Even Colin Powell is starting to have buyer's remorse.
Colin Powell, one of President Obama's most prominent Republican supporters, expressed concern Friday that the president's ambitious blitz of costly initiatives may be enlarging the size of government and the federal debt too much."I'm concerned at the number of programs that are being presented, the bills associated with these programs and the additional government that will be needed to execute them," Mr. Powell said in an excerpt of an interview with CNN's John King, released by the network Friday morning.
Jesus H. Christ, General Powell, weren't you paying attention during the campaign? He's only doing what he said he would do. This is "hope and change". Tax and spend. That's what Dimocrats do. They just can't help themselves. When it comes to spending they make big spending Republicans look like pikers.
Mr. Powell, a retired U.S. army general who rose to political prominence after a long and accomplished military career, said that health care reform and many of Mr. Obama's other initiatives are "important" to Americans.But, he said, "one of the cautions that has to be given to the president -- and I've talked to some of his people about this -- is that you can't have so many things on the table that you can't absorb it all."
You don't understand, General. He has to get all this shit rammed through before the American people awaken to find the national debt quadrupled and turn Congress over to the Republicans.
"And we can't pay for it all," said Mr. Powell, who was the first African-American to serve as secretary of state, under former President George W. Bush.
Sure we can. We'll sell more debt to China and fire up the printing presses to monetize the debt (AKA inflation).
Mr. Powell expressed alarm at "budgets that are running into the multi-trillions of dollars" and "a huge, huge national debt that, if we don't pay for in our lifetime, our kids and grandkids and great-grandchildren will have to pay for it.""So, I think the president, as he moves forward with his initiatives, has to start really taking a very, very hard look at what the cost of all this is. And, how much additional bureaucracy [will] be needed to make all of this happen?" Mr. Powell said.
Doesn't matter. He "won".
The surprising thing is these quotes came from an interview that will be aired on CNN. CNN? WTF? Oh. That's OK. No one will hear these comments. No one watches CNN anymore. Even MSNBC is beating them in the ratings. Whereas Fox beats both of them combined.
Posted by denny at July 3, 2009 02:03 PM
Powell's just doing what hes done all his life, heading for cover, getting his @ss out of the line of fire, so he can sit on the sidelines and say I was right.
Posted by: 13yankeebravo on July 3, 2009 02:55 PMColin, colon, he's still an asshole all the same. This prick is only worried about his place in history 'cause Dubya shit canned him. Piss on him. He's another Specter. Maybe I should say sphincter.
Posted by: Fukitol on July 3, 2009 03:03 PMI ,too, am beginning to think that Powell was a "token'.
Stormin Norman" was THE MAN!! The BEAR!!!
A no BS General
Off topic here. Does anyone have any fucking idea as to why Palin quit today? What the hell is going on??!!
Posted by: Paul on July 3, 2009 05:46 PMPowell still wants to hover around Washington and feel important. Cheerleading would only give him a byline on the 25th page of the local rag. Semi-controversial statements get him on the front page. Obama will make a snarky statement and Powell will make a half-assed attempt to keep his dignity. His credibility is already gone and I doubt even his new found friends trust him.
Damned if liberalism isn't like ionizing radiation. Before you know it, you're totally screwed up and wondering when you'll die.
Posted by: Jon on July 3, 2009 06:00 PM
Paul, I may be naive, but I really believe Palin when she says the political BS is preventing her and her staff from doing their job and she's moving aside in hopes that the Lt Gov can move things forward.
There are still folks out there who care about doing a good job more than they care about the prestige that comes with the title. Not many, but I believe she is one of them.
Lots of speculation. We'll have to wait and see. I couldn't help but notice that she did that whole speech without a teleprompter.
Posted by: Jules on July 3, 2009 07:05 PMDenny writes: "Jesus H. Christ, General Powell, weren't you paying attention during the campaign?"
Yes, he was. But Obama was black and it was a historic moment and all that BS.
You will see the same thing on 2012... See Atlanta, NO... voting along racial lines is not unusual.
Posted by: Poker Player on July 3, 2009 07:38 PMI found it of rather odd that Colin Powell did not endorse his friend John McCain because he believed the Republican Party had moved too far to the right. So what did this clown do? He endorsed a candidate who was obviously too far to the left. I'd like to hear the good General explain that, though any intelligent human being knows it wasn't the GOP moving to the right, it was Powell moving too far left.
Posted by: thatjerryguy on July 3, 2009 08:06 PMNever been a Powell fan. His son Michael was a complete idiot at the FCC.
Posted by: fubar on July 3, 2009 10:11 PMsay what we want about Powell, I have always thought he was a good man in over his head, it is good to see the tide turning. hopefully that will continue to be the case before healthcare and carbon credits pass the senate.
Palin can probably make a lot of bank speaking.
Posted by: patrick on July 4, 2009 01:08 AMPowell was a dove in Wolf's clothing. That became clear while working for W and the reason W canned him. In theory, being that dove is all nice and sweet and all, but in this day and age, you've got to be a wolf to get shit done. Whoever above said Stormin Normin---amen.
BTW, happy 4th to all you folk. Rugrat and I went out to local firework gathering last night and I've got to tell you, makes you feel great to be an American to be at these things. Lots of patriotic music, lots of veterans that I got to talk with, just a really good "cleansing" of the soul that's needed with the current state of our political affairs.
Powell was a dove in Wolf's clothing. That became clear while working for W and the reason W canned him.
Was, and is.
That became obvious when he convinced W's father not to let Stormin' Norman chase Saddam all the way back to Baghdad in 1991 and finish him off then. Yeah, yeah, I know all about the "UN Mandate" just to drive Iraq out of Kuwait...well, guess what we used to justify the 2003 war?
If you have a poisonous snake in your vise, you kill the damned thing right then and there, you don't let it go free to come back and hurt you again.
Posted by: Grumpy Old Ham on July 4, 2009 10:07 AMWell, apologies come in different forms. If Powell is admitting he made a mistake- good for him. He did "drink the Kool Aid" though, so he can't be trusted anymore as a political voice.
I can't decide whether to forgive Glenn Beck for riding out the campaign on his high libertarian horse. He helped get Obama elected too by whining that he didn't like McCain and NOW he's shouting: "WAKE UP AMERICA!!!" Well, I was awake during the campaign- where were you? But he has basically admitted the error of his ways- so maybe I should call bygones, bygones.
Re: Sarah Palin: No great, white, male leader is stepping up to the plate now that we need one- so maybe Sarah will do it. She has spark and guts and the right attitude. If she wants to lead us out of the wilderness- and save America- I will be right there behind her.
What do you guys think about a Palin/Huckabee ticket??????
When the dims start their mind control spin tactics (they already said her behavior of stepping down as govenor- was "bizarre"), we need to hit back fast. Shut your nasty, elitist, snobby mouths! Flush the Kool Aid! We ain't drinking it anymore.
teri, Huckabee is a puss. I like the Palin part though.
Posted by: Paul on July 4, 2009 01:34 PMI would not put much stock in anything said by Colin Powell.......Once he was a hero, now since he stabbed the Republican Party, his friend, McCain, Bush & patriotic American s everywhere in the back with his support for Obama.........Remember this!......When an Asshole opens up to speak , all that come`s out will not be words of wisdom , it will just be Fart`s!
Posted by: dudley1 on July 6, 2009 04:56 PM