PRESIDENT BUSH SECRETARY STATE CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS LETTER SIGNED to ROEBLING


PRESIDENT BUSH SECRETARY STATE CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS LETTER SIGNED to ROEBLING

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PRESIDENT BUSH SECRETARY STATE CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS LETTER SIGNED to ROEBLING :
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COLIN L. POWELL

(b.1937)

65thUNITED STATES SECRETARY of STATE under PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH,

IRAQPERSIAN GULF WAR 4-STAR GENERAL and CHAIRMAN of the JOINT CHIEFS of STAFF

&

REPUBLICANPRESIDENTIAL TIMBER in 1996!

Gen.Powell was the first African-American to serve as Secretary of State. Powellalso served as President Ronald Reagan’s National Security Advisor, Commanderof the U.S. Army Forces Command, and the first black Chairman of the JointChiefs of Staff during the Persian Gulf War with Iraq!

HERE’S A TYPED LETTER SIGNED by POWELL on “CHAIRMAN of theJOINT CHIEFS of STAFF” illustrated ‘Chairman Flag’ Letterhead to Mary Roebling(1905-1994) whowas the first woman to serve as President of a major US bank and the firstwoman Governor of the American Stock Exchange! 1p., dated Feb. 23, 1990. Powellthanks Roebling for her kind note and for sending the newspaper clipping. He goes on to say that it was good meetingher…

NOTE: This ALS was recently purchasedfrom the grandson of Mary Roebling at his home in NJ, and has never seen thecollector market!

Theletter comes with a New York Times newspaper clipping about his appointment asChairman of the Joint Chiefs dated Aug. 1989, a photograph of Powell when he visited RiderCollege, Lawrenceville, NJ (near Trenton, NJ and where Powell met Mary Roebling),and an unrelated “Commander in Chief US Central Command, Operation Desert Storm”corner card transmittal envelope.

Thedocument measures 7¼” x 7¾” and is in VERY FINE, CLEAN CONDITION!

THIS LETTER WOULD MAKE A RARE ADDITION TO YOUR AMERICANPRESIDENTIAL/MILITARY AUTOGRAPH, MANUSCRIPT & EPHEMERA COLLECTION!!

BIOGRAPHYof the HONORABLE

COLINLUTHER POWELL

Colin Luther Powell (born April 5, 1937)[2] is an American statesman and aretired four-star general in the United States Army.[3]He was the 65thUnited States Secretary of State,serving under U.S. President George W. Bushfrom 2001 to 2005, the first African American to serve in thatposition.[4][5][6][7]During his military career, Powell also served as National Security Advisor(1987–1989), as Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command (1989) and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff(1989–1993), holding the latter position during the Persian Gulf War.Born in Harlem as the son of Jamaican immigrants, Powell was the first, and sofar the only, African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the first of two consecutiveblack office-holders to serve as U.S. Secretary of State.

Early life and education

Powell was born on April 5, 1937,[8]in Harlem,a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan,to Jamaicanimmigrant parents Maud Arial (née McKoy) and Luther Theophilus Powell. Hisparents were both of mixed African and Scotsancestry.[9][10]Powell was raised in the South Bronxand attended Morris High School, from which hegraduated in 1954. (This school has since closed.)

While at school, Powell worked at a local baby furniture store, where hepicked up Yiddish from the Eastern European Jewish shopkeepers andsome of the customers.[11] He also served as a Shabbos goy,helping Orthodox families with needed tasks on the Sabbath.[12]He received his BS degree in geology from the City College of New York in 1958 and has said hewas a \'C average\' student. He later earned an MBA degree from the George Washington University in 1971, after hissecond tour in Vietnam.

Military career

Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years, holding a variety ofcommand and staff positions and rising to the rank of General.[14]

Training

Powell described joining the Reserve Officers\' Training Corps(ROTC) during college as one of the happiest experiences of his life;discovering something he loved and could do well, he felt he had \"foundhimself.\" According to Powell:

“It was only once I was in college, about six months into college when Ifound something that I liked, and that was ROTC, Reserve Officer Training Corpsin the military. And I not only liked it, but I was pretty good at it. That\'swhat you really have to look for in life, something that you like, andsomething that you think you\'re pretty good at. And if you can put those twothings together, then you\'re on the right track, and just drive on.”[15]

CadetPowell joined the PershingRifles, the ROTC fraternal organization and drill team begun by General John Pershing.Even after he had become a general, Powell kept on his desk a pen set he hadwon for a drill team competition.

