Powell Will Be Potential Barry-O Lackey, According To The Messiah

[Rob]

Obama: Powell will have a role in adminstration

WASHINGTON – Colin Powell will have a role as a top presidential adviser in an Obama administration, the Democratic White House hopeful said Monday.

"He will have a role as one of my advisers," Barack Obama said on NBC's "Today" in an interview aired Monday, a day after Powell, a four-star general and President Bush's former secretary of state, endorsed him.

"Whether he wants to take a formal role, whether that's a good fit for him, is something we'd have to discuss," Obama said.

Being a top presidential adviser, especially on foreign policy, would be familiar ground to Powell on a subject that's relatively new to the freshman Illinois senator. Obama has struggled to establish his foreign policy credentials against GOP candidate John McCain, a decorated military veteran, former prisoner of war and ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

In the NBC interview, Obama said Powell did not give him a heads-up before he crossed party lines and endorsed the Democratic presidential candidate on the network's "Meet the Press" a day earlier.

In that interview, Powell called Obama a "transformational figure" in the nation's history and expressed disappointment in some of McCain's campaign tactics. But, Powell said, he didn't plan to hit the campaign trail with Obama before the Nov. 4 election.

"I won't lie to you, I would love to have him at any stop," Obama said with a grin Monday. "Obviously, if he wants to show up he's got an open invitation."

Powell's endorsement came just hours after Obama's campaign disclosed that it raised $150 million in September — obliterating the old record of $66 million it had set only one month earlier.

He expressed disappointment in the negative tone of McCain's campaign, his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a running mate and their decision to focus in the closing weeks of the contest on Obama's ties to 1960s-era radical William Ayers, saying "it goes too far."

McCain, meanwhile, seemed dismissive of Powell's endorsement, saying it wasn't a surprise, that the two share mutual respect and are longtime friends.

The Republican from Arizona pointed out on Sunday that he had support from four other former secretaries of state, all veterans of Republican administrations: Henry Kissinger, James A. Baker III, Lawrence Eagleburger and Alexander Haig.

At a boisterous rally Sunday, Obama said McCain was "out of ideas and almost out of time."

He and his aides appear so confident of his prospects that apart from a brief stop in Madison, Wis., next Thursday, Obama currently has no plans during the next 10 days to return to Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Hampshire or any other state that voted for John Kerry in 2004.

Instead, he intends to spend two days this week in Florida, where early voting begins on Monday, and travel to Virginia, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado, New Mexico and possibly Nevada and Indiana. Those states hold 97 electoral votes combined, and Bush won all in 2004.

Obama also may stop in West Virginia, where his campaign recently bought statewide television advertising in a late attempt to put the state's five electoral votes into serious contention.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081020/ap_on_el_pr/obama

[Blond Knight]

Race trumps ideology again?

Just another example of the Republican Party earning the label of "The Stupid Party."

[Texas Dissident]

Race trumps ideology again?

Not necessarily.

I think Powell's endorsement of Obama has much more to do with his loathing of the chickenhawk neo-conservatives that would dominate and control the foreign policy of a McCain administration.

Don't forget some of the revelations from Col. Lawrence Wilkerson after the infamous Powell speech to the UN concerning Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

[Frank]

Not necessarily.

I think Powell's endorsement of Obama has much more to do with his loathing of the chickenhawk neo-conservatives that would dominate and control the foreign policy of a McCain administration.

Don't forget some of the revelations from Col. Lawrence Wilkerson after the infamous Powell speech to the UN concerning Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.Grr, TD you and your pursuit of truth.

You'll of course admit it's rare to meet a black who isn't a fan of Obama. This is just one more example.

[MadScienceType]

This is payback for the Bush administration's misuse of Powell at the UN in the run up to the Iraq Live-Fire Exercise of 2003.

Powell was in no small way humiliated by having to get up there in front of the world and repeat the hysteria and lies of Bush and the Usual Suspects, who were more than happy to use Powell's image as a sober, serious diplomat to sell this crapola, but then also felt free to let him take a big measure of the heat when all the "weapons of mass destruction ready to go at a moment's notice!!!! Killer drones!!!!" propaganda fartings were shown for the utter bullsh*t they were.

I'm sure the fact that he's endorsing a fellow black doesn't do anything but sweeten the pot as far as Powell is concerned, but make no mistake, this is a nice middle finger to the neocons first and foremost.

A most hilarious aspect of the neocons' many defections of late (such as Scott McClellan) is to hear Limbag on the radio excoriating these people whose asses he at one time couldn't kiss enough!

[Texas Dissident]

Grr, TD you and your pursuit of truth.

You'll of course admit it's rare to meet a black who isn't a fan of Obama. This is just one more example.

One could also say that it is very rare to meet a White, Southern fundamentalist evangelical who isn't a fan of McCain and the GOP.

I could be wrong but I do believe that Powell has more integrity than that. Knowlingly at the time or not, he got mightily burned by the neo-cons in Bush's administration and I'm sure he wants payback one way or the other. If it was just a racial thing then he could have just not made an endorsement at all. I'm sure he knew that would be the first counter levelled at him by the Republican party apparatchiks, yet he still endorsed. Up to this point, he has been almost stubbornly apolitical.

At the same time, the neo-cons want nothing more than to absolve themselves of the disaster that is Bush and McCain in Iraq and would love for the story line of Powell endorsing Obama to be nothing more than racial and skin-deep. I think that is a superficial explanation that only serves neo-con interests by averting any connection with and discussion of the war in Iraq and neo-con foreign policy aims, to which at one time Powell was the only opposition in Bush's administration.

