Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama, Why Isn't He a Democrat?

Seems like a fair question, tho I'd agree with John Sununu that it's because the former general shares the same race as Barry:

This week, Colin Powell, a retired four-star U.S. Army general perhaps best known for having served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, endorsed Barack Obama's bid for re-election during an interview with "CBS This Morning."

Given that Powell had enthusiastically endorsed Obama in 2008, his decision to back him yet again shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Yet Powell's endorsement of a Democratic candidate is seen as significant because he describes himself as "a Republican of a more moderate mold," who laments that GOP moderates are "something of a dying breed."

Powell expressed discontent with the Republican stance on climate change, immigration and education, and he seemed more comfortable with Obama's approach to achieving fiscal balance than Mitt Romney's. Powell is also, among other things, a defender of racial preferences in college admissions and abortion rights.

While it is certainly true that Powell's views were not uncommon among moderate and liberal Republicans of an earlier era, it is not entirely clear why he chooses not to identify as a Democrat or as a liberal-leaning independent. One assumes that Powell has some residual loyalty to the party of Nelson Rockefeller and Gerald Ford, which is, of course, fair enough.

But would American democracy be better and healthier if we had more Republicans such as Powell and more Democrats such as, say, former U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, the Georgia Democrat who famously endorsed President George W. Bush at the 2004 Republican National Convention?

RELATED: John Sununu On CNN: Obama’s Race May Have Influenced Colin Powell To Endorse Him

Barack Obama in 1998: "I Believe In Redistribution"

FOXNews.com:

A newly released audio recording purports to feature a young Barack Obama saying he believes in government "redistribution" -- a comment that Mitt Romney quickly seized on to claim his opponent thinks "the government should take from some to give to the others." 

The tape, posted on YouTube, was a throwback to the web video that emerged in 2008 showing Obama telling "Joe the Plumber" he wants to "spread the wealth around." 

This recording purportedly was from a 1998 conference at Loyola University. In it, the young Obama tells the audience he believes there has been "a propaganda campaign against the possibility of government action and its efficacy." 

"I think that what we're going to have to do is somehow resuscitate the notion that government action can be effective at all," Obama says. "I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution -- because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody's got a shot." 

The broader context of the talk is unclear. But Romney, who on Tuesday faced criticism about some of his own comments in a secretly recorded video, pointed to the Obama recording in arguing that he and his opponent have sharply different views on government. 

Romney said there's a "great divide" in the country. 

 "I know some believe the government should take from some to give to the others," he told Fox News. "I think the president makes it clear in the tape that was released today that that's what he believes. I think that's an entirely foreign concept." 

Romney, for his part, has endured a wave of criticism from Democrats over a video showing him speaking at a private fundraiser back in May. In the video, Romney could be heard saying the 47 percent of people who don't pay federal income tax "believe they are victims" and will support Obama "no matter what." 

Romney defended his comments in the interview with Fox News on Tuesday -- and then cited the Obama recording to underscore his point that he and the president come at the job with two entirely different philosophies. 

"Frankly, we have two very different views about America," Romney said. "The president's view is one of a larger government. There's a tape that just came out today (with) the president saying he likes redistribution. I disagree. 

RELATED: Andrea Mitchell And John Sununu Battle Over Romney’s 47% Comments, Obama’s Class Warfare

Liberal Writer Richard Cohen: Harry Reid is Exactly What’s Wrong with Washington

WaPo.com:

In “The Godfather Part II,” a senator from Nevada is portrayed as corrupt. His name is Pat Geary. In real life, a senator from Nevada is a jerk. His name is Harry Reid.

Reid is where he loves to be: the center of controversy. He has accused Mitt Romney of paying no taxes for 10 years. Romney denies the accusation and challenged Reid to put up or shut up. In an apparent response, Reid repeated the charges on the Senate floor. Countless aides have echoed their boss. They and he attribute their information to a source they will not name.

Whether such a source exists, really, is beside the point. It could be that someone did indeed tell Reid that Romney paid no taxes for 10 years. Journalists get that sort of tip all the time, and their responsibility is (1) to check it out and (2) identify the source. Reid has not done the latter and apparently has not done the former, either. The truth is that Reid doesn’t really care if the charge is true or not. He would prefer the former, but he’ll settle for the latter.

