Update: It's official. See 20 other recent diaries above this one.
Today, in a landmark appearance on Meet the Press, Powell was widely speculated to be endorsing Barack Obama. According to the UK Telegraph, aides close to Powell have tipped his hand:
A friend and ex-aide said that Gen Powell was extremely "upset" by the "vitriol, bile and prejudice" aimed at Mr Obama on the campaign trail.
"We've talked about this and I know it really bothers him and I'd expect him to talk about it," Col Lawrence Wilkerson, his former chief of staff, told The Telegraph.
The Telegraph also reports:
Colin Powell, the former secretary of state once tipped to be the first black US president, is expected to denounce "ugly" personal attacks on Barack Obama and may endorse the Democrat for the nation's top job.
Here's a preview of the inevitable and predictably inane GOP talking points, which have likely already been prepared for Tucker Bounds et al.:
- The General began his political career in the backyard of 9-11 co-conspirator SADDAM HUSSEIN
- {INSERT RACIST DOG WHISTLE HERE}
- You can have your highly-decorated, universally respected General; we have Joe the Plumber
- Steve Schmidt is going to kick your ass
- Colin Powell doesn't represent "Real America"
- Colin Powell is a socialist
- Colin Powell is a card carrying member of the Georgetown Cocktail Crowd and was always in the tank for Obama
- Who is the real Colin Powell?
- POW-ell!
- Colin Powell would rather opportunistically help save America than rescue our flailing campaign