Colin Powell Criticizes President Obama, the Big Spender
By Ani on July 7, 2009 at 4:30 PM in Bank Failure, Bush administration, Bush/Cheney, John McCain, Obama Administration, Obama's Broken Promises, Obama's Budget, Wall Street
CNN’s John King interviewed General Colin Powell Sunday as Powell airs doubts on Obama agenda. Here are some interesting remarks as covered by Jon Ward of The Washington Times:
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,”
Um, now he’s concerned?
During the campaign, President Obama made a plethora of pie in the sky promises. While he has certainly abandoned the left in cuddling up to President Bush’s lack of transparency, signing statements and the like, he has certainly trumped the Bush Administration in terms of spending ridiculous amounts of money, particularly bailing out Wall Street before Main Street. While Mr. Powell noted that
‘health care reform and many of Mr. Obama’s other initiatives are “important” to Americans…’ “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.” …”And we can’t pay for it all…”
Mr. Powell’s comments represent the growing concern that began with hard-line fiscal conservatives but is now spreading to moderates about the rate of government spending and debt under President Obama, and the long-term impact on the country’s fiscal sustainability and national security.
The national debt stands currently at $11.5 trillion and the deficit for the current fiscal year is projected to be close to $2 trillion.
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.”
He’s not alone in expressing alarm. I am very curious as to why he is making these statements now…
“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.
Mr. Powell also noted that he does “stay in touch” with the Obama Administration, particularly recently.
“The federal government has become too large and too intrusive in our lives,” Mr. Powell said then. “We can no longer afford solutions to our problems that result in more entitlements, higher taxes to pay for them, more bureaucracy to run them, and fewer results to show for it.”
Mr. Powell said that now that he still believes what he said then, but that he would put it in different terms now.
“I don’t like slogans anymore like ‘limited government.’ That’s not the right answer. The right answer is, give me a government that works,” he said. “Keep it as small as possible. Keep the tax burden on the American people as small as possible, but at the same time, have government that is solving the problems of the people.”
Gee, is Mr. Powell planning his own campaign sometime in the future? Sounds like some sound advice and some pretty good campaign slogans to the bargain. It’s too bad he didn’t give President Obama that advice back when he was a candidate last fall.
How odd the Mr. Powell chose to endorse the gentleman anyway without first stopping for a moment to listen to all Obama’s campaign promises and looking carefully at the price tag. As American Girl in Italy noted in her excellent article about President Obama’s reversals on health care, he is now looking at adopting some of the very proposals he vilified Senator McCain for suggesting last year. Guess he’s finally been looking at the price tag, too – and the sticker shock is mighty big indeed.
With all due respect to General Powell, I really find it irritating that he is continually reversing himself in order to rescue his reputation. Perhaps he felt his good name and many honorable years of service were somewhat tarnished by making the case to go to war with Iraq. Who knows if his decision to endorse Mr. Obama was part of a mea culpa in that regard. Now that VP Biden acknowledged that the stimulus is sort of a bust and that their team underestimated our economy’s problems, Colin Powell is distancing himself from the President with these statements?
Gosh, I sure wish he would make up his mind.
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Here is the truth. Powell gave McCain the legal maximum campaign contribution back in 2007 when McCain was dead in the water. Why? Because he and McCain were longtime friends. McCain even got his son an appointment in the Bush administration. And, in addition McCain was exactly the type of moderate Powell always said he was looking for.
Yet in the end he not only endorsed Obama, but bashed McCain. Why? I think it was because Powell did not want to be on the wrong side of racial history. Race trumped friendship and ideology.
Now he criticises Obama. Why? He likes to fancy himself as a Reublican, and is trying to gain some credibility.
Bottom line. Powell was a great general, and a bad political leader. Lets remember him for what he was, not what he has become.
Isn’t it interesting that some are willing to jump to a man’s defense, but when Hillary was basically knee-capped by her own party into getting out there and pulling Obama across the finish line (else be falsely blamed for singlehandeded destroying the Democratic Party), even some of her own supporters were cursing her for doing what she did — keeping her word.
Sorry, this feels like more double standards. Same as people not forgiving Hillary her Iraq War Resolution vote, but forgiving Powell for standing up befor the UN Security Council and making the case that got us into the war in the first place (he became a good guy again in their eyes simply because he came out to endorse Obama). Cognitive dissonance.