Upon graduation, he received a commission as an Army second lieutenant.[16]After attending basic training at Fort Benning,Powell was assigned to the 48th Infantry, in West Germany,as a platoonleader.[17]

Vietnam War

In his autobiography, Powell said he is haunted by the nightmare of the Vietnam Warand felt that the leadership was very ineffective.

Captain Powell served a tour in Vietnam as a South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) advisorfrom 1962 to 1963. While on patrol in a Viet Cong-heldarea, he was wounded by stepping on a punji stake.[18]The large infection made it difficult for him to walk, and caused his foot toswell for a short time, shortening his first tour.

He returned to Vietnamas a major in 1968, serving in the 23rd Infantry Division, then asassistant chief of staff of operations for the AmericalDivision. During the second tour in Vietnam he was decorated for bravery afterhe survived a helicopter crash, single-handedly rescuing three others,including division commander Major General Charles Martin Gettys, from theburning wreckage.[17][19]

Powell was charged with investigating a detailed letter by 11th Light Infantry Brigade soldier Tom Glen, whichbacked up rumored allegations of the My Lai Massacre.He wrote: \"In direct refutation of this portrayal is the fact thatrelations between American soldiers and the Vietnamese peopleare excellent.\" Later, Powell\'s assessment would be described as whitewashing the news of the massacre, andquestions would continue to remain undisclosed to the public. In May 2004Powell said to television and radio host Larry King,\"I was in a unit that was responsible for My Lai. I got there after My Laihappened. So, in war, these sorts of horrible things happen every now andagain, but they are still to be deplored.\"[20]

After the Vietnam War

Powell served a White House Fellowship, a highly selective andprestigious position, under President Richard Nixonfrom 1972 to 1973. During 1975-1976 he attended the National War College, Washington DC.[21]

In his autobiography, My American Journey, Powell named severalofficers he served under who inspired and mentored him. As a lieutenant colonel serving in South Korea,Powell was very close to General Henry \"Gunfighter\" Emerson.Powell said he regarded Emerson as one of the most caring officers he ever met.Emerson insisted his troops train at night to fight a possible North Koreanattack, and made them repeatedly watch the television film Brian\'s Songto promote racial harmony. Powell always professed that what set Emerson apart,was his great love of his soldiers and concern for their welfare. After a race riotoccurred, in which African-American soldiers almost killed a Caucasian officer,Powell was charged by Emerson to crackdown on black militants;Powell\'s efforts led to the discharge of one soldier, and other efforts toreduce racial tensions.[17]

A \"politicalgeneral\"

In the early 1980s, Powell served at Fort Carson, Colorado. After he left Fort Carson, Powellbecame senior military assistant to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger,whom he assisted during the 1983 invasion of Grenada and the 1986 airstrike on Libya.

In 1986, Powell took over the command of V Corps in Frankfurt,Germany, from Robert Lewis \"Sam\" Wetzel.

Following the Iran Contrascandal, Powell became, at the age of 49, Ronald Reagan\'sNational Security Advisor,serving from 1987 to 1989 while retaining his Army commission as a lieutenant general.

In April 1989, after his tenure with the National Security Council,Powell was promoted to four-star general under President George H. W. Bushand briefly served as the Commander in Chief,Forces Command (FORSCOM),headquartered at Fort McPherson, Georgia, overseeing all Army,Army Reserve, and National Guard units in the Continental U.S.,Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.He became only the third general since World War II, joining Dwight D. Eisenhower and Alexander Haig,to reach four-star rank without ever serving as a division commander.

Later that year, President George H. W. Bush selected him as Chairman ofthe Joint Chiefs of Staff.[22]

Chairman of the JointChiefs of Staff

Powell\'s last military assignment, from October 1, 1989, to September 30,1993, was as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,the highest military position in the Department of Defense. At age 52, hebecame the youngest officer, and first Afro-Caribbean American, to serve in thisposition. Powell was also the first JCS Chair who received his commissionthrough ROTC.[23]

During this time, he oversaw 28 crises, including the invasion of Panama in 1989 to removeGeneral ManuelNoriega from power and Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.During these events, Powell earned his nickname, \"the reluctantwarrior.\" He rarely advocated military intervention as the first solutionto an international crisis, and instead usually prescribeddiplomacy and containment.

