I think I've figured out Powell's rationale for sticking around...

.. yet still finding ways to thwack Shrubya's nose.

If he leaves.. who become Sec of State? What neo-nazcon fills his shoes and then pisses off the rest of the world even more, lies their butt off even more and helps kick the cover ups into even higher gear??

People have said that Powell is a man of integrity, others hammer him for not walking now and blowing the whistle big time..

OK, if he walked now and turned the lights on so all the cockroaches run for cover... Powell gets a measure of respect, BushCo loses in November.... but between now and Jan 20th... Shrubya installs a modern day Goebbels and we will be fighting major wars in Syria, Iran and Korea (and probably Cuba) as well.

Now, he keeps doing what he's doing.. trying to hold together THE COUNTRY... he's not really doing anything for Shrubya.. he's dropping not so subtle bombs to keep undermining Shrubya (like that he was keeping the admin fully informed on the Red Cross reports..) and the little 'off camera' speeches today with MTP (I loved that "We've really scre..." comment) that he KNOWS will get used.

He's slowly, carefully picking his shots to wound not kill. And I *think* he's trying to make Shrubya fire him. Of course if he did that, then all bets are off and Shrubya might as well take a walk on the freeway, at rush hour, blindfolded.

No Powell isn't doing the things that most of us wish he would.. but he's not stupid... in some ways he's doing a fifth column approach from the inside that is causing more damage than a direct frontal attack would....

Things have never been so bad.

Together with a statement endorsing Kerry and excoriating the incompetence of the Bush regime.

That'll redeem the man in my eyes. And y'know that Bushco's gotta be worried about it. What are they gonna do, though, fire him?!? he's got 'em by the shorthairs.

that Powell has stayed because of his and other peoples' concerns/fears of who or what kind of facist,neoconcervative ideologue he would be replaced with. I don't like the sound of Secretary of State Newt Gingrich or Richard Perle or Paul Wolfowitz. I know that we are in serious trouble with our relationships internationally, but I believe that things could actually be worse if one of these people had replaced Powell. Even though this administration has gone out of its way to piss on and piss off our ALLIES, at least somebody who was capable and willing to show these other nations at least some respect has stuck around. Due to Powell's efforts to maintain at least speaking terms with the international community, a President Kerry will at least have a door to walk through and may not have to get on his knees to beg and grovel to get int'l support to help us get out of the God-awful mess the neocons have sucked us into.

I think the fear of the alternative is the ONLY reason he is still there.

I remember thinking way back when Bush first announced his cabinet that Powell was the only hope against total world chaos.

Powell sticks around becasue he's trying to preserve his son's political future, and if he can win a token policy battle along the way, then bonus.

Otherwise, it's all about his son.

I hope you're right but I fear you're wrong.

I do not know who this man really is - I only know him by the myths the media have created around him over the years. Even his political affiliation was a big secret for a long time but everyone wanted him on their team. Why?

Maybe someday he will write his autobiography and we will understand him. Until that time, I find that he is really a phenomenon. For so many years, Americans have projected onto him their need for a hero, somehow expecting him to save the day - Republicans and Democrats alike. He keeps quiet and the myth continues to grow.

I quit trying to figure out motives for his actions and now take him at his word: testifying before the UN with bogus information; propping up a corrupt administration; keeping quiet while our Constitution and Bill of Rights are shredded.

He may be the most complex person in this administration and historians will be writing about him for years to come. Then again he may be a very uncomplex person who is driven by ambition and not much else.
But in the immediate future - he will not be the hero this country really needs. Look to a Democrat instead!

Go ahead and list them all

Powell has always been a "Go along to get along" person.
He clicks his heels and salutes.
He knew that his statements to the UN were blatant lies.
He objected a bit then clicked his heels and saluted.

I bellieve he is still being trotted out as the velvet gloved, sober repressentative of the evil Bush administration and I believe he does so willingly. He may retire soon, but I have little respect for this weasel. He simply is an opportunist who has survied by being so.

In this case, he is protecting his son, Michael.

I cannot with good conscience, give Powell any sort of confidence.

Everything he does, at this point, is suspect and that is entirely his own stupid fault

The whole idea that Powell is somehow a moderate and has integrity has been proved to be wronfg time after time after tine. He's in bed with the neocons, he agreed to get in bed with them, he carries their water, he defends them against all attackers and he saves them when they're on the ropes.

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