Posted on 12/01/2010 12:06:54 PM PST by onyx
President Obama will meet Wednesday afternoon with one of his closest Republican allies, Colin Powell, to discuss the stalled nuclear arms treaty with Russia.
Vice President Joe Biden — the White House's point man on the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) — will join Obama and Powell in the Oval Office, after which the president will speak to the press.
Powell, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, served as President George W. Bush's first Secretary of State before leaving the administration in 2005. He endorsed Obama over Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the 2008 presidential election.
START has been stalled for months due to Republican concerns over nuclear modernization and missile defense. But in recent weeks, Obama has brought in a cadre of GOP officials to urge ratification of the pact, which requires the votes of 67 senators.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs sounded optimistic about the treaty Wednesday morning, predicting Obama would sign it by Christmas. But Senate Republicans have threatened to block action on major items in the brief lame-duck session until a deal is reached on the expiring Bush-era tax cuts.
Powell is also expected to discuss education and the high school dropout rate with Obama and Biden.
COLIN POWELL THE SELL-OUT, TOKEN 'REPUBLICAN'.
Colin Powell long ago decided that being (faintly) black was the most important thing in life. His family may be in part descendants of people brought to the New World against their will, which makes him a little closer to the African-American experience than Bambi, with his African exchange student father and white hippie mother. But Powell’s family is not American but is from Jamaica.
Meanwhile, we have legitimate “African Americans” (as this phrase is really meant) like Dr. Thomas Sowell and our new Rep. Allen West, who are totally ignored because they are conservatives.
Colin Powell is a racist liar.
I care not at all about his stated opinions on any subject.
There’s a slap in the face to the current joint chiefs, but surely they’ve come to realize by now that their CIC is a classless, clueless clown who is just going through the motions, poorly I might add, of being a leader.
I’m sorry to see this. Since the Libby episode, Powell has lost my respect. A man of honor would not have stood by in silence knowing the truth.
Number one, don't threaten, do block action.
Number two, regardless of what they do on taxes, START has to be dead on arrival. Don't sell us out for tax rates we already have. If the Dems want to raise taxes, let them own it; but under no circumstances must we agree to START.
Yep, I agree with you. Colin Powell proved himself a sell-out racist and I am thankful for Dr Thomas Sowell, Lt Col. West and every other conservative black in our country.
He is now a useful tool of the Left.
Shame on him.
I hadn’t considered that angle, but you’re sure right about that!
START had better be DOA.
This is an outrage and it *is* a national security issie, but not in the manner it’s being sold by the Marxist asnd the democrats.
It’s DOA for now if the Repubs make the Dims do this first:
-snip-
“Senate Democrats were visibly furious when all 42 of their GOP colleagues sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., essentially promising to block any measure that comes before tax cuts and a (Continuing Resolution) CR. One after another, Democrats in the majority sought to bring up a number of other measures, including an extension of unemployment insurance benefits which expired Tuesday on two million Americans, an energy measure, and various tax-related provisions.”
“President Obama will meet Wednesday afternoon with one of his closest Republican allies, Colin Powell, to discuss the stalled nuclear arms treaty with Russia”
Powell, having ascended to levels of great responsibility in government has shown his maturity in judgment to have progressed only in the inverse.
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