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VIDEO: Colin Powell Endorses Obama for Second Term

Former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell broke with the Republican Party once again to endorse President Obama's re-election. The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff made the announcement on CBS This Morning.

"I voted for him in 2008 and I plan to stick with him in 2012 and I'll be voting for he and for Vice President Joe Biden next month," said the general, who described Obama as a "transformational figure" in 2008. Watch the clip AFTER THE JUMP ...

Powell described his rationale:

"When he took over, the country was in very very difficult straits. We were in the one of the worst recessions we had seen in recent times, close to a depression. The fiscal system was collapsing. Wall Street was in chaos, we had 800,000 jobs lost in that first month of the Obama administration and unemployment peaked a few months later at 10 percent. So we were in real trouble. The auto industry was collapsing, the housing was start[ing] to collapse and we were in very difficult straits. And I saw over the next several years, stabilization come back in the financial community, housing is now starting to pick up after four years, it's starting to pick up. Consumer confidence is rising."

Watch the clip AFTER THE JUMP ...

Powell: Don't Pressure Congress to Repeal DADT Until Study Complete

As the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1993, you'll recall that Gen. Colin Powell infamously opposed President Bill Clinton's plan to fully integrate gays and lesbians in the armed forces. In February 2010, Powell stated that his position evolved and he now supported repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

Powell is now somewhat hedging his position. Speaking on Larry King Live, the retired general says he supports repeal but also supports Sen. John McCain's position that Congress should not be pressured to repeal the policy before the Pentagon Working Group study is released, reports Igor Volsky at the Wonk Room.

Said Gen. Powell: "We have to take into account the views of our military leaders who are responsible for the well-being of the armed forces. ... Just let that study be finished, let it be published and let everybody read it and not leak parts of it. And so I share Senator McCain’s view that we ought to let the process unfold and not try to intercept it with court rulings or with people trying to get a vote out of the Congress when the Congress is not ready to vote on it."

Silly me. And all this time I thought the Constitution gave Congress the power "to raise and support armies."

The video, WHEN YOU JUMP ...

WATCH: Ted Olson Reacts to Proposition 8 Ruling

The newest hero of the LGBT equality movement speaks. At a news conference following today's landmark ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, conservative Republican attorney Theodore Olson said that he wished television cameras had not been prohibited from broadcasting the historic challenge to Prop 8.

"We felt from the beginning that it was unfortunate every American could not see this trial. See the experts talk about the value of marriage, the history of discrimination, the value of equality and all the things this case involves. ... But it was great that this decision happened in San Francisco, because the City and County of San Francisco has always been there fighting for gays and lesbians."

You go Ted! Watch it AFTER THE JUMP ...

Colin Powell: "Things Have Changed" on Gays in the Military

As the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1993, you'll recall that Gen. Colin Powell opposed fully integrating gays in the military. In February,  Powell said that he supported repeal and this morning on ABC's This Week the general was asked why he's changed his position.

Said the retired general: "That was 17 years ago." Powell added, "I am personally of the view now that attitudes have changed and I think it is perfectly acceptable to get rid of the law and the policy but I think before we actually do it we have to hear clearly from the officers and the men and women who are charge of executing the policy. At the end of the day, the law will change and 'don't ask, don't tell' will go away."

The video is HERE beginning at 11:55.

Meanwhile: The current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, was a guest on CNN's State of the Union and said he believes Congress should have waited before voting to begin the process of repeal last week. And on Thursday, Mullen said he was "comfortable" with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal legislation because "it includes 'very clear language' that gives senior leaders the final say in whether it’s implemented."

"Whether" versus "when"?

McCain: Why Would I Ask Gay Soldiers Their Opinions on DADT?

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is working "effectively" and there is "no" need to seek the opinions of gay servicemembers, says Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). The former Republican presidential nominee, who is in the middle of a hotly contested primary re-election battle, made the comments during a lengthy editorial meeting with the Arizona Star. Excerpts were printed in the newspaper and its digital edition today:

 McCAIN: I make that determination by retention and recruitment is at an all-time high, the highest in the history of the all-volunteer force. I get that opinion because I visit with the troops all the time. I go to Iraq, I go to Afghanistan, I run into them everywhere. And of course I don't seek out someone who is gay. Why should I? These are all men and women who are serving. Why should I, that would be nuts. I go up to men and women and I say thanks for serving. I say thank you for serving, you are great Americans, God bless you.

