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(D) J. Hickenlooper*
(R) Somebody
80%
20%
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(D) Phil Weiser
(D) Joe Neguse
(D) Jena Griswold
60%
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40%↓
Att. General
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(D) M. Dougherty
(D) Alexis King
(D) Brian Mason
40%
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30%
Sec. of State
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(D) A. Gonzalez
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50%↑
40%
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(D) Brianna Titone
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(D) Jerry DiTullio
60%
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CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
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CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(R) Jeff Hurd*
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80%
40%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert*
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CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Jeff Crank*
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(D) Jason Crow*
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(D) B. Pettersen*
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(R) Gabe Evans*
(D) Yadira Caraveo
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State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
October 17, 2008 07:05 PM UTC
52 Comments
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Is that going to drive the left-wing nutjobs away from Obama? Hell no.
Will it bring in some who were still wary? Maybe. Hearing a former Chairman of the JCS, former NSA to Reagan, retired four star General, and former Secretary of State doesn’t think the guy is so bad, some fellow Republicans who were on the fence could be convinced.
I am thinking if there are any independents out there that are still undecided about Obama that a Powell endorsement would help. I am guessing that most of the electorate has already forgot about the UN thing.
has forgiven Powell for the UN debacle.
I don’t think any of us could understand what kind pressure there is to lie at that level. I think he walked away from politics because of his own disappointment with what he did and how it went down.
As a good soldier, Powell will never let us know the depths of what made him do what he did. Whether he was also lied to, or did it out of being a good servant, something that is embedded into him.
Colin will endorse Barack, i would bet money on it. He won’t go down the Bush path twice. And at a point where Barack is clearly our next President, why would he endorse McCain.
Powell should have resigned. That much is clear.
But the fact that he at least tried to present a case that wasn’t “Saddam is the new leader of Al-Qaeda” which is what Paul Wolfowitz wanted to go the UN with, was good.
I will always respect Colin Powell for how he has served his country with honor, and except for one really bad move, has always acted with the best interests of his country in mind.
He didn’t make a public stand (admittedly at huge personal sacrifice) when he could have really shifted the dialog. Then he never had the guts to come out on his own, and condemn the failure even after he had resigned–he sent out his surrogate Lawrence (Wilkerson?) to do the deed.
In my opinion Cindy Sheehan, Ned Lamont, and downingstreetmemo.org played more personally courageous and politically meaningful roles to affect the dialog on this war.
If Powell can (finally) make a positive contribution by endorsing Obama that will be great, but it does not erase the damage caused by his failure to act at a crucial moment.
Sorry if I’m harsh. He was certainly not the only general who fell short, and the scripture says none of us has the right to judge. But there were plenty of good people who did take a stand to no avail and could have used his help. And we are all going to be paying for the consequences of this war for a long time.
that is irrefutable. I just believe he can redeem himself and I think he is worthy of a second chance.
It was clear he wasn’t part of the bat-shit war crazy ga ga Bush/Rummy/Cheney inner cabal, he just got used by them and then unceremoniously tossed to the curb. They banked on his credibility to lie, because at that point no one believed the hard core cons – the irony is that after that he lost all his credibility, so what use was he to the White House then ? He got used, and used badly, but perhaps it was his fault for being so loyal. Lots of people say that is the military part in him.
I just remembered how much I admired him BEFORE his mistake, and I think he could play some sort of advisory role in the next administration.
but if you’re citing Ned Lamont and Cindy Sheehan then you have just proved my point that everyone except the far-left has forgiven Powell.
I speak softly because I really don’t want to get caught up in the pointless invective that sometimes goes on here–especially on a topic like this.
If the hard core left was most fervent in opposing the war, it follows that they would be the last to forgive those who perpetrated it. In my book, personal honor and courage (or their lack) are not limited to any specific political persuasion. But you do remember the people who stood with you when the chips were down.
Whatever, he’s the one who has to live with his conscience. If he can make a contribution now, that stands on its own.
as a Powell endorsement, but I think Obama’s endorsement by Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana is a much bigger deal. He has almost as much foreign policy cred as Powell (ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee), without any of hard-feelings surrounding Powell. I think there’s a lot more respect to be had (for Lugar and Obama) there. Plus he’s from Indiana, an almost swing state.
I hadn’t heard that.
praising Obama’s approach to diplomacy…but certainly didn’t endorse his candidacy.
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmsp…
To say nothing about general (no pun intended) ethics. Laws for you and me but not the high and mighty?
Powell is no better than a two bit street thug lying in municipal court. Both had their reason to lie and the latter, at least, didn’t lay groundwork for the Iraq war.
No one can grant forgiveness unless the injurying party asks for it. See Ted Haggard. If Powell were to come forth and ask the nation’s forgiveness, he would deserve it.