As a military strategist, Powell advocated an approach tomilitary conflicts that maximizes the potential for success and minimizescasualties. A component of this approach is the use of overwhelming force,which he applied to Operation Desert Storm in 1991. His approach has beendubbed the \"PowellDoctrine\". Powell continued as chairman of the JCS intothe Clinton presidency but as a dedicated \"realist\" he consideredhimself a bad fit for an administration largely made up of liberal internationalists.[24]He clashed with then-U.S. ambassador to the United NationsMadeleine Albright over the Bosnian crisis,as he opposed any military interventions that didn\'t involve US interests.[25]

During his chairmanship of the JCS, there was discussion of awardingPowell a fifth star,granting him the rank of General of the Army. But even in the wakeof public and Congressional pressure[26][27]to do so, Clinton-Gorepresidential transition team staffers decidedagainst it.[28][29][30]

Potential presidential candidate

Powell\'s experience in military matters made him a very popular figurewith both American political parties. Many Democrats admired his moderatestance on military matters, while many Republicans saw him as a greatasset associated with the successes of past Republican administrations. Putforth as a potential Democratic Vice Presidential nominee in the 1992 U.S. presidential election[36]or even potentially replacing Vice President Dan Quayleas the Republican Vice Presidential nominee,[37]Powell eventually declared himself a Republican and began to campaign forRepublican candidates in 1995.[38]He was touted as a possible opponent of Bill Clintonin the 1996 U.S. presidential election,possibly capitalizing on a split conservative vote in Iowa[39]and even leading NewHampshire polls for the GOP nomination,[40]but Powell declined, citing a lack of passion for politics.[41]Powell defeated Clinton 50-38 in a hypothetical match-up proposed to voters inthe exit pollsconducted on Election Day.[42]Despite not standing in the race, Powell won the Republican New Hampshire Vice-Presidential primary on write-invotes.[43]

In 1997 Powell founded America\'s Promise with the objective of helpingchildren from all socioeconomicsectors. That same year saw the establishment of The Colin L. Powell Center forLeadership and Service. The mission of the Center is to \"prepare newgenerations of publicly engaged leaders from populations previouslyunderrepresented in public service and policy circles, to build a strongculture of civic engagement at City College, and to mobilize campus resourcesto meet pressing community needs and serve the public good.\" [44]

Powell was mentioned as a potential candidate in the 2000 U.S. presidential election,but decided against running.[45]Once Texas Governor George W. Bushsecured the Republican nomination, Powell endorsed him for president and spokeat the 2000 Republican National Convention.Bush eventually won, and Powell was appointed Secretary of State.

Secretary of State

As Secretary of State in the Bushadministration, Powell was perceived as moderate. Powell was unanimouslyconfirmed by the United States Senate. Over the course of his tenure hetraveled less than any other U.S. Secretary of State in 30 years. [46]

On September 11, 2001, Powell was in Lima, Peru, meeting withPresident Alejandro Toledo and US AmbassadorJohn Hamilton, and attending the special session of the OAS General Assemblythat subsequently adopted the Inter-American Democratic Charter.After the September 11 attacks, Powell\'s job became of critical importancein managing America\'s relationships with foreign countries in order to secure astable coalition in the War on Terrorism.

Powell came under fire for his role in building the case for the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. In a press statement on February 24,2001, he had said that sanctions against Iraq had prevented thedevelopment of any weapons of mass destruction by Saddam Hussein.As was the case in the days leading up to the Persian Gulf War,Powell was initially opposed to a forcible overthrow of Saddam, preferring tocontinue a policy of containment. However, Powell eventually agreed to go alongwith the Bush administration\'s determination to remove Saddam. He had oftenclashed with others in the administration, who were reportedly planning an Iraqinvasion even before the September 11 attacks, an insight supported bytestimony by former terrorism czar Richard Clarkein front of the 9/11Commission. The main concession Powell wanted before he wouldoffer his full support for the Iraq War was the involvement of theinternational community in the invasion, as opposed to a unilateral approach.He was also successful in persuading Bush to take the case of Iraq to theUnited Nations, and in moderating other initiatives. Powell was placed at theforefront of this diplomatic campaign.