McCain continues to parse the testimony given by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mullen to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Mullen was speaking personally he said DADT should end, McCain says. The service chiefs opposed to repealing "Don't Ask Don'T Tell" were "speaking professionally."

McCAIN: [Mullen] said it was his personal opinion.

STAR: Well, he did. But he also appeared in uniform. And it's a little hard to parse when the joint chiefs appear in front of the United States Senate committee and says "It's my personal opinion that."

McCAIN: What about when the commandant of the Marine Corps said he is opposed to it? What about when the chief of staff of the Army said we've got to go slow on this? What about when the chief of staff of the Air Force said I'm very worried about an abrupt change in policy and that we have to have a thorough review? What about all of those people?

STAR: Well maybe that was just their personal opinion.

McCAIN: No, no. It wasn't their personal opinion. It was their professional opinion. It was Admiral Mullen's personal opinion. All these other guys I just mentioned, that was their professional opinion.

McCain isn't the only one who think it's unnecessary to ask gay soldiers their opinions on "Don't Ask Don't Tell".  At least the Administration and Democrats are working toward repeal. In John McCain's world,  DADT is working as  effectively as the vetting process for Sarah Palin.

McCain also recycles Gen. Colin Powell's 17-year-old statements on gay troops. Powell has since changed his position and supports repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Read the full interview at the Star ....

WATCH: McCain on Meet the Press: "Some in the Military Don't Want Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repealed"

Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press", Senator John McCain (R-AZ) was asked to clarify why Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mullen's testimony on repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" does not satisfy his now-infamous 2006 remarks he would consider changing the policy when the "leadership of the military" said so.

McCain's response: "Because, as I said back then, we need to have a careful examination. And Admiral Mullen was, as quote, speaking personally. Just this week the commandant of the Marine Corps said that he did not want 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repealed. There are many in the military who do not want to. We are going to go through, hopefully, a year-long study that will, hopefully ... also ... have the feelings of the men and women who are serving."

Oh so we're taking surveys on  "feelings" now? 

Since Admiral Mullen's testimony, the Secretaries of the Army and Navy have come out for repealing DADT, as well as CENTCOMM Commander General David Petraeus and former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Colin Powell. But still not good enough for John Sidney McCain. Watch AFTER THE JUMP ...

Gen. Colin Powell Now Favors Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

This is major. Former General Colin Powell, who as the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman opposed fully integrating gays in the military, now says it's time to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

The New York Times' Caucus Blog:

"In the almost 17 years since the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed," General Powell said in a statement issued by his office. He added: "I fully support the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen."

When Mr. Clinton tried to end the ban on gay soldiers, General Powell was the Joint Chiefs chairman and opposed the move on the grounds that it would undermine discipline and order in the military but he supported the "don’t ask" compromise. In his statement on Wednesday, General Powell said "the principal issue has always been the effectiveness of the Armed Forces and order and discipline in the ranks." He noted that he has said for the past two years that it was "time for the law to be reviewed," but his new statement of unequivocal support for the effort by Mr. Gates and Admiral Mullen could be an important factor as the debate moves forward this year.

Powell said during the 2008 elections that it was time to "review" the 1993 the to repeal the 1993 law that bans openly gay men and women from serving in the military.

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates Joints Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen told lawmakers they supported President Obama’s proposal. Mullen became the first sitting JCS chairman to endorse the repeal.

Will Powell's Obama Endorsement Convince GOP to End "Don't Ask"?

PFLAG's Steve Ralls essays at the Huffington Post that General Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama "can play a major role... in bringing the GOP a long way toward embracing repeal" of the odious "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Senator McCain has often cited Powell as a primary reason for his support of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." And if the General publicly says the case for repeal made by Senator Obama and some GOP lawmakers is the right one, it should compel McCain to revisit that support. Doing so would not be unprecedented in his party.

