Drudge bomb..Powell out if Bush wins re-election

[Dagaz]

It's on radio and I think he just said that it will be in tomorrow's Wash Post. Says thathe wil announce his resignation date as the inauguration date in Jan.

[WheresWaldo]

1. I always liked Powell

He seemed to have some integrity and tried his best to play dove in a cabinet filled with hawks.

[LifeDuringWartime]

2. what about when he lied to the United Nations...

about the horrible quantities of chemical weapons?

[are_we_united_yet]

4. I agree

Howver I noticed a digital change in Powell's behavior. He used to be a dove and then suddenly it was as though he was read the riot act. I thought his UN speech was quite a low point for him.

[The Night Owl]

35. Regardless of what we Democrats think of Powell...

The fact of the matter is that Powell was and is, for many Americans, Bush's life line to credibility. Without Powell, the house of cards that PNAC has so deftly built will fall apart.

In the past, I have been cynical about the prospect of the American people sending Bush packing, but with Powell gone, I have hope.

[study_war_no_more]

15. They burnt bodies on the beach during panama invasion

to keep the civilian body count down. Oh then there was that little party at My lai in Vietnam. Integrity my ass!!!

[Zhade]

27. Woah.

Do you have some more on this body-burning? I'm not doubting, just want to know more.

[cyr330]

33. a shame

It's a damned shame that Powell turned out to be nothing but a lying Uncle Tom, apologizing for the Bush Admin. and being its lackey.

[THUNDER HANDS]

54. a lying uncle tom?

That was a bit uncalled for.

[Uzybone]

61. Harsh but true

He knew he had a dossier full of lies in his hand when he went before the UN. But he still did it. I have no respect for Powell at all. He should leave now, heck yesterday if he had any dignity.

[CatWoman]

3. who gives a shit?

If he had any sense of dignity, he'd resign now.

[are_we_united_yet]

5. Yes

I think he should as well.

[mazzarro]

9. My sentiment too!

Powell or Bowell - who gives a damn whether he stays, go or went! He is part and parcel of same gang of neo-cons only difference is his seductive ways of presenting himself and views.

[mndemocrat_29]

6. This won't help Bush

Though I was never fond of Powell, I think that a lot of people liked Bush for having him in his cabinet. Without him, people will picture Bush's cabinet as being Ashcroft, Rumsfield, and Cheney.

[BlueState]

7. Here's the link to the Washington Post article

State Dept. Changes Seen if Bush Reelected

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and his deputy, Richard L. Armitage, have signaled to the White House that they intend to step down even if President Bush is reelected, setting the stage for a substantial reshaping of the administration's national security team that has remained unchanged through the September 2001 terrorist attacks, two wars and numerous other crises.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A16856-2003Aug3?language=printer

[Minstrel Boy]

11. Powell's resignation's overdue. I'm more surprised

that Armitage would step down as well. That old Iran-Contra bad boy struck me as someone who was thriving in the gangster mileu of Bush Co.

[IndianaGreen]

39. Come on, Powell is a liar and a war criminal! Good riddance!

Rice and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz are the leading candidates to replace Powell, according to sources inside and outside the administration.

Let's drop any pretense that this is a PNAC/Opus Dei government, and let all the Fascists rise to their highest level of incompetence.

With Wolfowitz at State and Rumsfeld still at the Pentagon, I have no illusions what they are planning for the next four years: More wars, and more deaths and destruction.

It is news like this that make me wonder how hard will it be to not voted for Lieberman were he the Democratic nominee. These people make the worst candidate look like a saint!

[GalleryGod]

49. He's Lucky He's Not at Ft. Leavenworth !

Vietnam,Desert Bush I and Dubya' Dubya' 2 Ha!:puke: A career coverdd in lying and deceit!:mad:
Now, you'll be a Republican for Life! Wash their blood off your hands!:nopity:

[WheresWaldo]

48. I agree

armitage is much more of a surprise. He'll probably go back to the private sector and his "Armitage Associates LC". maybe he'll get on board "carlyle".

[Frances]

16. Go to the link and look at Powell's picture

He looks REALLY unhappy.

Also read the article and then put aside all disagreements about the Democratic candidates and vote for Anyone But Bush.

Truly, this article plus the article about all the generals being forced to retire says to me that Bush is planning to completely change our government from a democracy to something I won't name.

[DagmarK]

8. I guess Powell wouldn't want to compromise THE election.......

This makes him worse than I ever imagined.

