Spokesperson: Kristol's Claim That Colin Powell Will Speak At Dem Convention Is False
On Fox News just now, conservative commentator Bill Kristol said in no uncertain terms that sources close to the Obama campaign had told him that Colin Powell will endorse Obama and may even speak at the Dem convention on Wednesday night.
Not so, says Powell's spokesperson, Peggy Cifrino.
"There's no truth to it, no substance to it," Cifrino tells me. "I have no idea why Bill Kristol would be making this statement. There is no imminent endorsement."
Cifrino also said that he won't be at the GOP convention, either: "He will not be at either convention," she said.
Asked if this had meant Powell had ruled out endorsing Obama, Cifrino demurred. "He has said repeatedly that he is watching both candidates," she said. "He'll make a decision at some point. I know of no endorsement coming up."
Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted.
Late Update: You'll be surprised to hear that Matt Drudge is nonetheless flogging this as his lead story.
Oh Bill Kristol, are you ever right?
August 13, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
By close he means someone who actually used the rest room in the same building that houses Obama's campaign HQ. (Actually, though, a Colin Powell endorsement wouldn't surprise me.)
Absolutely true. And you never know where a meteor may strike.
August 13, 2008 6:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bill "i've never been right about anything, ever" Kristol keeps his streak intact!
August 13, 2008 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Greg, here's something you might want to write about: McCain says that "in the 21st century, nations don’t invade other nations."
That's one hell of a gaffe, if you ask me.
August 13, 2008 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
HOly crapola!
Damn, I don't want to be ageist, but McCain must have dementia if not full blown senility!
August 13, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bill Kristol, he's wrong 70% of the time, every time.
http://strategy08.wordpress.com
August 13, 2008 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do you think he had some ulterior motive in floating this out there? Maybe trying to get Powell to come out and say, "No, no, no - I support McCain." Of course, this could just be a case of Kristol yet again being incredibly effing wrong and stupid. But he also could be playing some shady angle.
August 13, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I feel pretty safe in saying this wasn't a mistake on Kristol's part. These false leaks of endorsements went on quite a bit during the primaries, too. How else to get the headline "Powell not endorsing Obama" out there?
August 13, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Or: "Obama campaign lies to Kristol".
August 13, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
They should keep going back to that well!
"Hey Bill, did you hear that 5 Republican Senators will be endorsing Obama? Seems they want a return to civility, and no anger"
"Hey Bill, did you hear that Jack Kemp and Howard Baker will be endorsing Obama? Seems they want a return to a sane international policy"
"Hey Bill, did you hear that Cindy McCain will be endorsing Obama? Seems she wants to leave her broken down spouse for someone younger, richer, and better looking. Now from *where* did she get *that* idea!"
August 14, 2008 7:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Democratic Party Chairman of Arkansas has died.
I have a feeling this is going to get worse before it gets better.
August 13, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
My deep condolences to the Gwatney family and the Democratic Party in Arkansas. Sad news, indeed.
August 13, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sad news.
What do you mean it's going to get worse before it gets better?
August 13, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
People killing other people over politics, in this country in this century.
First the bomb threat at Hillary's campaign office - then the guy on a shooting spree at a 'liberal' church and now this...
Somehow liberals are to blame for the frustration of regular people - even though liberals haven't been in charge for nearly a decade - and I'm a conservative, so much for accountability.
August 13, 2008 6:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
How could it get worse?
August 13, 2008 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
It can always get worse.
August 13, 2008 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kristol maintains his .000 batting average.
August 13, 2008 5:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kristol gets paid to lie.
August 13, 2008 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
The closest Bill Kristol has ever been to the Obama campaign is getting published by The New York Times.
August 13, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, that's what I thought. Yell that Powell will be a featured Dem speaker and endorse Obama, and keep it up until Powell's denials become pronounced enough to become a lead story on their own, thereby creating a "loss" for Obama.
And, of course, the UMS (usual media suspects) will fall for it.
August 13, 2008 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps an attempt to drive attention away from yesterday's "Republicans for Obama" group premiere.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/13/opinion/main4347525.shtml
August 13, 2008 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, Cap'n Phealy! Wouldn't that be hilarious if that happened?
