For What It's Worth
An opinion from the editor's desk
CSW 08-24
(Published as a CSW extra 10/20/08)A Finger In The Eye
When Colin Powell was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (10/01/89 to 09/30/93) during the Gulf war, all was fine. He was top dog and had the accolades of Americans. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed him Secretary of State and he appeared grateful for the opportunity. Powell was a Republican, we thought, and he carried out the U.S. foreign policies as expected. Some regarded Powell as a potential presidential candidate.
Now a string of events occurred: 9/11, then the worry that Iraq had WMDs, then Powell's United Nations Security Council speech (2/5/2003) at which he showed CIA photo evidence of the WMDs being moved in Iraq. Powell's arguments were convincing. I saw the speech and I believed what the CIA had told Powell was true. So did President Bush. Invasion orders were given.
Well, the Iraqi invasion takes place and, lo and behold, no weapons of mass destruction can be found. CYA time. Colin Powell soon claims he knew it all along and had told President Bush not to go to war with Iraq. Golly gee, just because every credible intelligence agency in the world claimed Saddam Hussein had WMD and was prepared to use them again was no reason to invade, was it?
Powell claims he heard that the info being used as evidence to go to war was faulty. Did he resign in protest to the war? No, it took him until November of 2004 to leave and it is rumored he was asked to leave. I submit that had WMDs been found, Colin Powell would have been the first to thump his chest, take the credit and we never would have heard about his arguments against the war.
So what does this have to do with Barack Hussein Obama? "Republican" Colin Powell thinks Obama would make a better president than John McCain. How good can that decision be coming from an Army General about a man who hasn't even been in the Boy Scouts? Barack Obama as commander-in-chief? Powell, you've got to be kidding me.
Powell and Obama are both diplomats wanting to talk their way out of such things as nuclear threats and the like rather than taking action. They both have Americans snookered so maybe they can snooker Putin, Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Jong-iL, et al. Don't bet your bag of chips on that happening. And to think that I once thought Colin Powell was qualified to be president. These silver tongued devils sure are deceiving. Not again, Obama, not again!
Is it Obama's qualifications (?) that Colin Powell finds appealing or is it that they're both of color? Hey, that's a legitimate question and not meant to be racist in any way. The question is supported by the fact that 92% of African/Americans are voting for Obama. If you believe they're voting for Obama because of Obama's policies, talk to New York. They're still trying to sell that damn bridge.
Could Powell's endorsement of Obama be nothing more than a finger in the eye of President Bush? Could it be all of the above?
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