Powell's Endorsement of Obama

This wasn't any kind of surprise, it's been bandied about for weeks. I wasn't particularly moved either way. When I heard it as a news bulletin this morning, my first thought was that he certainly had taken his time about it.

I was prepared to accept all kinds of explanations. McCain's age. Obama's representing some nebulous "hope & change". What I said to my father at breakfast was "Well I think he's voting his heart."

So on my way home tonight from the party I caught "Meet The Press" and was completely rocked!

I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?

His tipping point is some imaginary slight? How disappointing. To say that McCain has tolerated, even once, someone official in his campaign or his party's leadership for Sen. Obama to be incorrectly labeled as "Muslim" or for it to be inferred that if he were, that would be a disqualifier......is complete and utter bullshit.

Now let me be clear here. Read what I am saying carefully before you comment. I have messed up my drug regime and I am in no fucking mood to have my words twisted.

There are people who have falsely labelled Sen. Obama as a Muslim. There are people who have said outright that would be a disqualifier. Which is, of course, ridiculous on both fronts. I have disabused people of those notions at every opportunity, online and in person.

Those people are young and old. They are black and white. They are Democrats and Republicans and Independents.

What they are *not* is officially part of McCain's campaign. What they are *not* are Republican party officials.

If you want to make McCain responsible for random people at rallies and town halls, then you make Obama responsible for the classless, tasteless idiots who wore the "Palin is a C**t" t-shirts. Otherwise I don't want to hear one word on the subject.

If you want to make McCain responsible for right wing talk radio, bloggers, etc, than you make Obama responsible for Randi Rhodes, Sandra Bernhart and Janeanne Garofolo.

Of all the reasons that would have been acceptable, that was the last I would have expected.