Powell\'s chief role was to garner international supportfor a multi-national coalitionto mount the invasion. To this end, Powell addressed a plenary sessionof the United Nations Security Councilon February 5, 2003, to argue in favor of military action. Citing numerousanonymous Iraqi defectors, Powell asserted that \"there can be no doubtthat Saddam Hussein has biological weapons and the capability to rapidlyproduce more, many more.\" Powell also stated that there was \"no doubtin my mind\" that Saddam was working to obtain key components to producenuclear weapons.[48]

Most observers praised Powell\'s oratorical skills. However, Britain\'s Channel 4 Newsreported soon afterwards that a UK intelligence dossierthat Powell had referred to as a \"fine paper\" during his presentationhad been based on old material and plagiarizedan essay by American graduate student Ibrahim al-Marashi.[49][50]A 2004 report by the Iraq Survey Groupconcluded that the evidence that Powell offered to support the allegation thatthe Iraqi government possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) was inaccurate.

In an interview with Charlie Rose, Powell contended that prior to his UN presentation,he had merely four days to review the data concerning WMD in Iraq.[51]

A Senate report on intelligence failures would later detail the intensedebate that went on behind the scenes on what to include in Powell\'s speech.State Department analysts had found dozens of factual problems in drafts of thespeech. Some of the claims were taken out, but others were left in, such asclaims based on the yellowcake forgery.[52]The administration came under fire for having acted on faulty intelligence, particularlywhat was single-sourced to the informant known as Curveball. Powell later recounted how VicePresident Dick Cheneyhad joked with him before he gave the speech, telling him, \"You\'ve gothigh poll ratings; you can afford to lose a few points.\" Powell\'s longtimeaide-de-campand Chief of Staff from 1989–2003, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, later characterized Cheney\'s view ofPowell\'s mission as to \"go up there and sell it, and we\'ll have movedforward a peg or two. Fall on your damn sword and kill yourself, and I\'ll behappy, too.\"[53]

In September 2005, Powell was asked about the speech during an interviewwith BarbaraWalters and responded that it was a \"blot\" on hisrecord. He went on to say, \"It will always be a part of my record. It waspainful. It\'s painful now.\"[54]

Wilkerson said that he inadvertently participated in a hoax on the American peoplein preparing Powell\'s erroneous testimony before the United Nations SecurityCouncil.[55]

Because Powell was seen as more moderate than most figures in theadministration, he was spared many of the attacks that have been leveled atmore controversial advocates of the invasion, such as Donald Rumsfeldand PaulWolfowitz. At times, infighting among the Powell-led StateDepartment, the Rumsfeld-led Defense Department, and Cheney\'s office had theeffect of polarizing the administration on crucial issues, such as what actionsto take regarding Iranand North Korea.

After Saddam Hussein had been deposed, Powell\'s new role was to once againestablish a working international coalition, this time to assist in therebuilding of post-war Iraq. On September 13, 2004, Powell testified before theSenate Governmental Affairs Committee,[56]acknowledging that the sources who provided much of the information in hisFebruary 2003 UN presentation were \"wrong\" and that it was\"unlikely\" that any stockpiles of WMDs would be found. Claiming thathe was unaware that some intelligence officials questioned the informationprior to his presentation, Powell pushed for reform in the intelligencecommunity, including the creation of a national intelligence director who wouldassure that \"what one person knew, everyone else knew.\"

Additionally, Powell has been critical of other instances of U.S. foreign policy in the past, such as its support forthe 1973 Chilean coup d\'état. From two separateinterviews in 2003, Powell stated in one about the 1973 event \"I can\'tjustify or explain the actions and decisions that were made at that time. Itwas a different time. There was a great deal of concern about communism in thispart of the world. Communism was a threat to the democraciesin this part of the world. It was a threat to the United States.\"[57]In another interview, however, he also simply stated \"With respect to yourearlier comment about Chilein the 1970s and what happened with Mr. Allende,it is not a part of American history that we\'re proud of.\"[58]

Powell announced his resignation as Secretary of State on November 15,2004. According to The Washington Post, he had been asked toresign by the president\'s chief of staff, Andrew Card.[53]Powell announced that he would stay on until the end of Bush\'s first term oruntil his replacement\'s confirmation by Congress. The following day, Bushnominated National Security Advisor Condoleezza Riceas Powell\'s successor. News of Powell\'s leaving the Administration spurredmixed reactions from politicians around the world— some upset at the lossof a statesman seen as a moderating factor within the Bush administration, butothers hoping for Powell\'s successor to wield more influence within thecabinet.

