Colin Does The Right Thing

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell went against his Republican party and endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president Sunday, saying a victory by the Illinois senator would "electrify the world."

"I think we need a transformational figure. I think we need a president who is a generational change and that's why I'm supporting Barack Obama, not out of any lack of respect or admiration for Sen. John McCain," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Powell praised McCain as a war hero and a good friend for 25 years. He said both McCain and Obama are qualified to be commander in chief, but concluded Obama has "displayed a steadiness. Showed intellectual vigor. He has a definitive way of doing business that will do us well."

The retired general said he was disappointed with McCain's campaign strategy in the past two weeks, which has included bringing up Obama's ties to former 1960s radical Bill Ayers.

"Mr. McCain says that he's a washed up terrorist, but then why do we keep talking about him? And why do we have the 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," Powell said. "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."

Powell, who served as secretary of state in President Bush's first term, and helped make the case before the United Nations for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, also expressed disappointment in McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential nominee.



"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," Powell said. "And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Sen. McCain made."

"Meet the Press" host Tom Brokaw asked Powell if he was concerned that critics may assume his endorsement of Obama is based on their shared African American race. Powell said it did not factor in his decision. If it did play a role, he said, he would have made the endorsement months ago.

Responding to Powell's endorsement of Obama, McCain said he disagreed that Obama is qualified to be president.

"We have a respectful disagreement," McCain said of Powell on "Fox News Sunday."

McCain is full of shit. Picking Palin as Vice President when a heart that frail has a veryl ikely chance of stopping forever withint he next 4 years? It's dangerous politics, and finally Powell has done the right thing after joining Bush and his cronies for his first term.

Now, if McCain thinks he is the change America needs he needs to think again, and take Miss Palin back to Alaska where she belongs!