Colin Powell Proves Race Trumps Getting Fired

As expected, Colin Powell “endorsed” Barack Obama for president of the United States because they’re both black and he’s still pissed at the Bush administration.  Of course, he denied that, but, get real.  Though Powell denied that race had anything at all to do with anything, his answer to Tom Brokaw’s “race question” doesn’t really make a lot of sense:

Moderator Tom Brokaw said: “There will be some … who will say this is an African-American, distinguished American supporting another African-American because of race.”

Powell, who last year gave the Arizona senator’s campaign the maximum $2,300, replied: “If I had only had that in mind, I could have done this six, eight, 10  months ago. I really have been going back and forth between somebody I have the highest respect and regard for, John McCain and somebody I was getting to know, Barack Obama. And it was only in the last couple of months that I settled on this.”

“I can’t deny that it will be a historic event when an African-American becomes president,” Powell continued, speaking live in the studio. “And should that happen, all Americans should be proud — not just African-American, but all Americans — that we have reached this point in our national history where such a thing could happen. It would also not only electrify the country, but electrify the world.”

So, it couldn’t be a black thing because he didn’t do it months ago, and he didn’t even tell anybody when he decided, months ago.  Instead, Powell says it’s about Supreme Court appointments, Obama’s rhetorical skills, and Sarah Palin.

“She’s a very distinguished woman, and she’s to be admired,” he said. “But at the same, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don’t believe she’s ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made.”

Camp O, predictably, lied, when contacted about the announcement:

Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the campaign had not been told of the endorsement: “We didn’t know until General Powell spoke on Meet The Press.”

Powell will always be the guy who blocked LGBT equality in the military as far as I’m concerned:

Prior to Clinton taking office, the rule barring gays from serving was set solely by the President — and could be lifted by him, or her, as well. But once Clinton came in pledging to lift the ban, the opposition of his chairman of the Joint Chiefs — Colin Powell — and the hapless efforts by his first defense secretary, the late Les Aspin — ignited a firestorm on Capitol Hill.  As the “don’t ask, don’t tell” compromise was hammered out, Congress took the extraordinary step of removing the policy from the President’s hands and writing it into law.

According to Wkipedia, Powell drafted “don’t ask, don’t tell”:

The policy was introduced as a compromise measure in 1993 and approved by then President Bill Clinton who, while campaigning for the Presidency, had promised to allow all citizens regardless of sexual orientation to serve openly in the military, a departure from the then complete ban on those who are not heterosexual. The actual policy was crafted by Colin Powell and has been maintained by Clinton’s successor, George W. Bush.

Now he has trouble with conservative judges?  And, the guy who lied us into war is now concerned about civility.  From CNN:

Powell said he was concerned about what he characterized as a recent negative turn of Republican candidate Sen. John McCain’s campaign, such as the campaign’s attempts to tie Obama to former 1960s radical Bill Ayers.

“I think that’s inappropriate. I understand what politics is about — I know how you can go after one another, and that’s good. But I think this goes too far, and I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It’s not what the American people are looking for,” he said.

So, bottom line is, the black guy endorsed the black guy he has nothing else in common with, but race has nothing to do with it.

Riiiight.