Ahem.

THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!!! FOR MCCAIN!!!

Thanks Greg. Could you please post the statement ?

After helping that swine Stevens in Alaska, he had better.

I am glad he made this move. I hope this is helpful among those who still hold him in high regard. And the fact of the matter is that he was part of the current administration--so that's gotta hurt.

But I'm more impressed that our campaign raised $150 million last month. And at least in the DC burbs, they keep running the comments about "real Virginia" while noting that he had Klanpaign event (OK, so that's my word) in Woodbridge...which--yup yup, you guessed it--is IN northern Virginia.

With this and the fundraising announcement, Obama is going to pwn this newscycle. McPalin is going to be left gasping.

Well, now he can also just refer to Powell as "That One":

From:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/10/that-one.html

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

"That One"

What a very odd thing for McCain to say.

McCain repeatedly invoked the need for a "steady hand on the tiller" tonight--for someone who will be calm and cool in the crises that the upcoming years will present us.

Yet this is a man who is utterly unable to contain his contempt--even on a night when, even as Bill Bennett says, he needed to "break through", and even when such a strange expression of disdain could only highlight pettiness, anger and partisanship that voters wish that candidates would steer away from in the greater interest of the nation.

McCain's fundamental position--one from which he finds his momentum and meaning--is so often one of a contemptuous anger for those who do not understand what he believes he has learned--e.g., "them".

This is the impulsive, gut-driven, black and white thinking that we have seen throughout the campaign.

We have had 8 years of a President driven by impulsive, black and white, gut-driven, categorical thinking. In those 8 years, from a position that manifested from the very start an angry, assumed knowledge, and a contempt for the position of others, we have now seen the results.

So this time: choose that one.

Cite:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/10/that-one.html

After Powell's performance at the U.N., he should take MacArthur's advice and "just faded away". Either he was in on the plot, or he exercised poor judgment as 4000-plus can attest--either way, I don't consider his endorsement to be beneficial to Obama.

And, God forbid, he gets a position in the Obama government.

It's the least Powell could do. I'm still angry at the way he betrayed us over those WMDs.

The adults are the so-called anti-Americans. Those who think with their animal brains only are the mcShame folks. Here's a post I just did after seeing the light of what the mcShame campaign is all about:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/therap/2008/10/mcshame-campaign-in-a-nutshell.php

It's why the adults vote for Obama. And how mcShame arouses passions to incite/excite his followers.

Forget the Powell Buzz, McCain Receives Endorsement of The National Enquirer
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=4133

In his Q&A just a few moments ago, he noted the negative tone of McCain's campaign as a big reason and concern. He systematically debunked every McCain-Plain talking point.

Notably, he specified that "decisions that came out of the conventions" played a role in his decision, strongly suggesting that McCain's choice of Sarah Palin cost McCain the chance of Powell's support.

Also interesting was Powell's claim that the two men's response to the economic response played a role. He said that gave him an opportunity to evaluate the two men's "judgment" and way of "approaching a problem."

Yeah, you know, there's a lot of reasons that I felt that Obama was philosophically aligned with Powell, but I increasingly suspected that McCain's erratic behavior in this campaign would not sit well with Powell. My only reservation was whether Powell had the balls to come out and state his position. I'm glad he did. The need for moral, principled choices should overrule loyalty to one's tribe. Powell let us down in a big way during his run w/the Bush administration. I'd like to see him speaking out more in the coming years and supporting positions when they are the best course of action, even if they are unpopular with his Party.

Who will be next?

Chuck Hagel? George Will? Mr.Puddles?

Still, I feel fine about it.

The one who make me dropped my jaw was the 150 million raised in September.

150 MILLION DOLLARS!

A warning: This is not over yet. Donate, volunteer, vote! A landslide is only possible if we all make it happen!

McCain has repeatedly singled him, (Powell), out for lavish praise. In a July New York Times interview, McCain described the former secretary of state and Joint Chiefs chairman as "a man who I admire as much as any man in the world, person in the world" when answering a question in which Powell was not brought up. Meanwhile, near the same time as that interview, McCain was reportedly considering Powell as a potential running mate.

McCain's high opinion of Powell as one of the "most credible, most respected" men in America is not merely an election-year spasm, either. When asked in 2001 if he would have chosen Powell for a Cabinet position had he succeeded in his first presidential run, McCain said "oh, yes." During two December 2000 appearances on NBC Nightly News, McCain described himself as "exuberant" over Powell's selection as secretary of state, which he predicted would secure "a beneficial effect on the conduct of American foreign policy."

