Colin Powell Strongly Endorses Hagel For Defense Secretary

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM



SAHIL KAPUR 10:40 AM EST, SUNDAY JANUARY 13, 2013

Colin Powell said Sunday that Chuck Hagel would be confirmed secretary of defense, offering a ringing endorsement of the decorated war hero and former Republican senator from Nebraska.

The former secretary of state said on NBC's "Meet The Press" that Hagel is "superbly qualified" and "will make a very spirited defense of his positions" when he appears before the Senate.

Powell praised Hagel's "very, very distinguished public service record." He said Hagel "speaks his mind" and "says what he believes and sticks with it" even if it gets him in trouble.

He said the issues raised about Hagel are "important" but that the ex-senator will have an opportunity to address them at his confirmation hearings, and will "do a great job as secretary of defense."

Powell said Hagel is "a good supporter of Israel" but he's "not reluctant to disagree when he thinks disagreement is appropriate." He said being pro-Israel "doesn't mean you have to agree with every single position that the Israeli government takes."

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Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/colin-powell-strongly-endorses-hagel-for-defense-secretary

[TwilightGardener]

1. I know Powell isn't popular here, but he's still well-regarded by most of the public--

so this was a really nice thing for him to do.

[PatrynXX]

5. how should I know if he's popular or not

He's a good guy. Always been a good guy. Misguided during Bush but Bush wasn't the normal Republican.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Hagel and Powell helped GW Bush invade Iraq because they are Republicans, of course they

are supportive of one another just as they were supportive of the invasion, they are Republicans.
Powell and Hagel are two of the people who were so stupidly in favor of Bush wars when it mattered and now they feel badly that they refused to hear from the vast majority of the planet that knew they were being idiots, amoral war mongering idiots.
Colin Powell in his role in the military has probably fired more people for being gay than anyone else alive today. So of course when Hagel attacks gay people for being gay, Powell is comfortable with that as well. It is another area of shared ideology, of mutual Republican ideology.
Two Republican bigots with a clear record of mendacity and historically incorrect decision making support each other in their bid to blur the memory of the nation about what they did when it mattered.

[John2]

10. This is becoming

a norm for me defending Powell. He did nothing more than Hillary Clinton or John Kerry when they also approved of attacking Iraq. The public opinion Polls at the time was over whelmingly in favor of attacking Iraq also. I blame this on the Bush Administration's neocons and the American Press. The American Press failed to do their jobs and investigate the Truth. So most of the American Public was taken in. I was one of the few who wasn't. I guess you might have been too, but I can seperate the people who were really pushing it in the Bush Administration. Powell's reactions after the Truth came out explains to me how much he really trusted the intelligence reports put out by other operatives in the Bush Administration. He was fed the information they gave to him. His actions were more telling afterwards unlike Condeleeza Rice's. She is still trying to push the Neo con agenda. I don't see why people still hold her in high esteem?

Apparently Hagel and Powell has evolved on the Gay issue just like President Obama. Let me say something else also. I have primary knowledge myself also about openly Gay people serving in the military because I was in the military at the time Powell was serving as the Joints Chief of Staff. It would have been detrimental to discipline at the time. Powell made a determination based on being the Joints Chief of Staff and gave that to the President, which was his best assessment at the time. Apparently the environment has changed for the better.

[4Q2u2]

12. Not Even Close

Powell directly went in front of the UN with falsified info and pushed for the resolution, being the front man for Bush. The yellow cake theory and WMD photos he showed were already debunked even before he made the prsentation. He second disaster was his "If you Break it, You have to Fix it." This obcene idea was pushed by him and turned an already illegal War into Nation Building. Costing that many more lives and Billions of dollars going into that rat hole Iraq. It is not even close that he is on Par with Clinton and Kerry.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Powell has spent his life in 'Service'. Net worth from 'service'-45 million dollars....

His top yearly salary around 180K....yet he's worth 45 Million Dollars. The math seems to indicate money from other sources while in 'service'....

[John2]

11. Powell is

very well known and has a lotta speaking engagements and investments. It is very easy to see how he made his money. He is one of the most popular African Americans in this country. His name is worth a lot. We do have a wealthy elite in the African American community.

[Arctic Dave]

4. Fuck Powell and his opinions.

I wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire.

[forestpath]

9. +1

[demwing]

13. That's not nice! We'd piss on you

I mean, if you were on fire. Won't you do the same for Powell?

[Arctic Dave]

14. Thank you!

[JEB]

7. Did he have diagrams?

[obama2terms]

8. At least they admit Iraq was a mistake

Most repukes would rather get a root canal than admit that.