Someone’s word means something. He does not get a pass for any of this in my view.
I remember an interview by I believe Wolf Blitzer back in the days when he (CP) was busy trying to destroy HC where he was discussing their respective (HC vs. BO) plans on getting out of Iraq. In another grotesque twist of logic he first destroyed HC because she had the temerity to set up a scheduled withdrawal without taking into account the advise of the generals based on the situation at the time, then went right on to praise BO because he had a “thoughtful” approach to ending the war totally ignoring the fact that at the time BO was preaching a far more fixed and earlier withdraw that far more ignored any advise from the generals on the scene. Another master of lies and deception!
yep, he shouldn’t get a pass for Iran Contra let alone Iraq.
How come even a self proclaimed genious like Powell never pointed out soething about the real programs that are facing the country today?
Obama got $787 Billion to save the economy which nothing much of it has been spent as of yet. Now Cap and Trade manage to sneak into passage and is facing the Senate. Well everything the stimulous package contains, roads, electric grids and so on will be heavily hit by the hidden tax grab of Cap and Trade. Oil is needed for road pavement, coal is needed for smelting wires and the list goes on and on.
The stupidity of dumping as many programs and bill thru shows a complee lack of the ability to think and proves the left hand doesn’t have a clue what the right hand is doing and the idiot in the middle is to stupid and lacks and form of critical judgement that he said he would have on DAY ONE!
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=ajQbZ.WrAVwQ
Obama Adviser Says U.S. Should Mull Second Stimulus (Update2)
Ani,
You’re right on target again! But hey, haven’t you learned yet that without the double standard and people actually being judged on the merit of their work and their character, very few men would be in power! The proof of this is everywhere lately.
When I think of what our country has lost as a result of the patriarchial mindset, I literally scream inside because I know there is absolutely no reason for our country to be on the verge of bankruptcy nor bankrupt when it comes to the moral highground for that matter.
Total patriarchial rule, clearly, has not been good for our country and the world, in general, and I suspect that is the primary reason the double standard is needed now more than ever — to keep that truth well hidden.
Don’t forget one of the reason he gave for endorsing O instead of McCain was that he had chosen Sarah Palin who was utterly unprepared and unqualified to be VP. You see community organizing soooooo prepares one to be POTUS!
This man can rot in hell for all I care.
Yep, it was just a case of bro’s before ho’s. It can’t be candy coated.
Bingo!!!
Colon Bowel is a chauvinist pig.
I know, instead we got Biden which I think proves Obama’s lack of judgement and reasoning. Biden is a walking gaffe (and has been known so for years) so choosing him reflects negatively on Obama.
I certainly hope not. He isn’t new and fresh and a hopey-changey theme isn’t gonna work for an old dog like Powell. Not to mention that any black person who runs in the future will inevitably be overshadowed by the historic black President who will end up being a colossal failure. I’d be shocked if black person, no matter how competent will have an easy time of it in the future after this debacle!
No, Powell, you deserve the shut out you will get. Neither party will support you and if you think that Odrama cares what you think, he doesn’t. Most likely he and Rahm laugh about how your endorsement hurt McCain. Face it, Powell, you were used! Now get under the bus!
Why are these so called uber intellects just NOW getting it? Wasn’t it obvious during the campaign that Obama’s plans were uncontrolled government spending and waste? Didn’t Colin Powell resign from his post DURING A WAR? And yet he gets a pass unlike Palin. Oh he is “black” Okay then.
Powell’s decision to endorse Obama was based on race, it was not a mea culpa on Iraq.
He never, ever would have crossed over to support Hillary Clinton, not in a billion years.
I was sorely disappointed in Powell’s statement before the UN. I watched and listened to that presentation and there was no question in my mind that he was lying. Certainly not Powell’s best moment.
And yes, I wish he had been more reflective about Obama’s “program” before the election. I was and am a staunch Hillary Clinton supporter. But once she was trashed by her own party, I supported John McCain, who I’m convinced couldn’t possibly be as reckless and evasive as the current Administration is proving to be.
Colin Powell did us no favors, which is sad. He has gobs of leadership experience and is an impressive speaker. But maybe it’s an important lesson: racial politics should never trump our critical thinking in terms of what’s best for the country. Because when it does, we can end up with the mess we’re looking at right now.