 For Reid, this is yet another brazen and tasteless partisan attack. As majority leader, he has managed to sink the public image of the Senate even lower than it would otherwise be. He contributes to bad feelings, gridlock and the sense — nay, the reality — that everything is done for political advantage. Reid is a crass man, the very personification of the gaudy and kitschy Las Vegas Strip.

Still, he is not some backbencher, but the Senate majority leader. He is the face of the Democratic Party in the Senate and the ally of President Obama. Yet, not a single Democrat has had the spine to rebuke Reid. 

The White House has been given the chance and explicitly ducked its duty. Other members of the Senate have run for cover. They fear Reid and, if truth be told, sort of like what he’s doing — constantly needling Romney, keeping him on the defensive about taxes and his insistence on releasing only two years of his returns.

The politics of this squabble are delightful. But Reid has managed to draw both his party and his president into the gutter with him. When Reid accuses the Republicans of being overly partisan, he now lacks all credibility. For a long time it’s been difficult to believe anything he says. Now, it’s impossible.

As for Obama, he is tarnished by this episode. The fresh new face that promised us all a different kind of politics is suddenly looking cheesy. The soaring rhetoric that Obama used in his first campaign has come to ground in the mud of Harry Reid’s latter-day McCarthyism.

Channeled anger and staying on connecting Reid's smear to Obama (who hasn't shown any interest in denouncing Reid) is how conservatives and the Romney campaign should respond here. Yet, it still says a lot when a prominent liberal writer comes out and not only says he doesn't have Harry Reid's back, but that the Senate Majority leader is a lying prick as well.

RELATED: John Sununu: Barack Obama behind Harry Reid’s claim

John Sununu Takes Down Obamabot Soledad O’Brien Over Using Donald Trump 'Birtherism' Card: ‘Why Is CNN So Fixated On This?’

Mediaite.com:

Following a contentious opening segment on CNN’s Starting Point on Wednesday, former New Hampshire Governor and Romney surrogate John Sununu clashed with Soledad O’Brien over CNN’s Donald Trump coverage.


“Why the birther thing?” O’Brien questioned Sununu. “I don’t know,” Sununu shot back. “Why is CNN so fixated on this? Why don’t we talk about the jobs issue in this country?”


“Sure and we’ll get to that in a moment but let’s start with this,” O’Brien pressed.


“It’s CNN that wants to bring it up. I don’t want to bring it up. Mitt Romney made it clear that he believes that President Obama was born in the U.S. You had Donald Trump on last night. And now you are asking the question this morning. It’s CNN’s fixation,” Sununu responded sharply.


“You don’t think it’s a valid question of someone posing as a supporter/surrogate?” O’Brien countered.


“He’s a high level big funder. He’s talking about millions of dollars he’s thinking of donating. You don’t think it’s a big deal that person talks about the fact that the President of the United States is not a citizen of the country?”


“I think it’s equivalent an issue as Bill Maher, who gave a million dollars to President Obama talking with such a foul mouth about women,” Sununu explained. “But you can’t pick your supporters in this country.


The fact is that this country has a jobs problem and supporters of the President like CNN keep wanting to talk about other issues.”


O’Brien doggedly stuck to peppering Governor Sununu with questions relating to birtherism.


“Come on, let’s talk jobs,” Sununu said.


“Is that because you don’t want to talk about the fact that a major fund-raiser is a birther?” O’Brien asked.


“It’s not an issue,” Sununu argued. “There is nobody in the Romney campaign that believes that the president was not born in the United States.”


“So then how come someone doesn’t say, Donald Trump is wrong?” O’Brien pressed.


“Donald Trump is wrong,” Sununu acknowledged. “The President was born in the United States.”


“That may be the first time,” O’Brien grinned.


“No it isn’t, ma’am,” Sununu snapped. “It’s just because you don’t read enough.”

RELATED:  O’Reilly And Panel Clash Over Legitimacy Of Soledad O’Brien Asking About The ‘Stupid Birth Certificate’