I agree with you more often than not.
But I don’t see Powell as a “two-bit street thug.”
He’s a man who has served his country well, and got burned big-time by trying to serve his boss.
We’ve all been there.
…Ralphie’08!
Just because you have four stars on your clothing does not make the offense less. In fact, in this case it helped cause the disaster that is the Iraq War. Powell should have resigned instead of doing it. Or, after the fact, a full media mea culpa and ask forgiveness.
Sure, Powell is a better man than my hypothetical street thug……which is why the disappointment is so much greater.
Powell’s decision to stick to the administration line rather than resign was bad. But one awful decision does not trump a lifetime of great service to this country.
At one important point Powell was found wanting. But at many many others he did a very good job.
in roomful of ideologues. He wanted to reach out to unfriendly nations, rather than provoke them.
I honestly believe that if he had stood up to what he KNEW to be bullshit and resigned in protest, as others in his position have done when called upon to support policies they knew to be dead wrong, it could have put the brakes on the march to war.
At the time, remember, the public was still polling 75% AGAINST going to war in Iraq and a Powell protest resignation would have given those who were afraid to stand against the Bush administration and be accused of being weak and unpatriotic all the cover they needed. He should have had the balls and put the good of the nation and the world ahead of the good of the Bush “team” and his own career. It was McNamara all over again.
Now the very least he can do is endorse Obama and do his bit to help elect an excellent man for the demands of this juncture in history and prevent the tragedy of a McCain win and the continuation of the unholy power alliance of the neocons, the theocratic social conservatives and the let-them-eat-cake corporate elite.
If he helps put Obama over the top, then and only then would I consider him to be in any way deserving of forgiveness for his dereliction of duty to the American people. It was to us, not to Bush, he owed his highest allegiance. May he weigh in on the right side of history this time around.
Moral relativism:
You’ll evaluate Powell depending on whether he gets you what you want.
What a crock.
We’re all imperfect people in an imperfect world and morality IS relative.
Absolute morality is like a perfect sphere. Neither exists in the material world, only as an abstract ideal.
On the other hand, the fact that perfect morality is unattainable, that everyone screws up, is no reason to give up on trying to do the right thing altogether.
Powell’s moral failure to do the right thing contributed to very seriously screwing things up on a global scale. Helping Obama, the superior candidate to meet the demands we face in the aftermath of the 8 Bush years of destruction, would be a very good and positive thing. I hope he does it.
may well help with some VietNam vets as well as other vets that may tend to lean toward McCain’s service or be undecided.
I was disappointed in how he let himself be used for that UN speech. I know he is, he has said so. Although I think that episode likely disqualifies him from a future cabinet position I do think he could be a very, very valuable advisor to a President Obama.
not because it would really bring voters to hime simply because Colin Powell endorses him but because it helps extend Obama’s dominance of the attention of the media. This would be another boost to Obama’s wave of support that will likely subside slightly as we get closer to election day. The more good press he gets, the longer he will be able to sustain such a high performance in the polls leading to 11/4.
although i think Powell legitimizes the unamerican frame the right is trying to develop, which has direct value.
It would pivot the campaign in the final days.
Whatever you think of Powell, it would be a huge coup for McCain to get his endorsement. They are both Vietnam era buddies. Anyone who thinks this is a slam dunk for Obama better watch out. Powell has consistently shown that he is a loyal lap dog who does everything the Republicans want. Who really believes this “good” soldier is going to break ranks now?
The fact that he isn’t saying ahead of time makes it even bigger. The guy has a sense for the dramatic even if he totally dishonored himself by being Bush’s servant.
I wish his opinion wasn’t so important either way. He let down his country by throwing in with Bush and now he gets to make a big announcement. His opinion shouldn’t count any more than Joe the Liar.
I know I am going to get in trouble for this comment, but I have to believe that at this point a Black man, such as Powell, working to stop the victory of America’s first Black President seems very unlikely to me.
I believe that at this point when it appears that Obama is more than likely to win, any Black famous personality working to stop it would have lost the respect of their race.
Before, you all beat me up, I am not saying you can’t support McCain if you are famous and Black, but coming out and stomping for McCain now would be seen as something Black people would find hard to swallow.
Yes, Clarence Thomas and Ward Connerly would, but they have given up on what the Black community thinks of them anyway.
Colin Powell has never crossed the line of understanding what being Black is about. He has never “graduated from Blackness” (another post, at another date, I will explain it) I have always respected the fact that he is a Republican because of his ideology beliefs, not because he looks in the mirror and hates the Black face staring back at him. I believe that Ward Connerly and Clarence Thomas hate being Black.
Powell would be looked at the same way Lieberman is if he endorses McCain tomorrow. Powell, in my book, is still a man of principal who made a big mistake once in an honorable lifetime.
