That's the Colin Powell that I used to know. He's back! A man of honor, integrity and intellect.
--- On Sun, 10/19/08, do.rflex <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: do.rflex <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Transcript : Powells Impressive Reasons for his > Obama Endorsement > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > Date: Sunday, October 19, 2008, 1:36 PM > Well worth your time... > > Watch video here: > http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27265490#27265490 > > > TRANSCRIPT: > > MR. BROKAW: General Powell, actually you gave a campaign > contribution > to Senator McCain. You have met twice at least with Barack > Obama. > Are you prepared to make a public declaration of which of > these two > candidates that you're prepared to support? > > GEN. POWELL: Yes, but let me lead into it this way. I > know both of > these individuals very well now. I've known John for > 25 years as your > setup said. And I've gotten to know Mr. Obama quite > well over the past > two years. Both of them are distinguished Americans who > are > patriotic, who are dedicated to the welfare of our country. > Either > one of them, I think, would be a good president. > > I have said to Mr. McCain that I admire all he has done. I > have some > concerns about the direction that the party has taken in > recent years. > It has moved more to the right than I would like to see it, > but that's > a choice the party makes. > > And I've said to Mr. Obama, "You have to pass a > test of do you have > enough experience, and do you bring the judgment to the > table that > would give us confidence that you would be a good > president." > > And I've watched him over the past two years, frankly, > and I've had > this conversation with him. I have especially watched over > the last > six of seven weeks as both of them have really taken a > final exam with > respect to this economic crisis that we are in and coming > out of the > conventions. And I must say that I've gotten a good > measure of both. > > In the case of Mr. McCain, I found that he was a little > unsure as to > deal with the economic problems that we were having and > almost every > day there was a different approach to the problem. And > that concerned > me, sensing that he didn't have a complete grasp of the > economic > problems that we had. > > And I was also concerned at the selection of Governor > Palin. She's a > very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired; but > at the same > time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some > seven weeks, > I don't believe she's ready to be president of the > United States, > which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised > some > question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain > made. > > On the Obama side, I watched Mr. Obama and I watched him > during this > seven-week period. And he displayed a steadiness, an > intellectual > curiosity, a depth of knowledge and an approach to looking > at problems > like this and picking a vice president that, I think, is > ready to be > president on day one. And also, in not just jumping in and > changing > every day, but showing intellectual vigor. I think that he > has a, a > definitive way of doing business that would serve us well. > > > I also believe that on the Republican side over the last > seven weeks, > the approach of the Republican Party and Mr. McCain has > become > narrower and narrower. > > Mr. Obama, at the same time, has given us a more inclusive, > broader > reach into the needs and aspirations of our people. > He's crossing > lines--ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines. > He's thinking > about all villages have values, all towns have values, not > just small > towns have values. > > And I've also been disappointed, frankly, by some of > the approaches > that Senator McCain has taken recently, or his campaign > ads, on issues > that are not really central to the problems that the > American people > are worried about. > > This Bill Ayers situation that's been going on for > weeks became > something of a central point of the campaign. But Mr. > McCain says > that he's a washed-out terrorist. > > Well, then, why do we keep talking about him? And why do > we have > these robocalls going on around the country trying to > suggest that, > because of this very, very limited relationship that > Senator Obama has > had with Mr. Ayers, somehow, Mr. Obama is tainted. What > they're > trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist > feelings. And I > think that's inappropriate. > > Now, I understand what politics is all about. I know how > you can go > after one another, and that's good. But I think this > goes too far. > And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little > narrow. > It's not what the American people are looking for. > > And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign and > they > trouble me. And the party has moved even further to the > right, and > Governor Palin has indicated a further rightward shift. I > would have > difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the > Supreme > Court, but that's what we'd be looking at in a > McCain administration. > > I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but > what members > of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such > things as, > "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." > Well, the correct answer > is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's > always been a > Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? > > > Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this > country? The > answer's no, that's not America. Is there > something wrong with some > seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she > could be > president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own > party drop the > suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be > associated terrorists." > This is not the way we should be doing it in America. > > I feel strongly about this particular point because of a > picture I saw > in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are > serving in > Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of > this photo > essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had > her head on > the headstone of her son's grave. > > And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on > the > headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze > Star--showed > that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of > death. He was > 20 years old. > > And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't > have a Christian > cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had > crescent and a star of > the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan > Khan, and he > was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 > years old at > the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his > country, and > he gave his life. > > Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way. > And John > McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But > I'm troubled > about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds > of expressions. > > So, when I look at all of this and I think back to my Army > career, > we've got two individuals, either one of them could be > a good > president. But which is the president that we need now? > Which is the > individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next > period of > time? > > And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to > inspire, > because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he > is > reaching out all across America, because of who he is and > his > rhetorical abilities--and we have to take that into > account--as well > as his substance--he has both style and substance--he has > met the > standard of being a successful president, being an > exceptional > president. > > I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new > generation > coming into the world--onto the world stage, onto the > American stage, > and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack > Obama. > > ~~Transcript of full interview here: > http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27266223/ > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > To subscribe, send a message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Or go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > and click 'Join This Group!'Yahoo! Groups Links > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
