I find the fact that neither Powell nor Condi Rice will say publicly that they are supporting McCain. Which leads me to believe that neither is.

why would ANYONE trust or even want Colin Powell's foreign policy advice?

Isn't this the guy who held up a test tube filled with... well filled with SOMETHING anyway and told the UN that it was biological warfare from Saddam Hussein? And then went on to make up all sorts of crap he knew wasn't true about "mobile weapons labs" and "robot dogs with bees in their mouths and when they open their mouths the bees turn into robot bees that sting really hard"?

I'd be about as eager for Powell's foreign policy advice as I would be for cooking tips from Jeffrey Dahmer.

Cooking tips from Jeffrey Dahmer, now that's funny!

I'd be about as eager for Powell's foreign policy advice as I would be for cooking tips from Jeffrey Dahmer.

jajajaja ... or elocution lessons from George W. Bush

... or anger management training from John McCain

preview mode I'll chip in too, whether my John McCain link worked or not.

I too greatly admire Colin Powell, just as I use to admire Hillary Clinton. But both have burned my trust, by demonstrating that their personal ambition is greater than their love of the people and principles that make up this nation. Yea, I know the arguments that he was a soldier and is trained to follow his commander. But soldiers are not trained to follow illegal orders and I truley believe that at the point when he insisted George Tenent sit behind him during his UN presentation, he knew this was all BS and he should have stood up and said so at the time. It's still smart of Obama to take his counsel, and I love that it sticks a finger in the eye of McShame, but understand Colin Powell is a politician! He's no more of a straight shooter, than McShame is!

Come on Douglas ya racist LOL Muslim? Still? your still carping on that old lie? You GOP water boys dissapoint me! I mean what's up? Muslim? Really? Still? even when no one is listening anymore to that tired old lie? No wonder your candidate is losing!
It's a new day and age Douglas! Get with the program and try to use something that is truthful! What? I can't hear you??? Ya can't find anything? Gosh imagine my surprise!

Wasn't he part of the high ranking torture "think tank" that went over what was and wasn't torture and what should be used on whom? I don't want his endorsement. Also I believe he tried to cover up My Lai when he was an Army Major.

As a once-respected general who may never be able to redeem himself fully, this "not-endorsing McCain-and-advising-Obama-from-the-outside" role may represent Powell at his most useful.

This is a huge deal for some Republicans (the more rational ones like my parents). I forwarded that tidbit to my mom a few days ago in fact and her response was something along the lines of "THIS IS A DEALBREAKER." Republicans LOVE Colin Powell.. Obama should really play this up.

Didn't Powell also plan the Panama Invasion? Boy, that was a feather in our cap. We really had no choice after Noriega taunted Bush Sr. and waved a sword at him. Granted he was over a thousand miles away but for a dictator he had an amazing throwing arm.

We don't need Powell as an adviser for his ideas, rather his imprimatur carries a lot of weight with the average voter. By all means, welcome aboard!

With McCain's constant gaffes, the fundamental shift in Bush policy towards Obama's postitions and Iraqi leaders endorsing Obama's position, Obama is slowly but surely grinding away at McCain's perceived advantage in commander-in-chief type issues. A Powell endorsement could very well be the coup de grace that sends McCain to the canvas.

I wouldn't have believed it could be possible a couple weeks ago, but Obama's been playing on McCain's turf and winning.

I can tell you Colin Powell is loved down here in Mississippi. His endorsement would carry a lot of weight in the deep south.

Obama/Powell '08 = Landslide. It would provide Obama with a strong mandate to end the war in Iraq, commit the country to alternative sources of energy, and reform health care. I'm not sure any other candidate could provide him with that kind of political momentum to bring out real change and to fundamentally undermine the right-wing in this country.

Powell is anything BUT competent.

He's a loyal soldier - not a leader.

Not only did he protect and enable the Bush administration - remember, that it was he who led the investigation in to the My Lai massacre just before it was publicized ... and he of course found that nothing untoward had happened.

http://www.consortiumnews.com/archive/colin3.html

So Powell's performance at the U.N. - was absolutely in character.

He's not who I'd want to see in any position of authority.

tell the truth -- when i said "UN shenanigans" did everyone instantly see him holding up a vial of white powder? hard to shake that one, eh?

Hm, perhaps Obama is seeking Powell advice about military/defense issues. After all, Powell was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and gave command of coalition forces in Desert Storm to Gen. Schwartzkopf (sp?).

You and CNN's Ticker site, and Robert Novak and Wolf Blitzer are all in the same category on this one: DEAD WRONG...

Similar misleading stories wanting an Obama-Powell alliance, endorsement, or even running mate speculations leave out some all-too important FACTS:

Gen. Powell states he made himself available to "any candidate that asked" for his counsel on foreign policy matters, but further stated only his "longtime friend," John McCain, took policy they shaped together and brought it to legislation.

Gen. Powell has a "standing policy" not to endorse candidates and makes it clear that while he "is certainly a Republican to this day," he "always leaves his options open."

Most telling, however, was the Aug.2007 story no one pushing the weak Obama/Powell connection wants to share... Though the former Sec. of State could have easily made his own contribution privately, he instead had his press office make it known that he made the maximum allowable campaign contribution to Sen. John McCain while all the pundits were doing their wishful thinking countdown to McCain's bid for his party's nomination.
Insiders at that time saw it as the closest thing to an endorsement the General could give and still be true to his own rule.
The FEC shows no other contribution made on his part to date to any candidate save for the one to John McCain.
His son has officially endorsed John McCain.

His friend Gen. Schwarzcopf has done the same.

4 other former Secretaries of State as well...

The Chicago sleaze and Axelrod's political Machine could pull it off, though...there isn't any thing you could put past them at this point.