McCain added in another TV appearance that President Bush was "blessed" to have Powell working for him. In 2003, when Powell faced criticism from Newt Gingrich over his plan to travel to Syria, it was McCain who rose to the secretary's defense on MSNBC's Hardball, when he said: "I think it's appropriate that Colin Powell is going there."

Even at the end of Powell's somewhat frustrating tenure in George W. Bush's inner circle of policy advisers, McCain praised his overall performance, saying: "When he took the helm at the State Department nearly four years ago, I was confident that Secretary Powell would lead with honor and distinction ... I have not been disappointed."

And in a CBS interview during this year's primary race, McCain suggested that one of President Bush's chief failures "was not to listen more to our military leadership, including people like General Colin Powell."

- from HuffPost

HAHAHAHA....let's see McSlime wriggle out of this one. Any criticism of Powell and he'll have his own words thrown back
in his ugly chipmunk-on-crank face...HAHAHAHA...it's over, McScum. Now, fuck off.

A redemptive moment for Powell. Regardless of what you think of him, this was a good thing to do. And his stature is still great among most Americans. He could have been president himself. And he is putting his stature behind Obama, firmly. His calling out the Repugs and Michelle Bachman personally on their hateful extremism was excellent!

Now lets see who the righties pick to attack Colin Powell.

I can't wait to hear the racial spin that pill popper Limbaugh has come Monday. How will Faux News try to downplay this?

I give Powell credit. He didn't do a NYT open letter, he didn't release a statement, he made it personal by going on MTP.

Beyond the endorsement I love how he described his own party as having become too extreme. Well if that wasn't a stab in the hearts of the neocons...

Here's Powell making his endorsement:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27265490#27265490

Gov Plain is sinking McCain. The maverick took a gamble and it is now bitting him in the butt.

Colin Powell just used the Leveler spell against John McCain. :D

I'm glad that Powell endorsed Obama.

I'm just sorry that he forever besmirched his reputation by going to the United Nations in 2003 and blatantly lying to the world about Saddam Hussein's supposed (and nonexistent) weapons of mass destruction.

Basically, Colin Powell lied (knowingly or unknowingly) for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. He may have been pressured into it, but he still did it.

Ultimately, he is a lying, motherf-cking punk who with his cowardice allowed Bush to press forward on an illegitmate, preemptive war.

Colin Powell is no hero. He is an accomplice to Bush's War on Iraq. He may not have wanted it, but he acquiesced to it. He is a cowardly punk. He doesn't resign in protest. He goes along with the idiocy. Sorry, Colin, you f-cked up big-time when you went along with Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld.

You could have been a "MAN" and said "I won't go along with this lying shit," but you didn't. Instead, like the good millitary man you are, you swallowed the shit and said, "Yes, Mr. President." Even though you knew in your heart and in your gut that he was wrong.

Sorry, General Powell, but that makes you just as culpable as the rest of these assholes for the War on Iraq.

You, sir, are an honorable man -- and at the same time, an abomination for what you allowed to happen with your U.N. speech and your ultimate support for the stupidity of the War on Iraq.

Et tu, Powell?
Et tu, North Dakota?
Et tu, North Carolina?
Et tu, Virginia and Missouri?

The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars but in ourselves.

The Republicans have no one to blame but themselves.

Wow. I just watched the video. Powell has redeemed himself! Could there be a more powerfully spoken endorsement? I'm blown away! I have tears in my eyes.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!
Nobody has been waiting for this as much as me. I am so excited I have to donate to Barack again and get out canvassing tommorow. YESSSSSSS!!!

KA-POWELL!!!!11

Fantastic, wonderful news. Based on Wilkerson's note to Steve Clemons, I didn't think Powell would actually endorse. This will dominate the news cycle for the next couple of days, but even better, it's a solid endorsement from a military figure who still has a lot of respect from independent and center/center-right voters. This is one big step closer to closing it out in Obama's favor.

I missed the beginning of the Powell interview, but where I tuned in, he very pointedly refuted many of McCain's tired attacks.

Powell's statements in support of his endorsement will resonate with many undecided voters. Yes, they're still out there -- I found one while canvassing yesterday.

If this endorsement helps pull in some stragglers without alienating others, it's a positive.

Another ray of sun breaking over the horizon in the dawning of a new day.

Powell gave the best rationale for Obama’s candidacy. The endorsement was well thought out and reasonable. For some of us that think the image McCain is telegraphing doesn’t matter, please look at Al jaazera coverage in the last 2 weeks, it absolutely devastating. It was America at its worst.

Collin Powell cut through the chase when he said McCain’s tactics is killing our image in the Middle East. If you think that argument doesn’t make sense, look no further than YouTube, it is well documented. The fringes that yell at McCain’s rally, the epithet that came out of these people and the recent assertion from the congress woman from Minnesota are absolutely appalling.