He will play ball long enough to help keep Bush in power.

God forbid he do the right thing -- exit the state dept NOW while they are screwing his ass to the wall. Noooooo, he will serve the MASTER till the last minute.

Despicable!

[ant]

14. to be fair

Whether he resigns now or later doesn't really matter - the fact that people know he's leaving will have the same effect, whatever it might be, on the election. In fact, if he were to leave now W would pick someone new and the issue would be dead by 04. If someone new doesn't need to be picked until 04 that means it's likely to at least come up during the campaign. Given that Powell did "moderate" W his resignation could hurt the boy with independents, and the resignation will be news when it matters most.

Personally, I get a good feeling from Powell, but he does have a loyal soldier complex that seems to lead him astray. Like Blair, I think he means well and is trying his best to temper this nut job admin. That doesn't excuse what they've done, but at least I understand them better.

[ewagner]

37. You are right on

announcement of the January 2005 departure has the same effect as leaving now. Powell will obviously be questined about this and it will be interesting to see him "bob and weave" his way around it.

[The Night Owl]

40. Actually, I think you have it backwards...

If Powell truly wanted to help Bush get reelected, he would have waited until after the elections to announce his departure from the administration. The fact that he is announcing his departure now sends a clear signal that he wants no part of the Bush empire.

[xray s]

10. I am not so sure how this will play out

A lot of midddle of the road types like the way Powell balances the extremist fringe in the DOD. If Powell is out, and he is stating that already, it will become an issue in the election.

I do not think Rove likes the timing of this one.

[Dagaz]

13. I agree

Powell is a moderate who would be welcome by most on either side to work in their administration. Maybe not a Dean administration but almost anyone else. Drudge now says that the leding candidate will be Wolfowitz so for all those who say who cares? I say I do.

[study_war_no_more]

18. Wolfowitz is quite possibly the most dangerous man alive.

This man truly scares the shit out of me.

[PartyPooper]

41. Richard Perle is his evil twin!

They're both equally despicable and frightening!

:scared:

[thebigidea]

46. scary? oh... MAYBE.

as Sec of State - fsnfksnfksenfoppop - there go my synapses...

Wolfowitz brokering the Mid-East "peace process" would be incredibly amusing for about 3 seconds before the urge to cry arrived.

[msanger]

22. why not a dean administration

Do you think dean has something against ex-military, or is it because he is black?

[Dagaz]

30. Dean is isolationist

Dean hates intervention in other countries and can't seem to see Al Quaida as a threat. I don't think he would want anyone who would recommend deploying troops anywhere.

[short bus president]

31. "can't seem to see Al Quaida as a threat?"

would you care to offer any support for that statement?

[indictrichardperle]

32. yea sure

anyone who isnt all for sending 19 yo old american kids into Syria, Iran , Lebanon and NK is an "isolationist" BULLSHIT

PNAC chickenhawk garbage. Funny, Kristol, Wolfowitz, Feith and Perle dodged military service.

[Stephanie]

25. Wolfowitz. PNAC is consolidating their control before Dick drops dead

of a fifth heart attack.

[indictrichardperle]

29. thats a good point

Powell may have been fired by Bunker Dick and the neo-cons. It wasnt long ago Gingrich read a prepared neo-con statement condemning the State Dept.

Why not make Richard Perle the Deputy Defense sec if Wolfowitz is named Sec of State ?

[Stephanie]

43. Aw, go for it,. Make Perle the new VP.

Just be sure to stock the Naval Observatory with some fava beans and a nice Chianti

[asjr]

12. Powell

This makes me believe Powell doesn't think GW will win the next election.

[dwillison]

17. If thatt were the case wouldn't the smart thing be to resign

before the loss?

[asjr]

23. Powell

If I were Powell I would resign now, but maybe waiting would be sort of like a sword hanging over GW's head. I really don't know but it was the first thing I thought of. Maybe my tinfoil hat was on backwards.

[indictrichardperle]

19. Wolfowitz leading the State Dept ?

people with draft aged children should be very concerned.

This country is heading in a very frightening direction. Save us Howard.

[ze_dscherman]

47. Or else CIA director

Makes me quite happy NOT to live in the U.S., but it would be a nightmare to the whole world.

This WP article is really scaring me - Bush MUST NOT become re-elected.

[Frances]

20. I don't agree

I think that Powell knows he will be forced out after the election if Bush wins and he wants to spare himself that humiliation.

