Colin Powell: Obama blew away the birthers

[kpete]

Source: Associated Press

Colin Powell: Obama blew away the birthers

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Colin Powell told graduates of South Carolina's premier historically black university that they were graduating during a tumultuous time that saw a royal wedding, a pope's beatification and a U.S. military assault that killed Osama bin Laden, "the worst person on earth."

But the former secretary of state and Joint Chiefs chairman told South Carolina State University's 400 graduates on Friday that he particularly enjoyed another recent event: "That was when President Obama took out his birth certificate and blew away Donald Trump and all the birthers!"

The stadium roared in approval of Powell's comments on the president's move last week to quell the doubts of those who don't believe he was born in Hawaii. The retired Army four-star general endorsed Obama's 2008 presidential bid.



Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jxBChAYbNQdjzhKPeV8j4yYAglKw?docId=2edd53f74a5f4a3c95e2b2192aafcadd

[truthisfreedom]

1. Interesting.

[No Elephants]

2. Colon Powell is as big a turd as anyone.

[madmax]

3. At one time I wanted him to run for Prez.

Don't worry I'm ducking behind cover. Anyway- he lost my respect when he endorsed baby bush.

[No Elephants]

7. I can only hope and assume

a) you were unaware of his long, unsavory history; and
b) that was before he cynically defended his U.N. performance.

[Walk away]

23. He lost mine when he covered up the Mai Lai Massacre!

He should have been run for accessory after the fact for mass murder.

[SusanaMontana41]

27. Bingo. n/t

[madmax]

42. I hadn't know he coverd up Mai Lai!!

Where the hell was I? When did that come out?

I remember when it happend. I was a young mother at the time, working and going to school so I may have missed that part. Wow - just wow.

[Faygo Kid]

4. Nah. There are many bigger. He was a tool, though.

I'm glad to hear him say this, although he can never gain my respect after he was in a position to blow the whistle on the Bush Administration and instead was a "loyal soldier" to them instead of to his nation, which was where his first loyalty belonged.

[dsharp88]

5. He was simply used and has admitted his mistake in doing so.

Don't forget he endorsed Obama over McCain in a blistering rebuke of the McCain-Palin ticket with Tim Russert one Sunday morning before the election. While not yet changing parties he has been solidly behind the Democrats since then.

[Scuba]

8. Agree. He was used, and has admitted his error. But he also...

...said (IIRC) that he knew the yellow-cake was another Gulf of Tonkin and was bogus before he spoke at the UN. If that's correct, unforgivable.

[Glimmer of Hope]

31. Yep, Unforgivable.

[freshwest]

32. And his son Michael shot the last bullet in the head of the FCC, freeing the RW to take over more.

Michael Powell, when approached about the folly of letting the mythical 'free market' dictate media ownership, said on CSPAN, "The free market is my god!"

Thousands of people testified in meetings across the country to give 'input to the decision-making process' about how consolidation would further eliminate alternative views and finish off the FDR agency's mission to give equal voice to all.

Powell and the commission rubber stamped the consolidation of television, newspapers and radio. Example: Murdoch's purchase of the WSJ. Such things were frowned upon in the past, yet we wonder why the poor, workers and the environment are treated as if they either do not exist or ought to be tossed in the garbage?

While father Powell may have found his footing, and I don't know why the man did what he did, and he is not responsible for the actions of his son, consider for the other famous duo we have.

Ron Paul and his KY teabagger son Rand. Did the apple fall that far from the tree there? I don't think so.

Still, I find myself wanting to like Colin Powell. I appreciate his remarks at this event, too.

[No Elephants]

10. Oh, please..

[Honeycombe8]

11. Ditto. He was played, like the rest of us. And he was PO'd, when he found out.

He never dreamed that the Bushies/Cheneys/Rummys would out and out lie to him. But they did.

[jberryhill]

14. "like the rest of us"?

I'm sorry, Kimosabe, but quite a few of us weren't buying it.

[No Elephants]

19. +1 At the time, I knew no one, Dem or Pub, who was buying it--and Powell didn't buy it, either.

Edit for typo.

