Friend Says Powell Uneasy With Ideologues

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Colin Powell feels uneasy about being the house pragmatist in an administration dominated by ideologues, a close friend says.

"This is, in many ways, the most ideological administration Powell's ever had to work for," says Harlan Ullman. "Not only is it very ideological, but they have a vision. And I think Powell is inherently uncomfortable with grand visions like that. ... There's an ideological core to Bush, and I think it's hard for Powell to penetrate that."

The quote is from the upcoming issue of Gentleman's Quarterly magazine. Reached by telephone in Bermuda on Tuesday, Ullman confirmed he had made the comment.

He said that he and Powell are in frequent contact and that Powell authorized him to cooperate with the magazine. Powell was once a student of Ullman's at the National War College.

Asked about the article Tuesday night, Powell did not deal with the assertions that he was unhappy with his working conditions. "I don't feel like a casualty," Powell said on CNN's "Larry King Live," referring to the article's title, "Casualty of War."

(snip)

"The trade-off was `Go to the U.N., go to Congress, slow this thing down; it's not going to be regime change, it's going to be weapons of mass destruction.' And for that, Powell stayed a loyal member of the administration," Ullman said.

more…
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-powell-ideologues,0,3556766.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

1. Powell is the new McNamara...

...he knows its wrong, but he goes along anyway. Loyal to a fault.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. There are days I wonder

and after reading the LONG article on GQ whether I am on to something... Powell is still living the soldier's code and
TRYING and even SUCCEEDING in slowing them down...

But by the nature of what is going on, he CANNOT come out in the
open.

I have had the feeling for a long time, and articles like this one
reinforce it, that we have a virtual civil war inside the government.

If I am correct, you and I will not really know for fifty years.

If I am correct when a lot of this shit is finally declassed, the
country may, or may not, find out how much they may or may not owe
Powell... and I do hope to be alive when this starts to be declassed... call it curiosity.

[FlemingsGhost]

3. Nonsense! Powell has been a Bush lackey since #41.

It's not going to work, Colin. If it's simply matter loyalty, go down with the Buship. Make sure your boy is with you...

[porkrind]

4. I have no sympathy for Powell's inner conflicts.

He willingly lied to start a war. He repeatedly lies for the * administration even though he knows thousands will die.

He is evil. :puke:

---

Read about the Right-Wing "Master Plan": http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/sam/sam-contents.html

Have you read "War is a Racket"?: http://lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm

[AlGore-08.com]

5. Or maybe he's just an oportunistic jerk

Who didn't care how many ideologues he worked for as long as it benefitted him, but starts leaking all this "Gosh, it's so hard to be the only one around here who's not a fascist" bs as soon as it looks like somebody's going to take the fall for the fustercluck that is Iraq.

If Powell really and truly feels uncomfortable around ideologues, he never would have stumped for Smirk in 2000, let alone agree to be on his cabinet. Powell knew what kind of a clambake he was attending from the get go.

[Tellurian]

6. Bush eyeing Powell as Bremer's replacement?...

This alone would be reason enough for Powell to make an Exodus!

Op Ed piece:

This would be the time for President Bush to ask Mr. Powell to accept the toughest assignment of his career. Someone of extraordinary ability needs to be in charge in Iraq.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Powell has been sucking neocon cock for four years

and just now he is starting to feel "uneasy"?

That's like having sex in the same bordello for years before realizing that the "love" was bought and paid for.

[FlemingsGhost]

8. Harlan Ullman? Architect of "Shock and Awe" Harlan Ullman?

Nice "friend" Powell has:

http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=Harlan+Ullman+%2B+Bush&page=1&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3D908a37c95a79bc59%26clickedItemRank%3D5%26userQuery%3DHarlan%2BUllman%2B%252B%2BBush%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Flists.indymedia.org%252Fpipermail%252Fimc-rm-announce%252F2003-March%252F000091.html%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSCPTop%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Flists.indymedia.org%2Fpipermail%2Fimc-rm-announce%2F2003-March%2F000091.html

[Voltaire99]

12. Ullman and Powell: two mass murderers with much in common. (n/t)

[despairing optimist]

9. Why start now? Have the drugs worn off?

He had a golden opportunity to do something meaningful two summers ago and resign in protest over the coming invasion of Iraq. He would now be regarded by the Repub mainstream as a true leader, a hero, and a savior from the disaster that will ensue for them if not this year then soon afterward. Instead he chose to keep on carrying the neocons' water jugs and playing the game he's played at least since Vietnam days. Is it to protect his son's career and future? It can't be to vindicate his name for posterity. Nor can it be for about 98 percent of the rest of us here and now.

When we needed a leader, we got a follower. When we needed a secretary of state, we got a warmaker. When we needed integrity and decency, we got, among too many others in high office, Colin Powell.

[natrat]

10. seems like he has a concience and struggles with the lies but

his son is a full on whore

[Just Me]

11. Too bad he FAILS to DEFINE that IMPERIALISTIC "vision",...

,...and, NO ONE seems to be courageous enough to LAY that shit on our people, including all the assumptions and judgments that such arrogant pursuits must include.

Hmmpff.

This need not be.

[0007]

13. Harry Belafonte tried to tell Powell, but Powell wouldn't listen

Stack up or back up, the clock is running out on 'ya baby!!

[cliss]

14. So why in the hell did he go along with it?

Colon Bowel knew all these people before he got in bed with them. The man's a career military man, for God's sake. He didn't HAVE to take the job. He must absolutely have known that he would have to sacrifice his "principles", his "honor" and to lie, lie lie 24 hours a day.

He could have waited until this administration was blown out. As it is now, his own reputation is shot because of all the lying.

He's tainted now.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

19. He's probably thought: "They'll use me, but I can change from within."

This is the rationalization that many who become complicit with crimes think.

"Sure they'll take me in to use as a human credential, but I will have the power to make a difference once I am inside. And others will be inspired by the mere fact that I am on the inside so that justifies my being here."

I work with an African-American singer who has sung at the White House for W. He told me this same thing. "Just the fact that a black man is able to go to the White House as an invited artist is a major step forward and I want to inspire others."

I'm starting to think this guy I work with just wants the big fat check and is rationalizing making himself a human credential for fascism. It's a difficult ethical dilemma-stay outside and be anonymous or go inside and accept complicity?

I think Colin anguishes but makes the wrong choice to hang in there, kinda like investing troops in Vietnam. "Just a little more and I can win this thing."

[daleo]

15. Powell and Blair were instrumental in getting support for the war

Sure, Bushco/PNAC would have probably went ahead no matter what, but it was the reasonable faces and eloquent speeches of Powell and Blair that brought the fence sitters on board long enough for shock and awe and all the rest of it, in the early days. I can remember in the pre-war protest days "but Powell and Blair are for it" argument being used plenty.

Powell is in the blood and muck up to his chest, and so is Blair. Their doubts now are as phony as McNamara's.

[The_Casual_Observer]

16. Does he regret the UN speech "pinch" of anthrax between his

cheek & gum?

[Blasphemer]

17. The House "Pragmatist"

Well, I guess that's a new word for it. "Powell's position is that he serves at the pleasure of the president". :puke:

[burrowowl]

18. Then why does

Powell enable them?