I am glad Collin Powell stand up for what he believes in. I have heard enough of this scary tactics that tend to bring out the worse angel of our nature.

I hope it helps turn the undecided, and the voters who are shakily pro-Obama.

However, this man is the reason I decided to change my mind, and support the invasion of Iraq. I felt that if he said what he said to the UN, the US must have known there was an imminent threat from Saddam.

I will never forgive Colin Powell for betraying me with those lies.

I, like many others here, have a lot of issues with the way in which Powell conducted himself as a member of the Bush administration...in my eyes, he'll never be able to completely redeem himself.

Having said that, though, I was happy to hear him lay out the reasons behind his decision to endorse Obama. I was especially grateful to hear him say "So what if Obama was a Muslim?" and talk some about diversity in this country. I think that point has not been expressed enough during the "secret Muslim" discussions in the press.

Powell dropped a couple of significant bombs during his endorsement --- first, that the Republican party has gone WAY too far to the right, and second, that a McCain/Palin administration would result in the appointment of very conservative right-wing Supreme Court justices.

Powell is a very flawed figure. His endorsement will probably help Obama but I'm not thrilled about it. The guy could have kept us out of an illegitimate war.

There is something else, though, and that is the growing numbers people who know McCain well who are going with Obama. Is it possible that they know enough about McCain's health -- mental as well as physical -- to believe they should do what they can to keep their old friend/colleague out of the White House?

It's entirely possible to look beyond politics of the past as view this endorsement strictly from a strategic perspective.

For at least the next couple of days the story will be the Powell endorsement. That means everytime McCain or one of his surrogates is on tv, they will be asked about the endorsement. This cuts into the time of the McCain message, and like Powell, time is not on McCain's side.

Ever the loyal, dutiful Republican, The Potato immediately set himself to the task of undercutting Powell's endorsement by asking him a series of questions designed to raise doubts about Powell's credibility. Good job, Mr. Brokaw. The check, I'm sure, is in the mail.

Brade Blakeman (or whatever) emphasizes on behalf of McCain this is a "personal issue", in other words, Powell is doing it solely because he and Obama are both....

I still will never forgive Powell for his role in Iraq but I have to say, the way he made the endorsement was exceptional and hit all the right notes. His answers to questions were even better, especially when he talked about taxes.

This endorsement wins the news cycle for the weekend. Good Job David Axelrod! This is the way to drive the narrative. The tightening of McCains numbers (which was inevitable) required action. This is the perfect counter foil to the negative campaigning being done by the Rethugs.It's coming down to the wire and both campaigns bags are getting a little empty. The trick is to keep up the pressure and the ability to re-structure the media story away from your opponent. The McCain camp has been winning news cycles but Obama has been winning the war. At this late date I don't think there is much more the McCain camp can say to change anything. The level of negativity and Robo-calls will have an impact.We have to insure that the voters get to the polls. A tighter race and that will happen. I was getting worried about complacency amongst the Dems.Lets stay fired up!

"generational change"

"steadiness of their actions"

"focus on trivial issues"

"constant shifting of the argument"

"taxes are always a redistribution of money...most of the money that is redistributed goes back to the people who paid them."

This endorsement devastates any argument that McCain can make to justify his candidacy.

btw, I love that he called out the wingnut from Minnesota.

On Fox News all they have is the headline - no story... typical

I respect Powell because he is the only one, as far as I know, that expressed regret in the role they played.

Colin Powell is a war criminal. So now, not only does Obama "pal around with terrorists" but he's been endorsed by a war criminal.

i fail to see how this helps him.

Colin Powell, then a 31-year-old Army Major, was charged with investigating the letter, which did not specifically reference My Lai (Glen had limited knowledge of the events there). In his report Powell wrote: "In direct refutation of this portrayal is the fact that relations between American soldiers and the Vietnamese people are excellent." Powell's handling of the assignment was later characterized by some observers as "whitewashing" the atrocities of My Lai.[25] In May 2004, Powell, then United States Secretary of State, told CNN's Larry King, "I mean, I was in a unit that was responsible for My Lai. I got there after My Lai happened. So, in war, these sorts of horrible things happen every now and again, but they are still to be deplored."

My Lai

This whitewash assured the success of Major Powell's career as an Army political insider. I'm glad for whatever benefit may accrue to Obama's campaign from this endorsement. But, it would not sway me.

Never forget.

Thanks.

mp

Look, JN, we get that you don't like Powell. But, TonnyB is a regular poster here and is not a troll. We try to maintain a tone of respect for the opinion of others around here. How about joining us in that effort.

Powell's endorsement is powerful and rational. I am deeply grateful for it.