[No Elephants]

16. Then why did he insist Tenet sit "right behind me," in camera range?

And then there was his authorship of DADT and his role in some Vietnam mess. Calley, was it?

[Kolesar]

26. Powell was on some kind of ego trip, serving in the Republican White House...eom

[tabasco]

41. Powell is a lying piece of shit war criminal.

You have to be stupid to believe a 4-star general can be that fucking gullible or uninformed.

[jberryhill]

13. Mistake?

No, you don't understand.

When I mis-match socks in the laundry - that's a "mistake".

But if I spend months beating the drum for a war that kills scores of thousands, that's well ot of "mistake" territory and into culpability for mass murder.

Colin Powell is responsible for encouraging more recreational killings than Charles Manson. Powell gets to live in a cozy house worth more than you'll ever earn by honest work. Manson has a jail cell.

Old Colin is comfy enough to live with me spitting on the ground at the mention of his name.

May the devil take his soul.

[No Elephants]

18. I would submit his first loyalty has always been to his own advancement

All things being equal, he'd be friends with everyone. However, at the sign of any threat to hid own reputation, he'd throw anyone under a bus--and did so with Bushco.

ETA As far as how big a tool, please see Replies 13 and 16.

[calimary]

29. I think we just found the bottom line here.

And when he STILL went to the UN to carry water for bush/cheney, even when he'd been heard shouting "this is BULLSHIT!", that just vaporized any remaining positive feelings I ever had for him. And his My Lai involvement was awfully hard to get around, too. Sold his soul for bush/cheney. And what did it profit him - REALLY? Yeah, he has a nice pension and commands some pretty hefty speakers' fees, but he's still got a conscience he's going to have to live with, til the day he dies.

[No Elephants]

37. Whatchoo mean "we?"

j/k Couldn't resist.

Sadly, I don't know if his conscience bothers him.

[Honeycombe8]

9. Thanks for that intelligent, thoughtful analysis. And you kept most of your words to 4 letters...

or less! nt

[No Elephants]

12. Why waste letters?

[jberryhill]

15. Which is four more letters than he's spent explaining himself to the families of the dead

[jberryhill]

6. Colin, if I wanted your opinion, I'd ask

...but I haven't, so how about you go back under your rock.

[No Elephants]

21. jberryhill, much as I've teased you, we almost always agree and you've always been a good

sport. :fistbump: :toast:

[pasto76]

17. A word in defense of Secretery Powell

Its clear that he was told there were WMD. He was told a lot of things, and being an EXCELLENT SOLDIER, did what he thought was his duty, and supported his president. Too bad the president pissed all over that loyalty, and was full of shit.

Thats why he resigned. It is also why he was a rather ineffective Sec of State. Remember when he was appointed? everyone was like "You dont fuck with a 4 star" Then they made a fool of him, and he faded away.

The military from the 80s up until Cheney took control was run under The Powell Doctrine. IT was conceived by Generals Powell, Schwarzkopf and others based on their extensive experiences in Vietnam. In a nutshell it meant that we meet the enemy with overwhelming force. This is what we saw in Desert Storm.

Then we invaded Iraq with 120,000 soldiers. On the cheap. Not the Powell doctrine. And my soldiers, marines, sailors and airpersons paid a heavy toll. Overwhelming force costs too much they said.

Sec Powell did not endorse Sen Obama because they are both black. They both make bryant gumbel look like Flavor Flav in comparison. Just like me, Sen Obama made a hell of a lot of sense especially compared to the stupid bullshit we heard from Mccain and Palin. And the proof is in the pudding, Pres Obama's policies, directives and government killed OBL.

Powell is a lifelong servant to this country. He got mixed in with some of the worst people to ever run this country. I make mistakes all the time. He is not a tool. He is a true patriot and veteran. His command during Desert Storm prevented thousands of troop deaths. The ground combat was done in 100 hours. Just like Pres Obama killed OBL, Generals Powell and Schwarzkopf made Desert Storm the crazy success that it was.

But as democrats, when a former presidential hopeful for the Republicans is giving support to Pres Obama, we should be scooping up as much as we can. He is and always will be a heavy hitter regardless of any detractors.

