Here's what we know. The Bush administration was framed by Valerie Plame, the upper CIA, and the mainstream media, with the active connivance of Richard Armitage, who is well known as Colin Powell's best friend. Armitage has now been outed, after three years of Wilson—Plame smears against the administration going without an effective answer, and the VP's chief of staff under indictment.

We also know that Colin Powell's "right hand man," Col. Larry Wilkerson (ret.) went on a public rampage against the Bush administration, following other foreign policy retreads from Clinton I, such  as Richard Clarke, the egregious Joe Wilson and Sandy Burglar.

We know that Colin Powell is worshipped by the media, and that he was in fact fired by Bush, along with his loyal friends Dick Armitage and Larry Wilkerson. The media have been filled with malevolent attacks on George W. Bush for six years, not hesitating to undermine and sabotage his foreign policy in the most flagrant and unprecedented way. Today's troubles in Iraq and Iran are due at least in part to the fact that terrorists and tyrants need no propaganda apparatus of their own: The New York Times and Washington Post will do it for them. Propaganda is the lifeblood of terrorism, and the media have been feeding our enemies what they need most.

Is is too much to speculate that Colin Powell is looking for a job in the Hillary administration,  either as SecDef, or more likely, as Veep? A Hillary—Colin ticket would run strongly in the media, the first resort of a Washington—centric establishment. It would mobilize the black vote, which is showing worrying signs of doubt about the great benevolence of the Democrats. It would bring out liberal women, and the larger sucker vote. Powell may not be the most vigorous candidate, but it wouldn't matter. The media would cover for him.

It's a speculation, but it fits a lot of facts. The logical GOP counter—move is to run Rudy Giuliani and Condi Rice. But that's only a dream ticket, and Dr. Rice may be (understandably) disinclined  to get into the Washington cesspit. The real worry is that Colin Powell has long shown poor judgment in foreign policy matters. In Gulf War I he was vehemently against the US liberation of Kuwait. If Powell had won the argument Saddam Hussein would now own Kuwait and Iraq, and be a viable threat to Saudi Arabian oil. A cynic might argue that the Iranians would then have a natural enemy in Iraq, but that would only make for two nuclear arms races among terror—supporting tyrannies in the Middle East. Now we have "only" one.

For Republicans, the Powell gang has burned its bridges. It can never be trusted again. There is therefore only one option, if Powell and his clique want another chance at the power they so crave: the Democrats.

James Lewis   9 05 06