I would have been very tempted to vote Powell had he run in 2000, even though I was a registered Democrat. I was not a huge Gore fan and couldn’t stomach George Bush.
But that was then, this is now.
I found out that as Secretary of State he was the one who opened the door for the UN to come in and oversee our elections. Some black people approached him and he went along with them. In my mind they knew that Obama was being groomed by his handlers to run. When I found that information I knew that he would back Obama.
I am with you, I watched Powell’s presentation to the UN and I just knew that he was lying , plus while claiming to have overwhelming evidence of WMD’s he presented no tangible evidence. I was surprised when the media and so many of our idiot politicians claimed that his speech pushed them over the edge in terms of supporting the war.
I would never trust or respect Powell and he would never get my vote. The fact that Obama courted and accepted his endorsment after critcising Hilary for voting for the war speaks volumes about Obama’s hypocrisy and lack of substance.
Powell is as big a fraud as O the fraud. Sad to say at one time I would have supported him for President had he run. Not anymore, he has shown that he has poor judgment like That One. Birds of a feather I guess!! Maybe Powell is alos friends with Ayers, Wright, Resko!
political ic said:
“Maybe Powell is alos friends with Ayers, Wright, Resko!”
I seriously doubt that. But I agree, Powell’s judgment about Obama was badly flawed.
Can’t the MSM find better people to interview than these same-o same-os? Iwant to hear from other people every now and then, because “frankly, my dear,” I don’t give a d#@n what Powell thinks.
I’m going to be the crass one today….powell can go f**k himself!!
Its nice seeing Powell getting so much love on this blog.
Colin Powell had a little bit of integrity and credibility at one time, but he was forced by Bush to spend, actually sacrifice, that political capital in front of the UN with his little vial of faux-anthrax and lies about proof that Saddam Hussein was exporting weapons of mass destruction. When no WMD were found, his reputation went down the crapper.
He completely blew whatever was left with his race-based endorsement of Obama. Nobody in their right minds thought it was anything but an attempt to lend credibility to the neophyte senator from Chicago based on a shared racial identification.
Powell was a career general who got promoted based on his service in the Persian Gulf War under GHW Bush. Every promotion he got beyond that was due to Republican tokenism. He was never anything special, and he’s nothing but a joke now.
are there opinions on this?
http://www.maniacworld.com/greed-runs-the-world.html
Powell lose any iota of integrity he had left when he endorsed backtrack. He took color over country.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
Forget Obama’s promises. Powell was part of the Bush II admin that recklessly ran up the deficit. Remember, Powell, Dick Cheney’s “Reagan proved that deficits don’t matter? I trust you do - you were in the cabinet at the time.
I’ve heard this song before. Reagan/Bush I ran up the deficit. When Clinton was elected, suddenly the deficit was the biggest matter evah and had to come down. So Clinton did the work and the deficit came down. Bush II took office, blew the fiscal discipline on tax breaks for his buddies, and ran the deficit sky high. Not a peep from the “fiscal conservatives.”
Dem in office - it’s Deficit! Deficit! Deficit! all over again. Powell gets credit for supporting the Greatest Candidate Evah! And now gets to shill for his not-so-fiscally responsible party.
BTW, this is no defense of Obama. You can have situations where both parties are in the wrong.
The UN performance lost Powell to me. I had held him in reasonable esteem up to that point.
Still Ani, you will see more and more people looking for the exits post haste.
Thanks Ani, for a look into the kaleidoscope of hypocrisy.
Sometimes it irks me even writing this stuff up, but frankly, after the abuse people who refused to get on Pr. Obama’s bandwagon took last year and beyond, I think it’s important to make note of the hypocricy and about-faces all these people are doing now.
Thanks for being here, TWK.
I lost any respect I had for Powell when he endorsed Obama. Berated Hillary. I could care less what he’s saying now. Now is a little too late, he should have done his homework.
I’m also starting to loose any respect I once had for McCain. He would never have gotten as many votes as he did if it weren’t for Sarah.
Powell is an empty suit just like BOTHead. Powell should take Hilary’s place when she bails out. I’m waiting for Hilary to say enough is enough.
Powell was always a political general the kind we had in Vietnam……useless.
Powell revealed his true colors. (pun intended.) Then he forgets Frankenstein’s Law: You make the monster - you live with the monster. Oh, and imho, I wouldn’t go mistaking Powell for Hannibal, Stonewall Jackson, or George Patton either.