Post-partisan hero Colin Powell has endorsed post-partisan hero Barack Obama, instead of post-partisan hero John McCain.
Since I've been thrown under the bus as a partisan, secular, feminist, Baby Boomer progressive, I'd need to see some satellite photos or empty vials or something from Powell to appreciate his point about how "inclusive" Obama is.
Powell registered measured disgust at some of the GOP's tactics and avows that he doesn't want more conservative judges on the Supreme Court (well, he can't agree with Obama about everything).
He disapproves of the McCain campaign's fixation on tying Obama to William Ayers.
"What they're trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist feelings. And I think that's inappropriate."
If there's one thing Colin Powell would never do, it's fabricating connections to "some kind of terrorist feelings."
I understand what politics is all about, I know how you can go after one another, and that's good.
That's good, how? What a wimpy web we weave when we practice post-partisanship, cutting corners off of every point.
He says that "senior members" of the GOP are playing the "Obama is a Muslim" card. This would be a huge story if he'd name names. Is someone going to ask him?
On this topic, at first Powell says that Obama has "always been a Christian," which flies in the face of Obama's stories of being a skeptic who found religion in, um, some UCC church or other.
Then, however, Powell says something worth saying:
But the really right answer is "what if he is?" Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion he's a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America. I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother at Arlington Cemetery. And she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards, Purple Heart, Bronze Star. Showed that he died in Iraq. Gave his date of birth, date of death. He was twenty years old. And then at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have a Star of David. It had a crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was fourteen years old at the time of 9/11. And he waited until he could go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way.
I'm disappointed in how rarely the retort "so what if he is" gets made, so I genuinely appreciate that Powell made this point.
It should be said, though, that the inability of some to be properly polarized is precisely why that young man made the grade as a photo-essay subject, thus becoming fodder for Powell's touching epiphany.
Obama emerged on the national scene as a supposed champion against the war in Iraq. Had he stood up against funding its continuation, he would have represented a clear alternative to, um, some other "centrist" candidates.
But he didn't. He basked in anti-war cred and gave us more war, just as John McCain basked in anti-torture cred and gave us legalized torture.
So pardon me for failing to join Powell in his celebration of a campaign founded on a demonstrably deadly deception, the shibboleth about our Great National Problem being excessive partisanship, rather than insufficient progressivism and insufficient honesty.
Still, it would be gauche not to acknowledge that we have a new king of the mythical mavericks. Long live the king. And the ponies. God bless the ponies.
NOTES:
Glenn, h/t for the obituary link, sees Powell's remarks about the "Muslim smear" in much the same way.
To my ears, Powell gave the soldier's name as "Kareem Rasheed Zoltan Khan," but "Sultan" appears to be correct. For all I know, the pronunciations may be similar, though.
See here for an earlier post about the "Muslim smear."
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& "anti-Iraq" joins us all under the bus
--if Obama had any principles, he'd reject it, but he was actually courting Powell all along.
"... Obama also privately lobbied Powell after the primaries and has called the general frequently since in hopes of making the sale. ..." -- http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics...
SecDef?
In Powell's dreams, I think, but only there.
Or how about... Ambassador to the United Nations?
[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
UN would be perfect
He's, officially, a subject-matter expert:
http://vastleft.blogspot.com/2006/12/bli...
The UN! they would love him!
Speech to UN part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4
part 5
part 6
part 7
part 8
on 12/31, the UN's approval of Iraq ends--
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7... -- "... The UN mandate for US-led coalition forces expires at the end of this year. ..."
it needs to be extended whether or not we have a separate agreement with Iraq, no?
You need something from Powell to appreciate his point?
You mean something like this??
I know...it's shrill, but the perpective from under the bus is a little narrowed and takes no prisoners.
You talkin' to me about Powell and his "credibility"?
http://dayofshame.blogspot.com/2007/02/s...
I like to recognize good rhetoric or conduct, even when the source may be in disrepute. It's called "nuance." We used to be good at it.
Nonononono!
I wasn't directing one iota of opprobrium to you, I was intending my comment to be more along the line of an offering.
I'm sorry if the the shrillness felt aimed towards you. It wasn't.
Gosh, people, no belief in enlightenment or redemption? N/T
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! Knowing that we’re not going to kill today! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
OK, on (possible) redemption, I'll give you Colin...
... if you give me Hillary. Deal?
[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
the million+ dead and/or homeless
would have to be redeemed first.
Long before redemption, amends and apologies must come
Gee willikers, Sarah, at this level of high stakes geopolitics, sadly no cutting to the chase and taking the easy way home.
No skipping those steps, as those redeemed & recovered know so well, who put it better than I ever could.
Here's a fine example:
Other than My Lai and the Iraq War, how did you like the play?
?
Not exactly Chekhov's gun, is it now?
Carl Sandburg - They All Want to Play Hamlet
Whaleshaman! If you open it, close it!
Your italic tag, that is.
[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Fixed your tag 'cause I didn't like having my post made ital n/t
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! Knowing that we’re not going to kill today! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
Thanks, thought I had, I'll pay more attention...