In mid-November, Powell stated that he had seen new evidence suggestingthat Iranwas adapting missiles for a nuclear delivery system.[59]The accusation came at the same time as the settlement of an agreement betweenIran, the IAEA, and the European Union.

On December 31, 2004, Powell rang in the New Year by pressing a button in Times Squarewith New York City Mayor Michael Bloombergto initiate the ball drop and 60 second countdown, ushering inthe year 2005. He appeared on the networks that were broadcasting New Year\'sEve specials and talked about this honor, as well as being a native of New YorkCity.[60]

Life after diplomatic service

After retiring from the role of Secretary of State, Powell returned toprivate life. In April 2005, he was privately telephoned by Republican senatorsLincolnChafee and Chuck Hagel,[61]at which time Powell expressed reservations and mixed reviews about thenomination of John R.Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations, but refrainedfrom advising the senators to oppose Bolton (Powell had clashed with Boltonduring Bush\'s first term).[62]The decision was viewed as potentially dealing significant damage to Bolton\'schances of confirmation. Bolton was put into the position via a recess appointment because of the strong opposition inthe Senate.

On April 28, 2005, an opinion piece in The Guardianby Sidney Blumenthal (a former top aide to President Bill Clinton)claimed that Powell was in fact \"conducting a campaign\" againstBolton because of the acrimonious battles they had had while working together,which among other things had resulted in Powell cutting Bolton out of talkswith Iran and Libyaafter complaints about Bolton\'s involvement from the British. Blumenthal addedthat \"The foreign relations committee has discovered that Bolton made ahighly unusual request and gained access to 10 intercepts by the National Security Agency. Staff members on thecommittee believe that Bolton was probably spying on Powell, his senioradvisors and other officials reporting to him on diplomatic initiatives thatBolton opposed.\"[63]

In July 2005, Powell joined Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers,a well-known SiliconValley venture capitalfirm, with the title of \"strategic limited partner.\"

In September 2005, Powell criticized the response to Hurricane Katrina.[64]Powell said that thousands of people were not properly protected, but becausethey were poor rather than because they were black.

On January 5, 2006, he participated in a meeting at the White Houseof former Secretaries of Defense and State to discuss United States foreignpolicy with Bush administration officials. In September 2006, Powell sided withmore moderate Senate Republicans in supporting more rights for detainees andopposing President Bush\'s terrorism bill. He backed Senators John Warner,John McCainand LindseyGraham in their statement that U.S. military andintelligence personnel in future wars will suffer for abuses committed in 2006by the U.S. in the name of fighting terrorism. Powell stated that \"Theworld is beginning to doubt the moral basis of [America\'s] fight againstterrorism.\"[65]

Also in 2006, Powell began appearing as a speaker at a series ofmotivational events called Get Motivated, along with former New YorkMayor RudyGiuliani. In his speeches for the tour, he openly criticizedthe Bush Administration on a number of issues. Powell has been the recipient ofmild criticism for his role with Get Motivated which has been called a\"get-rich-quick-without-much-effort, feel-good schemology.\"[66]

In 2007 he joined the Board of Directors of Steve Case\'snew company Revolution Health. Powell also serves on the Council on Foreign Relations Board of directors.[67]

Powell, in honor of Martin Luther King Day, dropped the ceremonialfirst puck at a New York Islanders ice hockeygame at Nassau Coliseum on January 21, 2008. OnNovember 11, 2008, Powell again dropped the puck in recognition of Military Appreciation Day and Veterans Day.[68][69]

Recently, Powell has encouraged young people to continue to use newtechnologies to their advantage in the future. In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studiesto a room of young professionals, he said, \"That\'s your generation...ageneration that is hard-wired digital, a generation that understands the powerof the information revolution and how it is transforming the world. A generationthat you represent, and you\'re coming together to share; to debate; to decide;to connect with each other.\"[70]At this event, he encouraged the next generation to involve themselvespolitically on the upcoming Next America Project, which uses online debate toprovide policy recommendations for the upcoming administration.

In 2008, Powell served as a spokesperson for National Mentoring Month, a campaign held eachJanuary to recruit volunteer mentors for at-risk youth.[71]

Soon after Barack Obama\'s2008 election, Powell began beingmentioned as a possible cabinet member.[72]He was not nominated.