So, yes, I have descended this into another topic about race, my bad.
to have Powell’s endorsement? The rabid right will vote for McCain no matter what so I doubt a Powell endorsement will swing many voters. A Powell endorsement means that the ones who manipulated the public into supporting the invasion will now be seen as Obama supporters which undercuts Obama’s war stance. How can you be perceived as opposing the occupation when Powell is endorsing you? This might be one of those times when no endorsement is a better option.
It might also be about race Whiskey but Powell has sold out his principles before so I wouldn’t be surprised at anything he does at this point. He can’t disappoint me any more than he already has but it might for a lot of people be the final straw to his credibility to endorse McCain. I still think it would be a huge coup for McCain and the endless war crowd. It would show that Powell has no regrets about deceiving the public about Iraq.
I believe that Powell believes this war was a mistake.
I don’t disagree with the issues you have, Powell should have never allowed himself to be used the way he was.
I remember a quote that has stuck with me since NROTC days
Maybe this is one way Powell can help history write his chapter with a little less sting.
It is a good one.
I may have been too hard on Powell but that’s because my disappointment was so deep. Many of us who were the most disappointed are also among those who would most like to be able to feel good for the man again.
military officials, black and white, have endorsed Obama. I think that really makes it very easy for Powell. It isn’t a black thing, it is understanding how and when war ought be waged and who has a better plan going forward.
One of Powell’s best known statements is “If you break it you better fix it.”
I am absolutely sure that Abu Grahib made him ashamed, as it did me. I am sure that he feels the responsibility for his mistake being used at the UN, trusting the shrub’s people.
I’l be watching this site even before Meet the Press comes on here. Last week someone posted early because they see it very early in the AM.
how the brass must feel about McCain putting them in the position of very possibly serving under Commander in Chief Palin.
I think they’d wait to see how receptive she would be to their counsel. After seeing that she’d listen to her husband first on military (and all other) affairs, they’d announce their retirements, staggering them out to avoind looking like mass exodus.
General Powell was a leader of the finest our military has to offer. He became a subordinate to those of inferior honor and integrity, and was manipulated by the politics of that group. This should not be a stain on General Powell. He serves in whatever capacity he can. That’s a lesson that I was taught. A dedication to help others moves us to serve however we are capable.
I forgave him for the UN debacle long ago. I don’t believe that he saw things going this badly for this long. He left the Bush Administration while he had his dignity and his pride, before the politics of war ate away at his integrity. For that, he remains in my good graces. I hope everyone will remember that few achieve what he has achieved in his career of honorable service, and won’t let his legacy be tarnished by his service to this administration.
Without exception?
He lied. No excuses.
I know that we are all imperfect. But to lie with such consequences. It’s not like he was going to lose his job or his spouse, two common reasons people lie.
The test of character is when the choice is difficult. He failed that test.
that everyone else got. Look at the dossier presented to the parliament in Britain. It contained a lot of the same intelligence that Powell cited before the UN.
I don’t think he lied so much as he was manipulated into using his integrity as a tool to sell the WMD argument.
He took a hit that he may never recover from, but I only ask that people remember what he accomplished before the Bush Administration sold him out.
if he endorsed Obama because of the color of his skin and not the content of his character. Whether the public knows the real reason or not Powell would be the kind of racist that Martin Luther King would renounce if the endorsement was based on race and not character.
as the best man regardless. And what would you propose? That we give everybody lie detector tests before they vote to see whether or not they are voting for Obama for the “right” reason? While we’re at it should we ask all McCain voters if they are really voting for him just because he’s NOT the Black one? And I’m sure that YOU, GG, have never done ANYTHING for any but the purest of pure reasons so we’d make a special exception, no lie detector for you. Would that satisfy you?
It ain’t about me painted tabby. I’m just throwing out outrageous ideas to see what the response is. Hopefully Colin Powell is a stand up guy who sees the greatness of Obama and wants to jump on the bandwagon. Only Powell knows for sure what his motives are but I liked that statement from King’s “I have a dream” speech where he said someday all men shall be judged on the content of their character. Wouldn’t it be cool if that was Powell’s motives.
As far as being satisfied, I don’t really care what his justifications are. Powell helped plunge us into a terrible terrible situation so I at look his endorsement the same as I would Rumsfield or Wolfiwitz.
…but use the opportunity to lecture one candidate on the tone of the election, and maybe both. That was his main message at George Washington, BTW.
As far as endorsing either candidate, I find it hard to believe that Powell would jump in this late in the game to endorse McCain. That would imply that somehow the Republican Party Elite have found a way to apologize for screwing him over in public and leaving him hanging out to dry in the press.