Just like in union work, dont hate on him. He's shown that he is not a dyed in the wool republican. Democrats need to nurture that relationship and bring him into the fold.

sgt p

[No Elephants]

20. Please see Replies 13,, 16 and 18. The human toll in this man's wake is

indescribable. We'll never know the full extent of it.

[Walk away]

24. He has been famously lying and covering up for war criminals since the....

beginning of his infamous career.

[jberryhill]

30. Charles Manson played an okay guitar

But when you are personally acquainted with a family of his victims, it makes it a little tough to appreciate the music.

Colin Powell lied us into war. Knowingly. And then he kept his mouth shut because HIS kid got a nice job in the administration.

Colin Powell can stuff his head up his nicely pampered ass.

He's well taken care off. He can live without my respect just fine.

[mountainlion55]

22. Colin Powell

You fuckin lied! Now admit it.

[jwirr]

25. Doesn't Powell have a Jamaican father? He knows what President

Obama has been facing.

[No Elephants]

39. MANY have a parent ot two born outsde the U.S. and/or were themselves

born outside the U.S. (Indeed, even Orly Taitz is in that vast group, but that never seems to have given her any empathy with Obama on the birther issue.)

However, birthplace never becomes an issue unless and until someone wants to run for POTUS. Powell doesn't want to. So, Powell has no more reason to know how Obama feels than any of the many others I've mentioned.

Further, if the candidate or President is himself or herself born in the U.S., as Obama was, the birthplace of the parent becomes moot. It was only an issue with Obama because someone lied and said Obama may have been born in Kenya.


Besides, even if Powell's dad's birthplace were relevant, who cares?--A million Iraqis displaced and or dead, Iraqis selling their kids as sex slaves so they and their other kids can survive, our own troops dead, wounded and/or suffering emotionally, the abominations of My Lai and DADT.

[jwirr]

43. Aren't you being a little touchie? Three of my nieces have a Jamaican

father. Two could run for prez but the other cannot because she was adopted even though her father is not a naturalized citizen of the US. At least I think she is ineligible don't know for sure.

[Solly Mack]

28. Said the man who was a member of Bush's Torture Team

AKA, Bush's Principals Committee.


Nothing he ever says will ever erase his war crimes.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3157519

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/LawPolitics/story?id=4583256&page=1

Fuck Powell. (and the rest of the Bush administration)

[alp227]

35. delete the "&page=1" from the ABCNews.com link

then the link works. "Sources: Top Bush Advisors Approved 'Enhanced Interrogation'"

[Broadsword]

33. Powell ultimately did the right thing. Took him a while.

[No Elephants]

40. Please define "right thing," preferably after reading this entire thread/

[classysassy]

34. Confess and repent

Powell has,but the rest of the Bush gang refuse to admit their crimes.We the people need to insist that the truth be told and all held accountable for their evil deeds. If Bush and his gang of outlaws were brought to justice the terrorist attacks would end and we would have peace in the world,but we continue to cover up heinous crimes by Bush/Chaney and average people suffer because we are too dumb to insist they pay for their crimes.

[freshwest]

36. Let's grant he has. But if he committed it alongside them, and now confesses...

What difference does it make?

They aren't being punished, nor is he. He was complicit and his apology won't bring all those lives back. Overall, does an apology or lack of one prevent a repeat?

And I'd forgotten about the allegations to his Vietnam conduct. If true, he a serial offender.

War crimes mean little, until a country is conquered and occupied. Then the leaders and anyone else in reach gets punished.

I wish it were different, but it is what it is.

[No Elephants]

38. Huh? Powell has never confessed and repented. He knew when he spoke to the UN

that (a) the intel was lame, at best; (b) Bushco believed Americans trusted Powell more than any other member of Bushco. Powell has never admitted knowing a or b and never repented for putting his career above all and doing as Bush asked. He's only conessed to the exact same thing Dummya confessed to, namely believing Tenet. However, neither one of them believed Tenet

Never confessed and repented about My Lai or DADT either.