Colin Powell endorses Obama

[RecycleMichael]

http://news.yahoo.com/colin-powell-endorses-obama-second-term-122254280.html

In his endorsement, Powell said domestic issues such as the economy, healthcare and education loomed large in his support for a second term for Obama. "When he took over, the country was in very, very difficult straits, we were in one of the worst recessions we had seen in recent times, close to a depression ... we were in real trouble," Powell said, adding that housing market has started to pick up, the auto industry has recovered and consumer confidence is rising.

"I think generally we've come out of the dive and starting to gain altitude," he said. "I see that we are starting to rise up," he said, but added problems such as unemployment and the housing market still need work. Powell also criticized Romney's foreign policy as inconsistent and questioned the former Massachusetts governor's ability to address the deficit and looming defense cuts.

"I'm not quite sure which Governor Romney we'd be getting with respect to foreign policy," he told CBS, calling Romney's foreign policy "a moving target." As for the U.S. budget, he added: "It's essentially, let's cut taxes and compensate for that with other things, but that compensation does not cover all the cuts intended or the expenses associated with defense."

Powell, a moderate Republican, served as secretary of state under President George W. Bush. Some of Romney's advisers are more conservative veterans of the Bush administration. "There's some very, very strong neo-conservative views that are presented by the governor that I have some trouble with," Powell said.

A retired four-star general, Powell was also chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under former President George H.W. Bush and was national security advisor under former President Ronald Reagan.


I assume that some of you on this forum disagree with General Powell.

[TulsaRufnex]

Colonel Wilkerson endorsed today as well..... not exactly a surprise... http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/colin-powell-endorses-obama/

After all, he was George W. Bush's Secretary of State, Bill Clinton's and George H.W. Bush's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Ronald Reagan's national security adviser. He knows a neo-con when he sees one.

Mr. Powell did himself and his reputation harm by presenting fictional tales about weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein's supposed nuclear ambitions to the United Nations, as part of the campaign to mislead America and its allies into war with Iraq.

But unlike other members of Mr. Bush's team, many of whom are now advising Mr. Romney, Mr. Powell has since acknowledged the falseness of those claims.

Lawrence Wilkerson, Mr. Powell's former chief of staff, had a pithier summation of the Romney foreign policy team the other day. "These people make me sick," he said.

from last March....
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2012/03/lawrence-wilkerson-middle-east-nancy-schoenberger-israel-iran-nuclear-weapons

Wouldn't there be intense rallying for our support, especially now during an election year?

Yes. That makes President Obama's situation dicey because—and I think that's probably what Prime Minister Netanyahu is thinking about—this period of vulnerability, if you will, is political—it isn't military. And if President Obama is re-elected, then Netanyahu's got problems, because I think he'd be attacking Iran in utter defiance of the United States.

What if Rick Santorum or Mitt Romney were elected president?

If we've got Santorum, or even what appears to be a pliable Mitt Romney, who has neo-conservatives in his advisory group, then it's a whole new game for Israel, which is one reason why I will admit, though I'm disappointed in President Obama, I'm probably going to vote for him again. And I'm a Republican.

Let's say Iran feels so threatened in the region they go ahead with plans to weaponize. How is that going to affect the balance of power in the Middle East?

I think what we'd see happen if Iran actually weaponized and tested—you've got to test, so everybody knows—then Saudi Arabia would buy a nuclear weapon from Pakistan, and it would end right there. We would have deterrence. We'd have a stalemate. We'd have the Saudis with the capability, we'd have Iran with the capability, we'd have Pakistan with the capability, and of course India and others, and it would stop right there. I hate to see proliferation—I'd rather see it going the other way—but deterrence would work. These are rational entities.

What do you think would happen if Israel does launch a strike? Would it ignite an all-out war in the region? Encourage more terrorist attacks? Close the Strait of Hormuz? Cause oil prices to soar?

All of the above. Close the Strait of Hormuz? I don't think the Iranians would even try. If they did, we could reopen the Strait of Hormuz rather easily. I don't see that as a big problem; what I see as a big problem is that the threat would cause the market to become extremely volatile, because no one would want to risk it. . . . This is the kind of conflict that will make insurance rates go up, people will not want to take the risks, and so forth. And the price of oil will go up.

And I guarantee there will be countries in the world—and companies—who will just salivate at that prospect and will want to make it go on. Exxon Mobil. Or Royal Dutch-Shell, or Saudi Arabia. Or, for that matter, al-Malaki in Iraq, who now knows he's sitting on as much oil as Saudi Arabia's sitting on. His plans are to be at 13 million barrels a day, which rivals Saudi production.

[Teatownclown]

RM, they can't bring themselves to the point of admitting you've been politically correct the past several years. I'm wondering if they ever have had to admit defeat.

Crickets.

[DolfanBob]

Colonel Sanders, Colonel Mustard and Captain Kangaroo did too. We are just waiting on General Assembly to endorse him also. 

[Conan71]

Colonel Sanders, Colonel Mustard and Captain Kangaroo did too. We are just waiting on General Assembly to endorse him also. 

Okay, Dolfan.  I'm diggin' on it. 

Rufnex, no surprise you would be fired up about any endorsement for Obama.  Great day for you.  I hope you don't take to too hard when Obummer loses in a couple of weeks.

[Hoss]

Okay, Dolfan.  I'm diggin' on it. 

Rufnex, no surprise you would be fired up about any endorsement for Obama.  Great day for you.  I hope you don't take to too hard when Obummer loses in a couple of weeks.

You keep convincing yourself of that.  Whatever makes you feel better I guess.

[Hoss]

Another Romney surrogate placing foot firmly in mouth.  This time it's John Sununu...

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/sununu-suggests-powells-endorsement-of-obama-was-based-on-race/

[nathanm]

I don't even have words. At least he had the sense and decency to quickly walk it back. The guy he's carrying water for takes weeks.

[TulsaRufnex]

Okay, Dolfan.  I'm diggin' on it.  

Rufnex, no surprise you would be fired up about any endorsement for Obama.  Great day for you.  I hope you don't take to too hard when Obummer loses in a couple of weeks.

Depends on what congress and the Romney administration does with the "pre-existing condition."  My pre-existing condition is colon cancer.  Yours is Obama-hatred.
I'd change places with you in a heartbeat.

Have a nice day, partisan hack.  

[Conan71]

Depends on what congress and the Romney administration does with the "pre-existing condition."  My pre-existing condition is colon cancer.  Yours is Obama-hatred.
I'd change places with you in a heartbeat.

Have a nice day, partisan hack.  

Now, now, I don't hate Obama.  I just hope he's got a lot more time on his hands to start writing his memoirs come late January. 

[erfalf]

Now, now, I don't hate Obama.  I just hope he's got a lot more time on his hands to start writing his memoirs come late January. 

Exactly, it's not personal. Obama had his shot, now it's time to give someone else a shot to F it up.

[Townsend]

Exactly, it's not personal. Obama had his shot, now it's time to give someone else a shot to F it up.

Given a choice between each F' up's minions I'll need to pick the present F' up over the proposed F' up.

[Conan71]

Given a choice between each F' up's minions I'll need to pick the present F' up over the proposed F' up.

You realize a vote for Obama is a vote for Satan, right?   

[Townsend]

You realize a vote for Obama is a vote for Satan, right?   

Better parties.

[Hoss]

Better parties.

And you can drink in those parties...