Military people value loyalty very highly, and once that ethic is violated, it is extremely hard(if not impossible) to recover. Another military ethic is “payback is a bitch,” and the former Infantry officer in Powell may take this opportunity not only to screw the GOP’s chosen candidate, but the Party in general by announcing his decision to become a Democrat.
Continuing on that line of thinking, Sen. Obama gets elected, and GEN Powell gets in the cabinet – SecDef?(a job by statute he couldn’t hold under Bush) NSA? or my personal favorite, the head of the VA?
He could be better utilized in that capacity, helping straighten out their mess.
Gates may keep the job, since he’s not Rumsfeld.
She runs the illinois version of the VA now
She’s done an amazing job in Illinois, and Colorado NEEDS to emulate some of their programs immediately. However, she’s already thrown in with the New Vets for Obama, and she’s always been available on the Dems political trail.
If enough GOP candidates get whupped this year, I see her jumping back into a Congressional Race.
would build name recognition and reputation for that 2010 congressional run. In any case, great pick, Danny Red.
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Loyalty is a glue that holds military units together, especially at the fire team level.
Loyalty can also be a pernicious corrosive that, for example, made our Air Force (at the highest levels) into a playground for generals to enrich themselves.
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Here in Colorado Springs we’ve seen a couple AF generals dishonor themselves and the AF by using their position for personal benefit.
Earlier this year Secretary Gates fired the top AF civilian and top general for the same reason.
How did they get to the point where they thought it was appropriate to use their stars to cash in ?
The AF has official “core values,” but those are aspirational. The Air Force culture teaches that Job #1 for an AF Officer is to “take care of your boss.”
Normally that is a useful rule of thumb. Do what will make the commander look good because that makes the unit look good. Follow orders, because those up the chain of command probably know better what the mission is and how to best achieve it.
But the longer a person is in the system, the better they understand how to game it to their advantage. Same thing as everywhere else, in or out of the armed forces.
So this is the thing with loyalty:
to whom are you loyal ?
If to your boss, that has one set of ramifications.
If to your unit, your service, or your country, or the Constitution, the consequences can be different.
Under the former, you can expect comfort, safety and advancement. “Go along to get along.” “Team player.”
Under the latter, not always.
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Some folks here hold Colin Powell up as an example of a righteous public servant, a loyal soldier, who was sacrificed by his superiors for their own aggrandizement or protection. That’s one perspective.
But Colin Powell has been more of a politician than a soldier for far longer than most apparently realize. As a field grade officer in SE Asia, he was an early investigator into allegations of a massacre at My Lai. He dismissed the allegations as unsupported. His review was subsequently reviewed and was characterized as a whitewash.
His finding that dismissed the allegations endeared him to the superiors who thought they were at risk. Within a year he was enrolled in MBA school. When the White House learned that his whitewash had spared some of his superiors from culpability, he went on to a stint as a White House Fellow during Nixon’s first term.
He helped put together Nixon’s 1972 “secret plan” to end the war that was more campaign stunt than military strategy.
He liked the political side of governance, and stayed there as long as he could.
He went back to serve with Army units, 1976 – 1979, for 2 stints commanding first a battalion in Korea and then a brigade in the US. Then he was appointed to another political post.
His association with and loyalty to Republicans, to my mind, accounts everything else folks know him for. In 1983, while serving as Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, he was fired by the 2-star Commanding General for allegedly being a poor leader. His mentor Caspar Weinberger, then Secretary of Defense, intervened, reversed the firing as allegedly race-based, and promoted him almost immediately to 2 stars. 1983 was the last time he ever served in an Army troop unit. Every assignment after that was essentially political.
Now, Powell is a far better man (and infantryman) than me.
In Vietnam, after escaping from a helicopter that crashed and burned, he went back in to rescue 4 others, including the CG of the Americal (look up their nickname for a different perspective of how troops used to be regarded by the public.)
While in MAC-V, he went out on foot patrol with RVN troop units. That took real courage. He earned a purple heart by stepping at least partly on a punji stick.
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Go ahead, look at this man and see what you want to see. I do.
I think that he, like many others who make it to General rank, divides his loyalties between his patrons and the nation.
At the UN, he was being loyal to the GOP that had propelled him to success and fame.
In my opinion, he was just acting on the instincts that had served him so well up to that point.
Successful politicians need those instincts, which are not the same as principles.
Folks who enter the political realm constrained by principles are better known as “wackos” and wing nuts.”
You get the government you deserve, the government you choose in elections based on tribal affiliation.
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If I google “Americal” + the nickname, it substitutes “American” + the nickname.
The Wikipedia page for the guy who fired Colin Powell has been deleted.
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Looks like folks who want only their version of history available on the Intertubes have been vigilant. Book burning for the 21st Century.
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which way the wind was blowing.
It is very very impressive, and I was one of the not-so-positive ones above. This will carry weight with anyone who takes the time to seriously listen IMO.
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…