最新消息， Colin L. Powell公开支持奥巴马，意味麦凯恩的 The beginning of the end? ！

不出所料

(见"2 个 4 星上将，相似的experience，不同的judgement ，都当不了总统，都会支持奥巴马？")，美国黑人中在政府与军界任职最高的鲍威尔在NBC 的“ Meet the Press”节目中，正式公开宣布支持奥巴马成为美国总统。

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27265490#27265490

October 19, 2008, 9:21 AM

Powell Endorses Obama

By JEFF ZELENY

Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell on Sunday endorsed the presidential candidacy of Senator Barack Obama, calling him a “transformational figure” who has displayed ǒa steadinessō during his race against Senator John McCain.

“

He has both style and substance,ō Mr. Powell said, speaking on NBC‘s “ Meet the Press.”He added, “Obama has displayed a steadiness; showed intellectual vigor. He has a definitive way of doing business that will do us well.”

While Mr. Powell and Mr. Obama have spoken occasionally, including a face-to-face meeting earlier this year, the endorsement caught the Democratic presidential nominee by surprise. Aides to Mr. Obama said they did not know about the endorsement before the television interview on Sunday morning.

Mr. Powell, a Republican and a retired U.S. general, also questioned Mr. McCainós decision to choose Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as the partyós vice presidential candidate. Mr. Powell said he did not believe Ms. Palin was ready to become president.

In the appearance on “Meet the Press,”Mr. Powell also said he was disappointed by the McCain campaignós decision to seek to tie Mr. Obama to William Ayers, who four decades ago was a domestic terrorist who violently protested the Vietnam War.

In offering his endorsement, Mr. Powell becomes the highest profile Republican to add his support to the Democratic ticket. Aides said it was not yet known whether the two men would campaign together ǔ or what Mr. Powell would do alone ǔ in the final two weeks of the presidential campaign.

Those talks, aides said, were underway on Sunday.

Mr. Powell answered reportersó questions outside NBCós Washington bureau after taping ǒMeet the Pressō:

“

I think that Senator Obama brings a fresh set of eyes, fresh set of ideas to the table. I think that Senator McCain, as gifted as he is, is essentially going to execute the Republican agenda, the orthodoxy of the Republican agenda with a new face and a maverick approach to it, and heód be quite good at it, but I think we need more than that.”

Mr. Powell told the reporters outside the studio that he still considers himself a Republican, despite his decision to vote for Mr. Obama, but he said the tone of the McCain campaign troubled him.

“

We have two wars. We have economic problems. We have health problems. We have education problems. We have infrastructure problems. We have problems around the world with out allies,ō he said. ǒAnd so those are the problems the American people want to hear about, not about Mr. Ayers, not about who is a Muslim and who is not a Muslim.”

Mr. McCain was asked about Mr. Powell’s endorsement during an interview on Fox News Sunday.

“

I have always admired and respected General Powell,ō Mr. McCain said. ǒWe have a respectful disagreement.”

More to Come

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/powell-endorses-obama/?hp