[dwillison]

21. To be fair, Powell resignation will make the nuts on the far

right and the far left happy.

[liberalmuse]

24. Isn't this old news?

There was an article out over a year ago that suggested Powell wouldn't return if Bush were elected for the 1st time.

On edit: Link http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,346150,00.html

[Democat]

26. Maybe Powell will be fleeing to Canada too

Like half of the people on DU. :)

[sonias]

28. bowell has blood on his hands

And he should just bow out now. History and humanity will not judge him any kinder for not admitting his part in the lying march to war.
Good riddance to him. And take your kid over at the FCC with you.

Sonia

[liberalnurse]

34. He has to leave anyways

when Dean take office....Dah.....

[knight_of_the_star]

36. It's true

Got a popup from MSNBC on the same subject.

[knight_of_the_star]

38. Maybe he was pushed out

The picture they had on MSNBC showed him and his Dep looking pretty sullen. I think that their resignation was forced. It is coming at about the same time as the restructuring of the armed forces, so it fits for a restructuring of government in realtion to foreign policy and the military.

[feistydem]

42. Powell and Armitage want out before the press fully wakes up and

the serious inquisitions begin. They both know that the whole WMD house of cards is shaky and could get very ugly for the bushies when it tumbles down (oh please, oh please). Since it is very clear that "W" shifts blame so ruthlessly, its probably better to get out while the gettin's good.

Just ask Karen, Christine, Ari...

The rats are abondoning a sinking ship!

[Stephanie]

44. Welcome to DU, feistydem!

I hope you're right.

[feistydem]

45. Powell and Armitage want out before the press fully wakes up and

the serious inquisitions begin. They both know that the whole WMD house of cards is shaky and could get very ugly for the bushies when it tumbles down (oh please, oh please). Since it is very clear that "W" shifts blame so ruthlessly, its probably better to get out while the gettin's good.

Just ask Karen, Christine, Ari...

The rats are abandoning a sinking ship!

[tlb]

50. The WP's series of predictions of Powell's resignation

was really getting old. They seemed to run the same " leak " almost on a monthly basis. Still, this one finally sounds about right.

I always assumed that if there was a second Bush term Powell would depart. Most two term administrations have that sort of turnover. I think we would see Rumsfield's and Tenet's departure also, not Cheney though.

Since to fulfill this scenerio Powell remains in office for another year and a half, I don't see this as a Powell slap at Bush, just normal cabinet attrition. I doubt it will make any difference in the 04 election.

When Powell took the job in the first place I thought it was merely to burnish his civilian credentials prior to running for president. Much the same way as Ike at Columbia University after his retirement from the army. This I no longer believe. It will be interesting to see where Powell goes next, corporate or academia.

[Bake]

51. CNN keeps saying

that it's NOT because of "any policy differences with the Bush Administration." Which means, of course, that it WAS because of policy differences with BushCo. What they're not saying is, who instigated it, Smirk or Powell.

Bake

[Wonder]

52. why do I feel this would come as a relief to Powell

sometimes I watch his face when he speaks, and it looks to me he has frequent bouts with heartburn.

[Snellius]

53. This is a slap in the face to the Boss Man

Why couldn't he keep his promise to his wife and still announce his resignation after the election? Why did he wait until just after the Bush goes on vacation? He knows this will make it harder to convince moderates in the election. Now he's a lame duck, with little effective authority, and who's going to replace him? Wolfie or Connie, who are already under a cloud? What a fine mess! It looks like the administration is falling apart.

[VolcanoJen]

55. Kick!

:dem:

[silverchair]

56. good for him...

if i were working under the bush regime, i would leave ASAP.

[BiggJawn]

57. Finally got a Colon full, Colin?

Why not leave now, avoid the rush.
Might go easier at your trial if you can show remorse by bailing out now....even though you should've left while people still considered you the only "adult" in that play-group....

[jmcgowanjm]

58. NewsFlash:HandtoHand combat reported in WH

WH Intern: "OMG, there's blood and bodies all over the place.
I think I heard someone, Rumsfeld maybe, saying 'I'm in
charge now." No, Don't quote me on that."

[noonwitch]

59. He must not be able to take the lying any more

I guess everyone has their limit.

[oasis]

60. The press is being set up. "Powell will stay" will be the 2004 story.

Rove, you sly devil.

[Robbien]

62. Isn't Drudge the place where the WH leaks stories?

Why would they want to leak something like this? It does not put the WH in a good light.