One for the road...

A lot of folks have been giving their opinions on Colin Powell's tenure (I am no exception), and a bunch of folks have been looking at the recent talk about Iran in terms of Groundhog's Day and Movies We Have Already Seen. However, I haven't seen the two linked together very often with the scorn and wonderment that is due to it... perhaps people are worn out. Anyway, Eric Alterman steps up to the plate for us:

Colin Powell is one of the most charismatic individuals to whom I’ve ever spoken. He has mesmerizing eyes, a warm nature and a powerful, dignified bearing. All of this has been useful in his efforts to snow the media into portraying him as a man of unusual competence and institutional fortitude. In fact, Powell’s position at State has been one of consistent humiliation, and profound incompetence—together with extremely questionable judgment and honesty. From the day Bush humiliated him just a few days into the administration by publicly overturning his Korea policy, through Rumsfeld’s refusal even to consider the massive amount of State Department planning for postwar Iraq, Powell has found himself cut off at the knees and merely carrying water in the public for those who mock and undercut him behind closed doors. The highlight or more accurately lowlight of his tenure was his willingness to go before the world and make a phony case for war based on information he knew to be unsound. He’s been apologizing ever since—and yet, he’s just done it again, laying the groundwork for an ill advised—potentially catastrophic military misadventure, and sacrificing what remains of his credibility in order to do so; a fitting end to a tragic failure.

Eric is a touch more harsh than I might have been... there are those who truly believe that despite his spectacular failings and how often he whored himself for the administration, he did win some occasional small battles for moderation. However, the fact that he was willing to do this one last time for old time's sake is really sad.

Does Steven Clemons still think this guy should run for president?