Since General Powell was the one who made the case at the UN for WMD, perhaps he is now trying to purge his soul of the thousands of young men and women who have been lost.

I really am quite personally disappointed. As one of those who sent her son (US Marine) off because of the work he did…I wish I had know of his character flaw then.

Loyalty use to matter, perhaps what has taken it’s place is self. An American hero who has become what is the opposite of what the military stands for.

All that being said I don’t think this means anything for the race…

In that sense and in that sense only is it irrelevant. However, despite the fact that it was expected, it is not irrelevant. Unfortunately, it adds to the MSM meme that the McCain campaign is crashing.

Moreover, as far as Iraq is concerned, it was not Powell who betrayed the Bush Administration. If anything, it was the Bush Administration that betrayed Colin Powell.

The reason Colin Powell was given the task of presenting the Administration’s case against Iraq was because he was the most believable person on the Administration. Everyone knows this and even at the time admitted it. And Colin Powell presented the case well.

But then once the war started, the Bush Administration seemed intent on not taking his advice and not addressing his concerns. Indeed, one of the areas where Powell and McCain were together in fighting the Bush Administration early was in getting more troops in Iraq as well as strengthening our Iraqi allies politically (i.e. what would become the surge strategy years later). Quite frankly, Rumsfeld and Cheney seemed intent on proving that their “shock and awe” strategy was superior to Powell’s “overwhelming force” military doctrine, despite the undeniable evidence to the contrary.

Indeed, as loath as many conservatives are to admit it, if Bush had listened to Powell and McCain instead of Rumsfeld and Cheney, the war would have gone much better much sooner and the Bush Administration in particular as well as Republicans in general would have a more favorable rating now and probably doing much better in the polls.

So while I disagree with Colin Powell’s endorsement — especially since on the war he was essentially allied with Obama’s opponent, John McCain, against the “neo-cons” in the Bush Administration — I can understand it. Indeed, considering Powell’s admittedly moderate and even liberal social and economic views, which he has always admitted, it becomes even more understandable.

But then again, when you look at the economic positions the Bush Administration has taken and some of the proposals the McCain campaign has put forward, you can’t really say that they have been anything but liberal themselves.

“Vote Republican, because they are a tad less socialist than the other guys.”

Trust me Joe the plumber doesn’t care. This could even backfire in some respects. Obama is working overtime to rally working whites in VA, PA and OH. He doesn’t need the perception that people are voting along racial lines.

With respect to Powell and the war, he was another ego. Most of them, including Powell, left Bush high and dry. So what are you saying, a cabinet secratary doesnt get his way, so he is entitled to sulk, quit and tear down the family that supported him all those years.

Powell is lame. This story is lame.

since the Obama-Hillary war in SC.

You’re right, non-news. Although I had a certain amount of respect and loyalty towards him (we did suit-up for the same team, after all), he never was a ‘my kind’ of general. Not quite a “perfumed prince” (see what COL David Hackworth meant by that) in the mold of Wesley Clark, but not what I consider a ‘muddy boots’ general. Moderate = lukewarm, which “I spew out of my mouth”.