Not Even He Deserves This

Now, I have my problems with Colin Powell, but not even Colin Powell deserves to be called a racist by El Rushbo of all people.

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."

You'd better believe race is now front and center in this campaign for the GOP. They aren't even hiding it any more. Colin Powell is now Just Another Uppity Negro to them, and in a heartbeat he has gone from the poster boy for Big Tent Republicanism to a racist shill for Obama.

Not that Colin Powell doesn't deserve some time alone in the wildnerness with his sins when he DIDN'T stand up and do the right thing in 2002. Believe me, endorsing Obama doesn't begin to make up for his crimes.

But he's being burned at the stake for the wrong thing. Irony, Schadenfreude, call it what you will. I call it two wrongs don't make a right. Because I'm human, I do feel a bit sorry for the man.

Then I remember the fact he helped lie us into a war where we killed hundreds of thousands, and that was THIS war...not Vietnam. He still has to answer to the Gods Above And Below for My Lai, for example.

He's got nobody now. He has plenty of time for reflection, I'd imagine.

Perhaps Obama should offer him a position as Outreach Advisor To Black People Crazy Enough To Vote Republican. I know a few. If the GOP is willing to have El Rushbo crucify the man, no black person in the GOP is safe, or even above suspicion at this point.

But there you have it. We're now into full blown public racism territory here with 16 days to go.

[UPDATE] George Will equates Colin Powell to Al Sharpton, and basically accuses America of reverse racism.



Colin Powell is now as black as coal to the GOP. Absolution by public flogging by the right won't save him in my eyes, but again, that doesn't change the fact the GOP is now run and represented by racist, bigoted assholes.

In this case I think this is his way of receiving penance, scourging himself by way of public flogging by the right. Maybe he's trying to break with the administration and the GOP for good and this was the last straw.

But if that's the case, he's doing this for the benefit of Colin Powell, not Barack Obama. Which means he deserves no absolution.

You have to actually be sorry to be forgiven. He had years to make this break.

Too little. Far too late.