In September 2009, Powell advised President Obama against surging USforces in Afghanistan.[73]The president announced the surge the following December.

On March 14, 2014, Salesforce.comannounced that Powell had joined its Board of Directors.[74]

Political views

A liberal Republican, Powell is well knownfor his willingness to support liberal or centrist causes.[75]He is pro-choiceregarding abortion, and in favor of \"reasonable\" gun control.[75]He stated in his autobiography that he supports affirmative action that levels the playing field,without giving a leg up to undeserving persons because of racial issues. Powellwas also instrumental in the 1993 implementation of the military\'s don\'t ask, don\'t tell policy,[75]though he later supported its repeal as proposed by Robert Gatesand Admiral Mike Mullenin January 2010, saying \"circumstances had changed\".[76]

The Vietnam War had a profound effect on Powell\'s views of the proper useof military force. These views are described in detail in the autobiography MyAmerican Journey. The Powell Doctrine,as the views became known, was a central component of U.S. policy in the Persian Gulf War(the first U.S. war in Iraq) and U.S. invasion of Afghanistan(the overthrow of the Talibanregime in Afghanistanfollowing the September 11 attacks). The hallmark of both operations wasstrong international cooperation, and the use of overwhelming military force.

Powell was the subject of controversy in 2004 when, in a conversation withBritish Foreign SecretaryJack Straw,he reportedly referred to neoconservativeswithin the Bush administration as \"fucking crazies.\"[77]In addition to being reported in the press (although the expletive wasgenerally censored in the U.S. press), the quotation was used by James Naughtiein his book, The Accidental American: Tony Blair and the Presidency, andby Chris Pattenin his book, Cousins and Strangers: America, Britain, and Europe in a NewCentury.

In a September 2006 letter to Sen. John McCain,General Powell expressed opposition to President Bush\'s push for military tribunals of those formerly andcurrently classified as enemy combatants.Specifically, he objected to the effort in Congress to \"redefine CommonArticle 3 of the Geneva Convention.\" He also asserted: \"The world isbeginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism.\"[78]

Powell endorsed President Obama in 2008 and again in 2012. When asked why heis still a Republican on Meet the Press he said, “I’m still a Republican. And Ithink the Republican Party needs me more than the Democratic Party needs me.And you can be a Republican and still feel strongly about issues such asimmigration, and improving our education system, and doing something about someof the social problems that exist in our society and our country. I don’t thinkthere’s anything inconsistent with this.” [79]

Views on the Iraq War

While Powell was wary of a military solution, he supported the decision toinvade Iraq after the Bush administration concluded that diplomatic efforts hadfailed. After his departure from the State Department, Powell repeatedly emphasizedhis continued support for American involvement in the Iraq War.

At the 2007 Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado,[80] Powell revealed that he hadspent two and a half hours explaining to President Bush \"the consequencesof going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers.\" During thisdiscussion, he insisted that the U.S. appeal to the United Nations first, butif diplomacy failed, he would support the invasion: \"I also had to say tohim that you are the President, you will have to make the ultimate judgment,and if the judgment is this isn\'t working and we don\'t think it is going tosolve the problem, then if military action is undertaken I\'m with you, Isupport you.\"[81]

In a 2008 interview on CNN,Powell reiterated his support for the 2003 decision to invade Iraq in the context of his endorsement of Barack Obama,stating: \"My role has been very, very straightforward. I wanted to avoid awar. The president [Bush] agreed with me. We tried to do that. We couldn\'t getit through the U.N. and when the president made the decision, I supported thatdecision. And I\'ve never blinked from that. I\'ve never said I didn\'t support adecision to go to war.\"[82]

Powell\'s position on the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 has been less clear. InDecember 2006, he expressed skepticism that the strategy would work and whetherthe U.S. military had enough troops to carry it out successfully. He stated:\"I am not persuaded that another surge of troops into Baghdad for thepurposes of suppressing this communitarian violence, this civil war, willwork.\"[83]Following his endorsement of Barack Obamain October 2008, however, Powell praised General David Petraeusand U.S. troops, as well as the Iraqi government, concluding that \"it\'sstarting to turn around.\"[82]By mid-2009, he had concluded a surge of U.S. forces in Iraq should have comesooner, perhaps in late 2003.[84]Throughout this period, Powell consistently argued that Iraqi politicalprogress was essential, not just military force.

