Act of redemption

From Collin Powell's days as the secretary of state, there are two images that are stuck in my head. One that of the obedient soldier who made the case for war, stood at the united nations and argued tirelessly for a war that 'needed' to be fought. The other image of his, behind the scenes, fuming with anger at the made up 'facts' for an invasion of Iraq, was portrayed in several books. Still, the loyal general went along, knowing probably that he could very well have prevented a war. All along when I read about him, I didn't feel pity for him - what good is it to have principles for which you wouldn't stand up?

Today he made a very convincing case for Obama and I particularly liked the term he used to describe Obama's character - intellectual vigor. That is exactly what I felt after reading Obama's 'Audacity of hope'. Collin Powell explained the nasty nature of McCain's campaign. He, for the first time, as a prominent politician explained how hurtful it is to use the word 'muslim' as a smear. He asked the dreadful question: Obama isn't a muslim, but what if he was. It was an act of redemption.