Colin Powell is denying reports that he is on the verge of endorsing Barack Obama for President:
Former secretary of State Colin Powell, responding to a burst of speculation that he would endorse Barack Obama, said he would absolutely not be attending the Democratic National Convention in Denver and has not decided which candidate he supports.
“I am not attending either political convention,” Powell wrote in an e-mail. “As I have said for some time, I know both candidates and I am studying their positions and statements. I have not decided who I will vote for.”
The statement is sure to continue stoking speculation that Powell may some day endorse Obama, but it throws cold water on an assertion made by conservative commentator Bill Kristol that the deed was done.
And Kristol wasn’t the only one who jumped on that story yesterday, former Carter NSC Advisor Zbigniew Brezinski said pretty much the same thing:
Former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski tells the Huffington Post that he “expects” Gen. Colin Powell to endorse Barack Obama for president.
Late Wednesday afternoon, the political world skipped a heartbeat when Fox pundit and eminent neoconservative Bill Kristol predicted that former Gen. Colin Powell would endorse Barack Obama, and even potentially speak at the Democratic National Convention.
In response to an emailed question, Brzezinski agreed with Kristol about the endorsement, writing simply: “I sort of expect he [Powell] will.”
Though he worked for President Carter, Brzezinski keeps close relations with the “realist” camp of Republican foreign policy heavyweights like Bush 41 adviser Brent Scowcroft, who also worked with Powell. The Huffington Post reported earlier that Scowcroft has decided to stay neutral in the presidential race instead of taking the more expected route and explicitly backing McCain.
Of course, staying neutral is as much as slap at McCain as endorsing Obama would be, if not more so.
