Just listening to "On the Media" on NPR...

... and their subject, in part, is Colin Powell. There's some talk about Powell being the "good soldier," about Powell being perceived as the dove caught in the midst of hawks.

And, yet, they also briefly mention Powell's involvement in the cover-up of My Lai, of Powell's serving as the military liaison to Reagan's National Security Council.

However, never was anything mentioned as to Powell's relationship to the right through his son, Michael, the head of the FCC (despite the fact that the program is supposedly focused on the media). No one mentioned that the private family values of the Powells might well be subservience to the right, to enable the desires of the right, and to accrue value to the family itself by associating with the right, simply because the right was likely to assume power.

In anger, Powell is sometimes described as an Uncle Tom, but there's never any serious discussion of whether or not his actions and those of his son have, in fact, served interests which are antithetical to African-Americans everywhere in the country.

I find that thoroughly odd and worthy of some discussion.

M'self, I think Powell defined himself, and his highly political brand of militarism, by throwing in his lot with the Bushies. He had a simple choice to divorce himself from the right by refusing to associate himself with them, but he simply could not--they gave him political visibility in a way no one else would--and he opted for them instead being against them, in the mistaken belief that he could influence them.

Powell's career has been fundamentally rightward, extraordinarily militarist, and yet, he maintains a public persona of moderation and sensibility. I wonder what others think about this man whose image and history are so much at odds with one another.

to talk about. Powell seems to be one of those Washington Insiders with such powerful connections that he never will fall from grace. Sort of like the vile Henry Kissinger who is still totted out on the Pundit shows as an expert because he's a "behind the scenes" power broker.

Do you think the average American understands the nepotism in Powell's son as Head of FCC or the "McClellan boys," as Press Secretary and Head of FDA!

This whole rats nest of powerful influence in Washington needs to be cleaned out...but I don't know how the average American can do it.

If Powell was as "sainted" as he is made out to be by those on Left and Right, why didn't he resign over principle where he could have made a statement about any of the Bush policies he didn't agree with.

I think he's just there to play the "Good Cop." :-(

He sounds reasonable, if you aren't aware of what's going on.

of Eisenhower with no redeeming record or integrity of any sort. Eisenhower rode the right wing if not as true believer then as someone who believed in their role in reversing Democratic values. In the end it was too little too late and all the damage had been done- but hey- he was off to write his memoirs.

Little Eisenhower is as pathetic as Bush's Little Raygun.