Published on 10/20/2008

General Colin Powell endorsed Senator Barack Obama for the presidency. In his endorsement, Powell not only talked about Obama's qualifications to be an 'extraordinary' president, he also talked about McCain's negative campaign, particularly the Bill Ayers 'connection'. Someone needs to question McCain, Palin, and their surrogates on the implications of their constant references to Bill Ayres. That someone is me.

HOW STUPID DO THEY THINK WE ARE?

FAYETTEVILLE, NC – Sunday, October 19, 2008 – “Today I’m beyond honored,” Barack Obama said to a crowd of about 10,000 cheering supporters, “I am deeply humbled to have the support of General Powell.”

So what does the Powell endorsement tell voters?

It tells us that McCain/Palin negative talking points about Barack Obama are so much suet.

After all, against the backdrop of a government dominated by losers, incompetents, and scoundrels, General Colin Powell is regarded by a solid majority of Americans to be a rare, thoughtful, honorable leader.

Not only does the Powell endorsement tell us a lot about the potential for Senator Obama to be an ‘exceptional President’, it tells us a great deal about the dark side of the McCain/Palin campaign.

The Powell endorsement effectively neutralizes the McCain/Palin campaign’s ‘Obama’s-not-ready-to-be-president’ line and at the same time, it forces McCain and Palin to ‘spin’ Powell’s concerns about all that negative stuff they and their surrogates have been spewing.

Like the following quote from Governor Palin (talking about Senator Obama’s relationship to Bill Ayres), “This is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America. We see America as the greatest force for good in this world. If we can be that beacon of light and hope for others who seek freedom and democracy and can live in a country that would allow intolerance in the equal rights that again our military men and women fight for and die for all of us. Our opponent, though, is someone who sees America it seems as being so imperfect that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country?”

Here’s what General Powell had to say about the McCain campaign’s obsession with off-topic issues like Bill Ayres: “ . . . I’ve also been disappointed, frankly, by some of the approaches that Senator McCain has taken recently, or his campaign ads, on issues that are not really central to the problems that the American people are worried about.

“This Bill Ayers situation that’s been going on for weeks became something of a central point of the campaign. But Mr. McCain says that he’s a washed-out terrorist.

“But then, why do we keep talking about him?

“And why do we have these robo-calls going on around the country, trying to suggest that, because of this very, very limited relationship that Senator Obama has had with Mr. Ayers, somehow, Mr. Obama is tainted?

“What they’re trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist feelings. And I think that’s inappropriate.

“Now, I understand what politics is all about. I know how you can go after one another, and that’s good. But I think this goes too far. And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It’s not what the American people are looking for.”

The American people are looking for the truth.

Since McCain and Palin would have us believe that the alleged Ayres ‘connection’ is more important than the financial meltdown or our increasing dependence on foreign oil or the ongoing loss of American lives and ten billion U.S. dollars a month in Iraq or our crumbling infrastructure or this year’s half trillion dollar deficit, shouldn’t they explain why?

Senator McCain and Governor Palin and their surrogates haven’t been able to explain to my satisfaction why the supposed Ayres ‘connection’ is more important than any other challenge our nation faces, so I would appreciate it if Senator McCain, Governor Palin, or one of their surrogates would please answer the following questions:

1. Does the fact that Senator Obama once served on an educational board with Bill Ayres and other folks like the President of the Chicago Tribune and the President of Northwestern University really mean that Obama supports terrorism?

2. If so, tell us what Senator Obama has done to date to aid, abet, or support terrorism or terrorists?

3. And, if Senator Obama is elected President of the United States of America, would he continue to support terrorism?

4. And if a President Obama does in fact support terrorism, how would that support manifest itself?

5. Would President Obama pardon terrorists, domestic or foreign?

6. Would President Obama order United States military forces and perhaps even the CIA and the FBI to conduct terrorist campaigns against our enemies around the world?

7. Would a President Obama send US troops, CIA agents, or FBI agents to serve as suicide bombers to blow up businesses, churches, government buildings, homes, and schools in Iran, Iraq, Russia, Saudi Arabia or anywhere else in the world he decided to ‘terrorize’ and defeat enemies of the United States?

Does anyone take this load of tripe seriously?

Can any thinking American seriously believe that Senator Barack Obama would ever, in any way, under any circumstance, support terrorism?

Yet that’s the obvious implication McCain and Palin and their surrogates make every time they bring up Bill Ayres in connection to Barack Obama.

They are attempting to convince us that “Mr. Obama is tainted”!

So, now we know . . . John McCain, Sarah Palin, and their surrogates think we are really, really stupid!

Sad, huh?

If you have questions, comments, or concerns, Email me at ltdassociates@msn.com (goes right to my desk) and since I personally answer every Email, I look forward to hearing from you soon.