[Frank]

TD,

here's an article at takimag:

The Colin Powell Myth (http://www.takimag.com/sniperstower/article/the_colin_powell_myth/)
Indeed, in making the case for Obama, Powell talks about “judges,” McCain’s supposedly “hateful” campaign tactics, Palin’s “not being ready,” and McCain’s awkward suspension of his campaign during the economic crisis. Lots of boring, conventional opinions are on offer, but foreign policy doesn’t seem to be in the mix--outside a few vague gestures towards “working with our allies” (towards what?) and the like.

I don't think saying Powell backs Obama helps the neocons at all. Obama's lead has dropped, but I doubt he'll lose. Obama is the demon who'll hopefully create a reaction, and the more race plays a part the better. Were it up to the neocons, Obama would be loved by all, etc. They don't like the Obama left, but they absolutely abhor everything on the right. Tradition, tribalism, religion, virtue, order, honor, leaving other groups alone, honesty, etc.? "Yuck," says the neocon. Under an Obama presidency, expect neocon worship if racial tensions begin to surface. If the neocons can't capture the anti-Obama movement, they'll oppose it furiously for being right wing. Given a choice between saving Israel and destroying white America, I bet Kristol would choose the latter.

[albion]

Powell’s Endorsement Puts Spotlight on His Legacy
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/us/politics/20powell.html?ex=1240113600&en=63f77f945287d91b&ei=5087&excamp=GGPOcolinpowellobama&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=PO-S-E-GG-NA-S-colin_powell_obama

[The Monitor]

One could also say that it is very rare to meet a White, Southern fundamentalist evangelical who isn't a fan of McCain and the GOP.

Fundies think politics are a rear guard action. You need someone who will be non-destructive while we await the Second Coming which is any day now. They see the Democrats are cowards and fools who want to brainwash their children and steal their income, which is true. So they think the Republicans are the good guys because they talk about opposing Democrats.

The idea of voting for a protest candidate flies over the Fundy head. Either you are for or against "the liberals," by which they mean Democrats.

[Frank]

Buchanan's commentary:

Colin Powell’s Tribal Politics (http://www.vdare.com/buchanan/081020_powell.htm)

[Faust]

Frank,

Buchanan is right; Colin Powell, Armstrong Williams and J. C. Watts are all backing the most left wing presidential candidate in the last 40 years.

[Rob]

Good riddance to them--let them go to the party in which they, in their heart of hearts, belong. J.C. Watts--I can't think of any other black conservative the stupid white lackeys worshipped more than this one. Not a day went by when listening to talk radio that I didn't hear some White man say that Watts was the greatest thing ever, that he is the kind of conservative we need in this country, that we all have to bow down and worship the ground he walks on, etc. It was sickening. I was in college then, and even at that time, I was not sold on the concept. Now it's pretty obvious; black conservatives have to rely on their own kind to make their beliefs acceptable. Think Shaniqua Brown-Washington, the poet and community activist from Harvard is going to buy it? I didn't think so.

[Texas Dissident]

Just so we all know it is not like the GOP has or will have learned any lessons from all this. Just yesterday I heard Richard Viguerie state that the future of the Republican party was with politicians like the Wog governor of Louisiana, Piyush Jindal, and air headed beauty queen, Sarah Palin. :rolleyes:

God help us.

[Blond Knight]

Did not Sam Francis say that the present Republican Party had to die if the Republic was to have a chance of surviving?

[Rob]

Just so we all know it is not like the GOP has or will have learned any lessons from all this. Just yesterday I heard Richard Viguerie state that the future of the Republican party was with politicians like the Wog governor of Louisiana, Piyush Jindal, and air headed beauty queen, Sarah Palin. :rolleyes:

God help us.


The neocon talking heads (and their listeners) have their heads up Palin's nether regions way too far. They cry wolf when people make callous remarks about Palin yet they were the first ones to say the same about Hillary and didn't think twice about it. The current state of the Republican party is a product of the falling-out that resulted with Buchanan's speech at the 1992 Republican Convention and the Congress of 1994.

[Angeleyes]

Did not Sam Francis say that the present Republican Party had to die if the Republic was to have a chance of surviving?
Looks like the party is obliging him through its actions.


From Buchanan's article

Organizing a fundraiser last year for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, an Hispanic Democrat, Lionel Sosa of San Antonio, a political strategist for Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II, said, "Blood runs thicker than politics."

Mr. Sosa is perhaps more candid about his motives than folks in D.C.
One need not look to far in the papers to see evidence of that all over Iraq for the past five years: the tribe, the family, the Sunni Shi'ite origin of someone, all matter massively more than any higher calling or policy position.

Maybe in invading Iraq and messing about in Bosnia, and elsewhere like Afghanistan, America caught a dose of tribal politics like an infectuous disease.

Or, maybe it's always been there, like herpes, waiting to break out under stress.

That Powell is sticking Dick Cheney, George Bush, and Don Rumsfeld in the eye with this cannot be doubted. What I think he is missing is that Obama hasn't much to bring to the table. For all his pretty words, he's not that good of a communicator. Speaks in wandering dissertations, can't speak plainly, and is not all that quick on his feet.

Reagan and Clinton both were far more competent in how to say something and make their point cleanly and clearly.

This verbal dribbling of his masks either a confused mind, or simple dishonesty.

Perhaps both.

AE

[Frank]

This verbal dribbling of his masks either a confused mind, or simple dishonesty.

Perhaps both.

AEGood. We need a weak king to rebel (politically) against.