Via Think Progress and Ameicablog is this highlight from Gen. Colin Powell's weekend endorsement of Barack Obama for president. After appearing on NBC News' Meet the Press, the former secretary of state and retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the increasingly harsh rhetoric of the McCain campaign worried him. Especially troubling was last week's McCarthyite outburst by far right wingnut Rep. Michelle Bachmann, the anti-gay and anti-same sex marriage zealot who accused Obama of harboring by anti-American views.
Transcript at Americablog:
Q: Sir, what role did McCain's negativity play in your decision?
POWELL: It troubled me. You know, we have two wars. We have economic problems. We have health problems. We have education problems. We have infrastructure problems. We have problems around the world with our allies. And so those are the problems the American people wanted to hear about, not about Mr. Ayers, not about who is a Muslim and who's not a Muslim. Those kinds of images going out on al Jazeera are killing us around the world. And we have got to say to the world it doesn't make any difference who you are or what you are. If you're an American you're an American.
And this business of, for example, a congressman from Minnesota who's going around saying let's examine all congressmen to see who is pro-America or not pro-America. We have got to stop this kind of nonsense and pull ourselves together and remember that our great strength is in our unity and in our diversity. And so that really was driving me. And to focus on people like Mr. Ayers, these trivial issues for the purpose of suggesting that somehow Mr. Obama would have some kind of terrorists' inclinations, I thought that was over the top. It was beyond just good political fighting back and forth. I think it went beyond. And then to sort of throw in this subtle Muslim connection. You know, he's a Muslim and a terrorist. And it was taking root. And we can't judge our people and we can't hold our elections on that kind of basis. And so yes, that kind of negativity troubles me and the constant shifting of the argument.
The Powell endorsement is a coup but is not a surprise. In June 2007, we reported Powell was advising Obama on foreign policy. Colin Powell, a Republican who puts "country first" with endorsing Obama for America.
General, you are my newest hero. If he's offered a cabinet post, I hope he accepts and is able to put behind him being lied to (weapons of mass destr.) by the previous administration.
Posted by: Lavenderpop | 20 October 2008 at 10:02
I am glad that Powell was very clear in his reasoning and examples of why he is endorsing Obama. People will still say stupid things like "It's just because they're both black." One can't escape such stupidity so easily, however, his clear wording will enable others to follow him in his Obama endorsement, and they can utilize his professional reasoning. Politicians can't say/believe he was doing because he was angry or anything useless like that. I'm sure the spinning of his words have begun, but I do believe it will be a little harder.
Posted by: Bill | 20 October 2008 at 18:06
This happens time and time again from the Obamabots. This is the Colin Powell who people have blasted for lying about the WMDs. Now he endorses Obama and gets praised to high heaven.
Posted by: Davis | 20 October 2008 at 18:32
Colin Powell was given the same lies and faulty data we were all given. It's a stretch to call that lying. He crossed party lines to back Obama. Isn't crossing party lines what McLame has been braggin' about at every debate? Powell put words to action.
Posted by: Lavenderpop | 21 October 2008 at 16:52