Colin Powell is the most prominent Republican to back Obama so far in this election. He served as Secretary of State under Bush from 2000 to 2004, and is a former Army general and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He said: "I strongly believe that at this point in America's history, we need a president that will not just continue basically the policies we have been following in recent years. I think we need a transformational figure. I think we need a president who is a generational change."

Colin Powell Endorses Obama | The Trail | washingtonpost.com

He also said that if this were about race, he would have done this months ago, and that it has more to do with what he thinks this country needs at this point in time.

McCain is so fucked now.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell crossed party lines this morning to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president, the most prominent GOP defection yet of the 2008 campaign.

Obama has courted Republicans all along, but in Powell he gets party crossover plus military credibility. Powell is a retired U.S. Army general and served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under the first President Bush.

As Secretary of State under the current President Bush, Powell helped to build the case for the Iraq war, a role that hurt him with many Democrats and moderates, who had viewed him as somewhat apolitical. Powell made his endorsement today on the NBC program "Meet the Press."

Powell said he had watched both Obama and Sen. John McCain in the last "six or seven weeks," since the national political conventions, and paid special attention to how they reacted to the nation's worsening economic situation.

"I must say, he seemed a little unsure about how to approach the problem," Powell said of McCain.

"He didn't have a complete grasp of the economic problems we have."

Powell also expressed concerns about McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. "I don't believe she's ready to be President of the United States, which is the job of vice president," Powell said, adding that it raised "some questions in my mind" about McCain's judgment.

As for Obama, Powell said, "I think that he has a definitive way of doing business that would serve us well."

"He's thinking that all villages have values, all towns have values, not just small towns have values," Powell said, in an apparent reference to remarks Palin made earlier this week that she enjoyed visiting the "pro-America" areas of the country.

The retired general said that "John McCain is as non-discriminatory as anyone I know," but he expressed serious concerns about his campaign's, and the Republican Party's recent focus on Obama's past association with William Ayers and robocalls the campaign has placed in battleground states this past week.

"I think this goes too far. I think it's made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me. The party has moved further to the right," he said.

Powell's endorsement of Obama also has a personal aspect of repudiation for McCain. In early 2000, well before the primaries were over, when asked by The Post's Tom Ricks who might be his secretary of State, McCain responded without hesitation: "Colin Powell."

Powell said he would not campaign for Obama, noting the short amount of time that remains until Election Day. He later said he is "in no way interested in a return to government," but said he would consider any offers made by the next president.

He said that if his endorsement of Obama were focused solely on the historic nature of his candidacy, "I could have done this six, ten, eight months ago."

Powell appeared uncomfortable throughout the interview and cleared his throat several times while talking to Brokaw. He made a clear effort towards the end of the interview to make it clear his endorsement was "not out of any lack of respect or admiration of John McCain."

He said: "I strongly believe that at this point in America's history, we need a president that will not just continue basically the policies we have been following in recent years. I think we need a transformational figure. I think we need a president who is a generational change."

Powell spent several moments discussing the false rumors that Obama is a Muslim, saying he was upset he had even heard the rumors from senior Republicans.

"What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?" he asked. "The answer is no."

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

dude, mccain jumped the shark when he picked caribou barbie for his running mate

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Grower's Bookshelf

Powell also said that he wouldn't want to see anymore conservative judges placed on the Supreme Court. He needs to say no more than that to understand where he's coming from politically. Powell is a liberal, so there's no great surprise that he'd endorse O'Bama.

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

From all I've heard, Powell is an advocate of having a balance of power. The reason he wouldn't want any more conservative judges on the supreme court was because he didn't want either party to dominate it. He's like the Jedi Master of US politics.

Either that or he's been a secret liberal who has held positions of enormous power under two Republican administrations, plotting all the while, just waiting for that right moment during retirement when he could endorse a Democrat.

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Grower's Bookshelf

One of FEW Republicans with a bit of sense left!! Good luck McCain-

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smoke-2-joints-at-night

when he sold the war to the american people, I believe he started his speech with thoes same words.

He's a trader to the american people, point blank!

so he was lied to therefore he lied to us?
talk about a puppet, is that what were calling him inorder to give him a ghetto pass? A rat fuck puppet?

You libs really hang onto this is ONLY bushes war.
Forget who sold it, forget who keeps funding it.

When bush is gona and the repukes have zero control...then whos to blame?
...YOU ARE!!

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"Years ago, my mother used to say to me, In this world, Elwood, you must be oh, so smart or oh, so pleasant.' Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. And you can quote me." Elwood P Dowd.

Well, the president pulls the trigger, no one else. Or as one famous president once said, "The buck stops here." There's no blaming the war on Powell. He cautioned against it. He was fed false intelligence, and didn't think members of his own party would lie to his face, but they did. He was used as a tool by Cheney and Bush to further their own agenda, and I suspect he was (and is) rather annoyed by that. He devoted his life to serving this country. I hardly think that qualifies him as a "trader". What's he trading for anyway? Hopefully some jobs, because we could use those.