You've really nailed it. I can hear Campbell Brown talking about it right now: "So, is the fact that Colin Powell won't endorse Obama a problem?"
August 13, 2008 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm shocked! Shocked!
August 13, 2008 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know why anyone believed him in the first place. Why in the hell would anyone in the Obama camp be talking to Bill Kristol? It's not like they are prone to leaks....
August 13, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
When did the word 'liar' disappear from the English language?
August 13, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Sources close to the Obama campaign" letting Bill Kristol have a super-scoop? That's actually less believable to me than the purported scoop itself that Powell would be endorsing Obama and speaking at the Democratic convention. If there ware any legitimate leaks by the Obama campaign, those leaks would more likely go to someone like Keith Olbermann rather than Kristol. Also the "close to" is a wimpy description. The source is either within the campaign or not. I'm close to the Obama campaign in terms of supporting it, but I am not leaking anything to Kristol.
August 13, 2008 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why are you guys listening to Bill Kristol? He is never right on any thing.
August 13, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Heh. Good point.
I'm glad the crew at TPM listens to him, though, so I don't have to. Ya never know when an amusing tidbit like this one is gonna come along.
August 13, 2008 6:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Am I the only one that would want Powell to endorse Obama during the REPUBLICAN national convention. It would steal the spotlight of the convention and it woul dsend a deep shiver down the spine of the GOP. Just a thought...
August 13, 2008 6:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
That would be awesome...
August 13, 2008 6:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Its the biggest possible shoutout to Obamacans (like me and my husband) who feel that Bush used Powell's bonafides to get into office then immediately set him up as a patsy to make their (lie) case for invading Iraq.
Conservatism isn't lying to push your agenda - if you can't make you case for any policy using the truth then you aren't a real conservative, and shouldn't be in any leadership position whatsoever.
Anyone who thinks they need a Republian majority to further a conservative agenda are lazy and weak.
McCain's response to this conflict in Georgia is anything but Conservative - it's reckless.
August 13, 2008 6:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
What if Powell is the VP? The Vet theme, the secrecy I love the conspiracies!
August 13, 2008 6:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have the answer to your "what if". We lose.
August 13, 2008 6:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Powell endorsing Barack during the Republican convention makes more sense. That would be funny.
August 13, 2008 6:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good rebuttal from Powell's camp. From the ABC News story:
August 13, 2008 6:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL! Obama needs to hire that guy.
August 13, 2008 7:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ouch! Enough said.
August 13, 2008 9:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Also from ABC:
"I do not have time to waste on Bill Kristol's musings,” Powell told ABC News. “I am not going to the convention. I have made this clear."
August 13, 2008 6:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Could this be a cloaked campaign tactic? This potential scenario of Powell speaking for Barack squares two prominent black men together in the public's eye. But it turns out that Powell will not endorse, we translate. But, to some people may automatically translate another suspicion, such as: if Powell doesn't endorse, then he can't really be favoring Obama. The public, looking at the two black men, then ask themselves, which is the more trustworthy one? They see Powell in the military/grandfather cloak. Well, he he doesn't support Barack, then... and they don't feel racist in this, because after all, it was another black man doing the non-endorsement? I bet Powell is fuming at being pulled into the media spectacle like this by Kristol, and I think Kristol is enjoying jabbing Powell this and that way right now.
August 13, 2008 6:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
But then the first rule of making conspiracies: never give the dumb guys too much credit and know when stupidity is the disguise.
August 13, 2008 7:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
If that is the first rule of conspiracies, nobody told the 9-11 truthers.
August 13, 2008 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anything Bill Kristol is WRONG. Please make a note of it.
If he says it will be sunny, bring an umbrella.
If he recommends the beef, try the fish!
August 13, 2008 7:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Surprise surprise, I had written in my blog as early as February 08 that Colin Powell is likely to endorse Obama
August 13, 2008 7:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I always knew you were secretly Bill Kristol.
August 13, 2008 7:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bill Kristol - The new Robert Novak!
August 13, 2008 8:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kristol's statement that someone in the Obama campaign gave him a scoop of that level in itself tags Kristol's report as a lie.
August 13, 2008 11:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is Powell worth this effort?
August 14, 2008 12:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey New York Times, where's the outrage heaped on Jason Blair for making up stories?
August 14, 2008 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink