Powell Denies Departure Rumor

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/04/politics/main566429.shtml

The State Department on Monday vigorously denied a report that Secretary of State Colin Powell planned to leave his post in early 2005, and not serve during a second term if President Bush is re-elected.

The Washington Post, citing "sources familiar with the conversation," reported that Powell deputy Richard L. Armitage recently told national security adviser Condoleezza Rice that he and Powell will leave on Jan. 21, 2005, the day after the next presidential inauguration.

A State Department spokesman says that discussion never happened and blames a summertime news drought for the report.

"There's no basis to the story at all," said Philip T. Reeker. "There was no such conversation. It must be August."

[DagmarK]

1. PAM, no air marshals, and now the Powell Non-Story.......

What next?

I think this is a new "manipulate the people" product to the point where they don't know what to believe......

and it's working.....like a charm.

[oasis]

2. Rove is setting up an "ace in the hole" role for Powell

If the Chimp encounters some rough sailing in his bid for another term, then Powell pops up to say he's in it for the next term.

The "Powell is staying" story then becomes a major news story during the election season.

[Snellius]

3. To "serve at the pleasure of the president"

"There is no basis for the story," he added. "As Secretary Powell has always said, he and Deputy Secretary Armitage serve at the pleasure of the president, and will continue to do so."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20030804/ts_nm/bush_powell_dc

[realFedUp]

12. "at the pleasure of the pResident"...

sounds like a Geisha girl....

[rocktivity]

4. He'd promise his wife not to go beyond 2005

according to what I heard on the radio early this morning. Is this an attempt to discredit an increasingly uppity press or make Powell a fall guy?

rocknation

[DagmarK]

7. Same reason he gave Clinton for not staying on in 1993..,....

My WIFE and I decided that it is time to retire from service.....

Well, after seeing the son she helped raise in action -- I dare say she rules with a heavy hand -- or something not too pretty.

[Booberdawg]

5. This means

it's true but it got leaked too soon. Must have cause someone some embarrassment.

[NashVegas]

14. Or Condi's Trying to Put the Squeeze on Him

equally likely.

[VolcanoJen]

6. MSNBC Reports that White House Joins Powell in Denying

Just reported on MSNBC from by Ron Blome. He says the White House (through the White House Spokesman) joins the State Department in denying the Washington Post story that Powell intends to resign following this term.

Incidentally, MSNBC reports that Colin Powell and Armitage are due at the "Western White House" tomorrow morning. Interesting...

[DagmarK]

8. This pattern of NON-stories has got to be public manipulation.....

In as almost as many business days, there have been 3 BIG stories coming out of the Administration via the Press – via the most legitimate journalists (albeit, that’s not saying much):

Air Marshals being pulled;

that PAM grotesque, twilight zone thing;

and now the Powell resignation/no, no one ever said THAT!

**Is BushCo just rolling out a new product called: “Target Marketing: the future fascists of America’s way! Just leak a story with sources and everything…..check the PULSE on the internet and if it doesn’t look good……PULL THE PRODUCT!”???

Or is this all a Department of Homeland Security/DOJ Internet chatter testing program? Can you see the madmen sitting in their bunker speculating about ways to determine what GOOD internet chatter is versus BAD internet chatter is?

“Yeah, Donnie, Look……let’s throw out some information …with good sources and everything and then test out our ‘new internet ears’. Since we KNOW the story DID get out…..we will know what the good chatter is and what the bad chatter is. Kind of like a CB radio -- We can calibrate the squelch….. So that when future info on something related to Terra starts flowing like Niagra Falls on the internet, we will know how to calibrate it.”

I honestly believe this theory! And these madmen should be thrown out of office…….don’t even take time for the impeachment. Bill Clinton got a blow job; but our entire country is getting totally dicked around!

This pattern of Big stories coming out…..the people reacting to it as if it is true, the Press being discredited, and then the WH pulls it as “Noooooo, that wasn’t going to happen…..it isn’t a sure thing. There was some talk about xyz…but not to this extent. Noooo……you guys got it all wrong.”

**Shoot…is this just one of Bush’s “penal consequences” on the Press for being so mean to him lately???? Hell, is this the new product that got even ARI not willing to playing the game?

**Just re-posting here, since my GD thread on this is sinking like the titanic.

[trogdor]

9. That was awfully damned quick.

Team Bush sees it's losing a lot of its value-added components, and it shitting bricks because they know Smirk can't win by himself.

[MaineDem]

10. It's that damned liberal media again

/sarcasm

[JoFerret]

11. Perhaps a concerted effort

to discredit the press by leaking stories deliberately and then vigorously denying them. Thereby undermining any credibility the press may yet have.

[Snellius]

13. Could the Washington Post be that stupid?

Talk about the New York Times. If this story is true, how could the Post run this story without confirming it with either the White House or the Sec't of State's office? It would have been easy to do. If it was a neo-con hoax to discredit Powell, how could the Post not have realized that the real story was not about Powell but about whoever leaked them the story and the clandestine coterie of intrique behind it. Unless, of course, the Post is part of that coterie. In any case, the Washington Post makes the scandals at the Times or the BBC almost minor. It will be interesting to see whether or not the Post comes out to defend their credibility.

[wabeewoman]

15. Its a slippery slope they tread

when they continue to "leak" stories from this administration without citing sources. That said, I think it was planned to discrediting bush. Imagine Wolfowitz as Secretary of State? Or Rice. And a MORE far-right hawkish turn to foreign affairs?? That ought to scare anyone left who is planning on voting for bush.

[tlb]

16. Think back how many times Powell's impending departure has been reported.

Someone at the Washington Post seems to want him gone VERY badly.

[otohara]

17. The Thing About These Rumors

is they always come true. Besides, who can believe anything that comes out of the mouths of Powell & Armitage.

[samsingh]

18. don't be fooled by Powell

he has totally gone over to the Dark Side.