Role in presidential election of 2008

Powell donated the maximum allowable amount to John McCain\'scampaign in the summer of 2007[85]and in early 2008, his name was listed as a possible running matefor Republican nominee McCain\'s offer during the 2008 U.S. presidential election.[86]However, on October 19, 2008, Powell announced his endorsement of Barack Obamaduring a Meet the Press interview, citing \"his abilityto inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he isreaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetoricalabilities,\" in addition to his \"style and substance.\" Headditionally referred to Obama as a \"transformational figure\".[87][88]Powell further questioned McCain\'s judgment in appointing Sarah Palinas the vice presidential candidate, stating that despite the fact that she isadmired, \"now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks,I don\'t believe she\'s ready to be president of the United States, which is thejob of the vice president.\" He said that Obama\'s choice forvice-president, Joe offeren,was ready to be president. He also added that he was \"troubled\" bythe \"false intimations that Obama was Muslim.\" Powell stated that\"[Obama] is a Christian— he\'s always been a Christian... But thereally right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being aMuslim in this country? The answer\'s no, that\'s not America.\" Powell thenmentioned Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, a Muslim American soldier in the U.S. Armywho served and died in the Iraq War. He later stated, \"Over the last sevenweeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower[...] I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they troubleme.\"[87][88]Powell concluded his Sunday morning talk show comments, \"Itisn\'t easy for me to disappoint Sen. McCain in the way that I have thismorning, and I regret that [...] I think we need a transformational figure. I think we need apresident who is a generational change and that\'s why I\'m supporting BarackObama, not out of any lack of respect or admiration for Sen. John McCain.\"[89]Later in a December 12, 2008, CNNinterview with FareedZakaria, Powell reiterated his belief that during the lastfew months of the campaign, Palin pushed the Republican party further to the rightand had a polarizing impact on it.[90]

Views on the Obama administration

In a July 2009 CNNinterview with John King, Powell expressed concern overPresident Obama growing the size of the federal government and the size of thefederal budget deficit.[91]In September 2010, he criticized the Obama administration for not focusing\"like a razor blade\" on the economy and job creation. Powellreiterated that Obama was a \"transformational figure.\"[92]In a video that aired on CNN.com in November 2011, Colin Powell said inreference to Barack Obama, \"many of his decisions have been quite sound.The financial system was put back on a stable basis.\"[93]

On October 25, 2012, 12 days before the presidential election, he gave hisendorsement to President Obama for re-election during a broadcast of CBS This Morning.He cited success and forward progress in foreign and domestic policy arenasunder the Obama Administration, and made the following statement: \"I votedfor him in 2008 and I plan to stick with him in 2012 and I\'ll be voting for he[sic]and for Vice President Joe offeren next month.\"

As additional reason for his endorsement, Powell cited the changingpositions and perceived lack of thoughtfulness of Mitt Romneyon foreign affairs, and a concern for the validity of Romney\'s economic plans.[94]

In an interview with ABC\'s Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos duringABC\'s coverage of President Obama\'s second inauguration, Powell criticizedmembers of the Republican Party who \"demonize[d] the president.\" Hecalled on GOP leaders to publicly denounce such talk.[95]

Views on LGBT issues

In late May 2012 he expressed support for the legalization of same-sex marriage.He had earlier supported the repeal of Don\'t Ask Don\'t Tell.[96]

Personal life

Powell married Alma Johnsonon August 25, 1962. Their son, Michael Powell, was the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission(FCC) from 2001 to 2005. His daughters are Linda Powell, an actress, andAnnemarie Powell. As a hobby, Powell restores old Volvo and Saab cars.[97][98]In 2013, he faced questions about a relationship with a Romaniandiplomat,after a hacked AOL email account had been madepublic. He acknowledged a \"very personal\" email relationship butdenied further involvement.[99][See Wikipedia article for footnote references.]

BIOGRAPHYOF MARY ROEBLING

I am aproud member of the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC), The EphemeraSociety of America, the Manuscript Society and the American Political ItemsCollectors (APIC) (member name: John Lissandrello). I subscribe to eachorganizations\' code of ethics and authenticity is guaranteed. ~Providingquality service and historical memorabilia online for over ten years.~

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