Former Congressman Jim Kolbe of Arizona, who Senator McCain has said he admires and respects greatly, was a champion of repeal during his time in Congress. Similarly, GOP lawmakers Ileana Ros-Lehtinent of Florida and Christopher Shays of Connecticut, have also endorsed repeal. And during his time in the House, former Congressman Wayne Gilchrest, a Vietnam war veteran, also supported legislation to lift the ban.

General Powell may be able to help bring along even more Republican lawmakers in the fight to get rid fo the law, and he could challenge Senator McCain's defense of the ban by also challenging him to revisit his position on the issue.

If it wasn't for then-Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell's outspoken opposition to gay men and lesbians openly serving in the military, the political drama that resulted in DADT could have fared somewhat differently. But fourteen years later, Powell admits DADT is "a discriminatory policy" and "the country has changed." With the four star general's support behind the Obama campaign and hopefully part of its Administration, Republicans opposing DADT can no longer hid behind his name.

What Will Powell's Endorsement Mean [HuffPo]

Some Background ...
Obama Conference Call on "Don't Ask" [R20]
Obama Talks to "The Advocate" [R20]
Gays in Military Do Not Undermine "Cohesiveness" [R20]
Court of Appeals Upholds "Don't Ask" [R20]
Joint Chiefs Nominee: Congress Can Reconsider "Don't Ask" [R20]
Romney Defends Pace's Anti-Gay Remarks [R20]
Joint Chiefs Chairman Criticizes Gays [R20]
Former Joint Chiefs Chairman: End DADT [R20]
Former Defense Secretary: End DADT [R20]
Colin Powell on Guantanamo [R20]
Joint Chiefs Chairman Regrets Criticizing Gays [R20]
General Says Bush Worst Thing to Happen [R20]
Former Defense Secretary: End DADT [R20]
Former Joint Chiefs Chair: End DADT [R20]
Most Soldiers Support Gays [R20]
Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Hearings? [R20]
News: DADT, Maryland Hearings [R20]
News: Don't Ask, Don't Tell [R20]

Powell Says Right-Wing, Anti-Gay Bachmann Helped Seal His Endorsement of Obama

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.

Colin Powell on Guantanamo Prison Camp: Close It. Now.

The calls to close the notorious detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba grows louder. Former secretary of state and joints chief chairman Colin Powell joins the chorus.

"If it was up to me, I would close Guantanamo. Not tomorrow, but this afternoon. I'd close it," he said on NBC's Meet the Press. The prison, which now holds about 380 suspected terrorists, has tarnished the world's perception of the U.S., Powell said. He wants the detainees moved to facilities facilities in the United States.

The former secretary of state and retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has also offered some foreign policy expertise to the Barack Obama campaign.

Not everyone is in agreement. Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and long-shot Republican presidential hopeful, grabbed some much-needed headlines and showcased his lack of foreign policy credentials by disputing assessments of torture at the notorious prison camp. “Most of our prisoners would love to be in a facility more like Guantanamo and less like the state prisons that people are in in the United States.” Video at Think Progress.

Meanwhile, another serious blow to the Bush Administration's anti-terror strategy: The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a man being held as an enemy combatant cannot be indefinitely detained and must be allowed to face his accusers in court. Last week, Senate Democrats voted to advance a bill that would allow terrorism suspects access to federal courts.

Powell Calls for Closure of Prison [WaPo]
Court Rules in Favor of Enemy Combatant [AP]
Huckabee: ‘Most’ Prisoners ‘Would Love’ Gitmo [TP]

Some Background ...

Dems Vote to Restopre Habeas Corpus [R20]
NYT to Bush: Dump Gonzales [R20]
Why is Justice "Investigating" Domestic Spying? [R20]
Rumsfeld's Worst Nightmare [R20]
Judgment at Nuremberg [R20]
Rumsfeld War Crimes [R20]
Powell Opposes Bush on Torture [R20]
Administration Spying on Gay Groups? [R20]