If you tuned in, as I did, hoping that Colin Powell, following a long silence, would finally stand up on his hind legs and decry the deceptive manner by which we were led into Iraq, or condemn its totally-bungled execution, you would be disappointed. He, after all, had been marginalized by what his Chief of Staff, Lawrence Wilkerson, had called the "Cabal" led by Cheney and Rumsfeld, as they trumpeted cherry-picked intelligence and rushed us into this fiasco.
They yanked him out of mothballs only to serve as the front man for the UN presentation, trading on the credibility and respect he enjoyed both here and throughout the world to present their sadly and fatally-flawed case for conflict. He didn't even criticize George Tenet, he of the self-serving tome.
He has not, however, abandoned the well-reasoned and battle-born Powell Doctrine: if you must go to war, do so w/overwhelming force, effect a quick victory, and leave via a clear and predetermined exit strategy. He made no bones about the fact that, Administration protestations notwithstanding, we are, in fact, mired in a Civil War. Had we gone in w/a much larger force, he noted, our present circumstance would probably be much different--read "better". Absent the case for WMD, he posited, Saddam Hussein notwithstanding, we probably would not have gone in at all.
He seemed distressed and disgusted by the incredible damage done to American's reputation around the world by Guantanamo. He said that, were he in charge, he would close it down, "not tomorrow, but this afternoon." He pointed to the fact that over 2 million prisoners are currently in Federal Lockups, and said, "All of them had access to attorneys and Habeas Corpus!"
This architect of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" made another somewhat-surprising pronouncement. "The country has moved on this issue," he said. While he didn't favor immediate change, he noted that, while Secretary of State, he had sworn in gay Ambassadors w/their partners by their side, seeming to signal that he, too, had moved.
Then the topic turned to politics. In response to Tim's question, he confirmed that he had, in fact, sat down and consulted w/Barack Obama, at Obama's request. He added that he would be available to other candidates. But when TR asked if he expected to endorse the Republican nominee, he seemed to wince a bit. Could this proud General really endorse such ill-informed would-be War Leaders as Rudy, Romney, Thompson, or McCain? Could be possibly bring himself to be complicit in a sequel--"Return of the Hawks"???!!!
It didn't seem so. Tim, as is his wont, came at him again, and Powell asserted--a second time--that he would seek to endorse and support the one he considered "the best person" to be President. He expressly avoided the opportunity to say something positive about Republicans.
Apart from the Powell Doctrine (oh, that it were followed!), one of his proudest achievements has to be the status of the military as one of the most merit-driven, colorblind institutions in our society. Having successfully navigated the myriad trips and traps awaiting a Proud Black Man seeking to attain a leadership role, he has made sure that they way will be better for others, whatever their origin or tint of skin.
Could it be that he found this bright young man to be not only bright and engaging, but also worldly and wise, a new vessel for hope that America might once again attain a legitimate role in leading the world w/a positive vision that he must have harbored in his bosom when he first agreed to serve as our country's first Black Secretary of State???
That was my impression, and it was that. But his facial expressions and comments seemed to indicate that he may have seen something very special, and maybe even a bit of himself as a younger man, when he spoke w/Obama.
For all the slams and bangs, there are still many in this country, particularly among moderate Republicans and Independents, who hold this man in high regard. Should he choose to endorse Barack Obama for President, the effect could be telling.