Colin Powell... Don't Forget Where You Came From!

In an interview on NBC on Sunday, January 13^th, former General and Secretary of State Colin Powell ridiculed the Republican Party while trying to pretend he still was a member.  General Powell stated:

“There’s also a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party,” Powell said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “What do I mean by that? What I mean by that is they still sort of look down on minorities.”

While not mentioning former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin or former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu by name, Powell referenced past comments from each about Obama as evidence of racism in the party.

“When I see a former governor say the president is ‘shucking’ and jiving’,’ that’s a racial-era slave term,” Powell said. Palin used the term to describe Obama’s response to the attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

"When I see another former governor after the president’s first debate where he didn’t do very well say that the president was ‘lazy,’” Powell continued. “He didn’t say he was slow, he was tired, he didn’t do so well, he said he was lazy. Now it may not mean anything to most Americans, but to those of us who are African Americans, the second word is “shiftless,” and then there’s a third word that goes along with it.”

What’s interesting is that while General Powell criticizes the Republican Party for intolerance and racism, he seems to ignore the fact that the last 25 years of his career were successful because of Republican Presidents.

General Powell was appointed by Ronald Reagan as the National Security Adviser from 1987 to 1989.

General Powell was selected as the first and only African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1993.  After his retirement from the Army, General Powell was selected as the Secretary of State by George W. Bush during his first term, from 2001 to 2005.  He was the first African American to serve in that position as well.  He did not stay for Bush’s second term, apparently disheartened and angry at the Bush administration over the “weapons of mass destruction” scandal in Iraq.

So if not for the racist Republicans, General Powell would have finished his military career without Washington, DC, influence and retired.  Instead he is internationally known and famous.  Yet he goes on national television and badmouths the very people who helped make his career. 

I have always respected Colin Powell’s career and his service to our country.  I still do.  But his political beliefs seem to have moved from conservative to liberal – even though he claims to still be a Republican.  He voted for President Obama in 2008 and 2012.  You cannot be a true Republican or conservative and vote for President Obama...  twice.  Sorry, General…  you’re busted.

I still respect General Powell’s service to his country – both military and in Washington DC.  But I no longer respect the man.   I believe he is playing the race card – not only with his vote but with his comments.  And I can’t help but wonder why.  What could he possibly want to gain from it?  Maybe he’s looking for a position in the new Obama administration…?

General Powell has lost my respect.  Being former military myself I don’t say that lightly.  But truth is truth and BS is BS.  And Colin Powell is full of it.