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Curtis</font></b><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b><a href="books.html"><br> </a></b></font><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> (310) 204-8700</b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright October 19, 2008<br>All Rights Reserved. </i></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="style4">F</span>ormer Secretary of State Colin L. Powell slapped GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the face, endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While somewhat expected, Powell s announcement throws cold water on McCain s campaign, only two weeks before Nov. 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>McCain s long-shot battle for the White House just got more complicated, after Powell, a decorated Vietnam war hero, former Reagan National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under former presidents George H.W. Bush nd Bill Clinton and Secretary of State in President George W. Bush s first term, threw his support to Obama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Powell expressed some regret over running afoul with the GOP but shared his belief that Obama would make a &quot;transformational&quot; president.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He left no uncertainty about his belief that Barack would make an outstanding commander-in-chief.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Powell s endorsement gives the 47-year-old first-term Illinois senator added foreign policy clout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Considered one of the great military and foreign policy minds in the country, Powell s endorsement allays remaining doubts about Obama s readiness to be commander-in-chief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Powell s endorsement sent shockwaves through the McCain campaign, whose major selling point involves foreign policy and military experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Since the economic meltdown, Obama has seen a steady bump in the polls, proving, if nothing else, that voters don t trust McCain on the economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Republicans scrambled to explain Powell s endorsement, implying it s because of race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Powell denounced such notions giving a detailed account of why he sees Barack as best equipped to deal with the partisan divisions that have left Washington in gridlock, unable to do the people s business.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>McCain was still smarting from endorsements by the nation s most prestigious newspapers, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>McCain s running out of time convincing people Obama is unfit for the Oval Office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Powell directly questioned McCain s pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, flatly saying she was not qualified to be commander-in-chief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> She is a very distinguished woman, and she s to be admired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>But at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don&#39;t believe she s ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of vice president..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>And so that raises some question in my mind as to the judgment that Sen. McCain made, Powell told NBC&#39;s Tom Brokaw on &quot;Meet the Press.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&quot;&nbsp; </span>Powell also expressed concerns about the McCain political tactics, tying Barack to former  60s radical Bill Ayers or questioning Obama s Christian faith.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Powell said he became disheartened watching the McCain campaign get ugly, especially Palin s attacks about Barack  palling around with terrorists and questioning whether he was really Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> He s always been a Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>The answer is no, that s not America, said Powell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Is there something wrong with a some 7-year-old Muslim-American kid to believe that he or she could be president? realizing he affiliated himself with a parochial, chauvinistic Party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Powell still stings from his February 2, 2003 presentation to the U.N. Security Council in which he sold the White House case for war against Saddam Hussein.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Endorsing Obama, a vehement anti-War critic, speaks volumes about Powell s realization that he did the country a disservice selling Bush s war.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Republicans reacted fast-and-furious to Powell s announcement, containing the damage control that McCain s best argument against Obama was his  youth and inexperience. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Powell s unequivocal endorsement sets record straight about who the four-star general thinks is most qualified to lead the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>  Well, I ve always admired and respected Gen. Powell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>We re longtime friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>This doesn t come as a surprise, McCain said on Fox News Sunday, implying that Powell backed Obama because he s African American.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>McCain would have loved Powell s support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He might have gotten it had McCain not picked Palin or gone so negative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Powell, like Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), ranking member of the Sen. Armed Services Committee, denounced McCain s choice of Palin, calling it  bad judgment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>McCain continues to insist that picking Palin was the campaign s best decision.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Powell s endorsement changes the dynamics of the race, forcing McCain to stop attacking Barack s foreign policy credentials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Though McCain and Palin s personal attacks lightened up last week, they ll be running nonstop between now and the election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Calling Obama a  socialist for daring to offer middle-class tax relief shows the no-win situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>McCain also condems Barack s heath care plan as socialist, despite the fact that it was widely attacked by former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-Nl.Y.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>McCain knows, but continues to blow smoke, that Hillary s plan is the single-payor government plan, not Obama s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>McCain also knows that Barack s tax plan offers tax-relief to 95% of taxpayers. Powell also endorsed Obama because he believed McCain had no coherent fix for the economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Powell sees Obama as a  transformational figure, giving hope to all.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;<bAbout the Author</u><b>John M. Curtis</b> writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.&nbsp; He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of <i><a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet</a> </i>and <i><a href="books.html"> Operation Charisma</a></i>.</p> </td> <td width="1" height="2576" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="2"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr height="2574"> <td width="133" height="2574" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="1" height="2574"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2574"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td width="133" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="133" height="1"></td> <td width="7" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="7" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="300" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="300" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> Home</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> || <a href="articlesindex.html">Articles</a> || <a href="books.html">Books</a> || <a href="teflon.html">The Teflon Report</a> || <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> Reactions</a> || <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">About Discobolos</a></strong></font> <div align="left"> <p><font size="1" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">This site designed, developed and hosted by the experts at</font><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"> <a href="http://www.cmeonline.net" target="_blank"><img height="30" width="138" src="images/cmelogoANIM.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></a></font></p> </div> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">©1999-2005 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"> Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>