The number one reason people should have absolutely no respect for this charlatain is his complicity in the Valerie Plame scandal.
It is stunning to me that many, even here on FR know nothing of his involvement and coverup in that case. How you ask?
When Robert Novak published his article that named her, Powell was Sec. of State in the Bush Administration. His deputy, Richard Armitage came to Powell to let him know it was he that spoke to Novak of Plame.
So what did Powell do? He told Armitage not to say a word of it to anyone else, not even the soon to be appointed Special Prosecutor Fitzpatrick.
That SOB let our troops and their CIC hang in the political wind for 18 months while they were going through the worst of the insurgency in Iraq and that also led to the prosecution of Scooter Libbey just because his recount of facts did not match those of Tim Russert.
It was later discovered that even before Fitz started his investigation, he was aware of the Armitage story but continued with the investigation to justify his “government” job for as long as he could.
execellent point -— Powell’s behavior during Plamegate was unscrupulous, despicable, and extremely bad for the nation
He alone could have averted much unjustifiable and malicious torment for the public, the INNOCENT WH staff, and the troops -— to have the WH unnecessarily smeared, dragged through the mud, and “investigated” for 18 months at the height of a difficult wartime situation -— Powell should be despised for that above all
Stupid question: Why did Bush let this happen?
Right on, it was a exercise of cowardice.
I have known about Powell's duplicity since it became public. That is why I believe Powell is a traitor to our Country.
Not because he did it to Bush but because he did it to our Country and the Presidency during a time of war.
Powell is nothing but political slime and was even in uniform. A political hack who climbed the ladder on politics and not on ability.
As Secretary of State in late ‘02 and ‘03 Powell was forced to argue the case to invade Iraq in the U.N. He hated having to do that dedicated himself to avenging his humiliation on Bush from that moment on, Armitage/Plame was the first such opportunity. By this time GWB had completely lost his mojo and gave us conservatives fits for the next four years as he refused to defend himself and his cabinet against all the scurrilous attacks.