...next time.
you closed a tag for the paragraph, not the font.
happens to me all the time, makes me glad Lambert instituted "preview".
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! Knowing that we’re not going to kill today! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
Thank you, Sarah.
That explains a lot!
Peace.
Why do you need me to give you Hillary? One mistake
the AUMF vote, which given the circs I really think she had to make the way she did or be crucified? Dude, if one mistake disqualifies an elected official, there'd be no such thing as incumbents ... (Hmm.) ... Sure, you can haz Hillary nao.
When can I have a President and Congress that don't just make pretty promises, but actually do stuff on behalf of the citizenry? It seems like forever since Bill Clinton's balanced budget, and ... oh, yeah: we didn't have a ground war in Asia, let alone two.
Milk and gas were both cheaper when Clinton was in office.
Wonder if that's why he had to be impeached?
(Note to self: no incumbents ... I seem to remember asking people to vote for that.)
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! Knowing that we’re not going to kill today! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
To answer the important question
You ask:
I don't know. I wish I did. I doubt very much that Inauguration day will change a whole lot. I think what DCB said about the insurance companies -- "make them into Bull Connor" -- applies to a lot of stuff. Takes an alternative media structure to do that, though.
[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
The media culture now....
Thanks to Powell's son, Michael, a Republican idealogue [thanks for nothing, Bill!] who deregulated the telecom industry.
"a 'blot' on his record"
that's what he calls it -- just a "blot".
Powell calls pre-Iraq U.N. speech a 'blot' on his record -- http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/...
part of the transcript here-- http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2006/06/aa...
"... When people ask me, "Is this a blot on your record?" Yeah, okay, fine, it's a blot on my record. But do you want me to walk around saying I have a blot on my record every day? I have a blot on my record. There it is. It's there for everybody to see forever."
"Powell is arguably the nation's most popular..."
... and most respected Republican," says Steve Benen.
Well, there you are, then. Apparently, the Village
is all in a tizzy.
[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Benen's always good for a larf!
!
" Behind Colin Powell's Legend"
5-part series documenting his sordid and lengthy history from Vietnam til Iraq --- http://www.consortiumnews.com/archive/po...
and from there--some press blurbs of Powell-love from the 90s -- showing how some "journalists" are repeating old Powell stuff for Obama in many ways -- http://www.consortiumnews.com/2000/12270... --
"... Newsweek was one of the first publications to catch the Powell presidential wave. In its Oct. 10, 1994, issue, the magazine posed the hyperbolic query: "Can Colin Powell Save America?" Powell was portrayed as a man of consummate judgment, intelligence and grace.
Not to be outdone, Time endorsed Powell as the "ideal candidate" for president. In Time's view, Powell was "the perfect anti-victim, validating America's fondest Horacio Alger myth that a black man with few advantages can rise to the top without bitterness and without forgetting who he is." [Time, March 13, 1995] ..."
lets look on the bright side...
..at least now we know who Obama's go-to guy will be when it comes to explaining why we have to invade Pakistan!
& Iran & ....
-- Powell will be his willing stooge? like he was for Bush, and Reagan, and Westmoreland, etc...?
You really put the Paul into Pollyanna!
There's always a silver lining!
After you decimate the GOP, join the Democratic Party!
We're doing it to ourselves. And thanks to apologists like certain folks here, we're handing the Dem Party to the GOP. Its in the name of redemption this time, it appears.
GQMartinez, I think you better come out and say
what you're trying to imply in this post.
Right out in the open.
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! Knowing that we’re not going to kill today! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
did the GOP not give him a cushy "Foundation" job
like they always do with their own?
where's he been? where's he been working?
"Colinoscopy"
http://falstaff-falstaff.blogspot.com/20...
I've Been dreading this
I knew the Powell endorsement was coming, but this is the nail in the coffin. Powell is exactly the kind of endorsement that someone like Obama would attract. The bridging of this candidacy to the GOP is now complete. Now, those that helped send down their own party and the country can carefully cross the bridge to the Democratic Party.
Nothing matters, anymore, but symbols; nothing. Fact, records, and ideology will not see the light of day. Once McCain loses and endorses Obama, accountability won't mean anything.
Really, this is easily one of the more disappointing events of this year. I'm not disappointed in Powell endorsing Obama. He's so obviously going to run to where the power is going. I'm disappointed that we've been so utterly sold out by our nominee and his supporters, the same supporters that saw Powell for who he really was just a year ago. Day is night and night is day.
Powell war was the complete antithesis of Obama's early war opposal, but no one cares. To me, the only thing more scary than a villian who'll write terrible new history is a so-called hero who'll rewrite his own...
Bush's legacy is now complete, and it will be a wonderful one with Obama in office. If you don't beat 'em, you'll always join 'em. The GOP always wins, always. Even when they lose they win, and they've won, again.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
Judy Miller too--
Judy Miller: Obama supporter -- http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcal...
"...
Since leaving the Times, Miller, who’s now a fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute, has also written for right-leaning opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal and now-shuttered New York Sun (as well as the more liberal Los Angeles Times). She’s also penned 4,000-plus word pieces for the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal and Policy Review. ..."