I used to believe Powell had some sort of integrity, but I don’t buy his act of having been duped. He damned well knew what the truth was when he went to the UN on Feb 5, 2003.

That he seems to have re-found some of his honor is surprising, but as I said, I don’t buy it.

Having met met with Gen. Powell on several semi-private occassions I would never call his integrity into question.  I think he would make a fine president but he would need a strong, politically savvy VP.

My personal take is that Powell is extremely driven by honor and loyalty.  Bush saw that when he chose him and knew that he could exploit it.  Even the best soldier can only take three bags full with a snappy [B]’Yes, sir’[/B] for so long.

It will be interesting to see how much camera time we see with Powell as the election draws closer.

I heard about this and was wondering what was actually up with it. Everyone seemed to put the “Oh brave brave Colin answering the tough questions his handlers don’t want him answering” spin on it. But it looks like it was just about being overbooked and satellite timing.

That clip was on Letterman last night, and I thought it was just a camera error, the way he was making fun of it.  I didn’t know it was done by press office.

Colin Powell is a class act.
Cynics say your country will not elect a black president in our lifetime.
Wouldn’t it be cool if that could be proven wrong?

I was shocked by his UN performance, but like deadscott said, it may have been loyalty and not conviciton that sent him there.

Loyality. I guess so. He’s probably afraid to look bad *in his own eyes* if he turns against his president or deserts him (resigns).

Still, he has not much respect left with me. How do you call it in crime - an accessory?

He’s black!?!?

Actually, i think the line from Powell to HyperControlFreak Emilly was this (and i wish i had taped it):

“Emily, get away from me.”

We’ve all worked with Emily’s, unfortunately.  I have a few back-scars to prove it as well.

I, too, felt my blood pressure come to a strong boil as i sat on my living room floor, lemon-filled donut and coffee in-hand for my weekly MeetThePress ritual, only to have it temporarily ruined by an angel-of-evil hired by Karl Rove.  (someone should “correct” him—“correct” in the sense of the movie “The Shining")

Imagine having to employ people whom you would have never hired.  Powell shows infinite patience in this regard, amongst many.  And, as an ultra-left citizen, i’d vote for Powell on that note alone, republican cadre or not.

.rob adams

After the debacle at the UN and the following invasion of Iraq, I lost a great measure of respect for Colin Powell for his lack of a spine. The problem is that if it was a minor fuck-up then he probably wouldn’t have had anything to worry about, but because he refused to stand up and speak out against the current administrationm 10000 Iraqis are now dead along with 700 Americans. For it, I believe that George Bush should be prosecuted for violating the Kellogg-Briand Pact.

For you kiddies who don’t know, its purpose was to prevent war from being used as a tool to enforce foreign policy and under its terms George Bush is a criminal.

There could well be more charges than violation of Kellog Briand. Consider the lead paragraph from a recent article in Nesweek

May 17 - The White House’s top lawyer warned more than two years ago that U.S. officials could be prosecuted for “war crimes” as a result of new and unorthodox measures used by the Bush administration in the war on terrorism, according to an internal White House memo and interviews with participants in the debate over the issue.

Is it a coincidence that the administration refused to back the new International War Crimes Court” in 2002?