/21/2009 9:45:13 AM PST by MeanWestTexan (Beware Obama's Reichstag fire.)
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To: lewisglad
I feel sorry for Powell. Perhaps he's homesick for his native habitat:


80 posted on 01/21/2009 9:45:16 AM PST by MeanWestTexan (Beware Obama's Reichstag fire.)
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