Former Reagan Chief of staff endorses... Obama

This election campaign grows more surreal by the day.

Ronald Reagan's Former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein admitted to CNN that he plans to vote for Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday:

Duberstein said he was influenced by another prominent Reagan official - Colin Powell - in his decision.

"Well let's put it this way - I think Colin Powell's decision is in fact the good housekeeping seal of approval on Barack Obama."

Powell served as national security advisor to Reagan during Duberstein's tenure as chief of staff.

Be fun if Nancy spoke up right about now...

The Palin albatross

McCain insiders are increasingly coming clean with their real assessment of Sarah Palin, and her (lack of) readiness to assume the presidency should the need ever arise.

One top McCain adviser has referred to Pain as a 'diva;' and another has openly called her a 'whack job.'

In the latest slam (of McCain's judgment, and of Palin herself) has now come from one of McCain's touted 'Secretary of State supporters,' former Republican Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger:

Lawrence Eagleburger, who served as Secretary of State under George H.W. Bush and whose endorsement is often trumpeted by McCain, said on Thursday that the Alaska governor is not only unprepared to take over the job on a moment's notice but, even after some time in office, would only amount to an "adequate" commander in chief.

"And I devoutly hope that [she] would never be tested," he added for good measure -- referring both to Palin's policy dexterity and the idea of McCain not making it through his time in office.

Meanwhile McCain has been openly bragging about Eagleburger's endorsement (and so has Sarah Palin) in a campaign that grows stranger and more dissonant by the day.

In an interview on CNN, McCain downplayed the importance of Colin Powell's Palin criticism by accusing Powell of failing to grasp Palin's "political gravitas" (this quote from Huffington Post, but I find it hilarious.)

"I especially disagreed when he said the comments that he made about Governor Palin," McCain said. "And I hope that sometime General Powell will take time out of his busy schedule to meet with her. I know she'd be pleased to meet with him."

Perhaps Eagleburger, too, should sit in on that meeting.

Brzezinski: We are in a deep, deep historic crisis

Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski explains why Barack Obama is such a transformational candidate - cutting across racial and generational boundaries - and what Colin Powell's endorsement really says about the state of our government today.

Racists flushed out into the open

Angry GOPers are now accusing Colin Powell (once a Republican, now a Black man) of endorsing Obama simply because he is African American.

Powell - who spoke as eloquently as anyone I have yet heard, about the reason Obama is the best choice for America - has apparently brought the racists right out of their closets.

Note each one: as John McCain has said - we will know their names:

-- Pat Buchanan on Hardball, accused Powell of being a traitor to the Republican Party, and said that he endorsed Obama simply because he is Black.



-- Rush Limbaugh

Limbaugh: Where are the inexperienced, white liberals Powell has endorsed?

Rush Limbaugh said Colin Powell's decision to get behind Barack Obama appeared to be very much tied to Obama's status as the first African-American with a chance to become president.

"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race," Limbaugh wrote in an e-mail. "OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with."

As for Powell's statement of concern this morning about the sort of Supreme Court justices a President McCain might appoint, Limbaugh wrote: "I was also unaware of his dislike for John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy and Antonin Scalia. I guess he also regrets Reagan and Bush making him a four-star [general] and secretary of state and appointing his son to head the FCC. Yes, let's hear it for transformational figures."

Limbaugh obviously forgot that Clarence Thomas... is Black.

-- George Will:



Who will step out next? Let's get you all out in the sunshine where we can see you... without your sheets, shall we?

Colin Powell comments on Obama smears

Classy words from a classy man.

Colin Powell endorses Obama

From the New York Times:

WASHINGTON—Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president on Sunday morning as a candidate who was reaching out in a “more diverse and inclusive way across our society” and offering a “calm, patient, intellectual, steady approach” to the nation’s problems.

The endorsement, on the NBC public affairs program “Meet the Press,” was a major blow to Senator John McCain, who has been a good friend of Mr. Powell for decades. Mr. Powell, a Republican, has advised Mr. McCain in the past on foreign policy.

And in his own words:



I find this part to be key:

Mr. Powell told reporters after the taping of “Meet the Press” that he had been disturbed in recent weeks by the negative tone of Mr. McCain’s campaign, particularly its focus on Mr. Obama’s passing relationship with William Ayers, a 1960s radical and founder of the Weather Underground. The McCain campaign has sought to promote the idea that Mr. Obama is “palling around with terrorists,” in the words of Mr. McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, because of Mr. Obama’s weak links to Mr. Ayers.

“I thought that was over the top,” Mr. Powell told reporters. “It was beyond just good political fighting back and forth.”