Of late, Colin Powell has been perceived as persona non grata in the Bush administration. His resistance to the conflict in Iraq, while not exactly public, isn't the best-kept secret in Washington, either. Some have applauded his courage, while others have faulted him for not being enough of a team player in the Bush administration.
Which leaves one to wonder what his job is, anyway. Is it to guide this nation's interests abroad, or do a little dance and please the folks at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.?
It seems like everyone has felt the need to chirp in on this debate, but none more than Bob Woodward of Watergate fame. Granted, Bob Woodward has felt the need to chirp in on every Washington scandal, large and small, since the Nixon fiasco, but bringing down a presidency might just give a guy enough street credit to do that.
Woodward's latest two cents, "Plan of Attack," is a detailed treatise on the Bush administration's push for war in the Middle East. In it, Secretary Powell is cast as the "reluctant warrior," eager to get all his facts straight before his country barrels into Iraq on the backs of cruise missiles.
Woodward's book has pushed Powell to the forefront of the Iraq War debate, and he's taken to the interview circuit to defend himself. It's funny how Woodward's books seem to get people talking.
So is Powell a policy maker or merely mouthpiece for the Bush administration? Now that Woodward's book has coaxed him out of quiet complicity, I would argue for the former.
In a recent interview with ABC's Ted Koppel, Secretary Powell was asked what he thought of the "nattering nabobs of negativism" that have brought his loyalties into question. (I'm not making this up, but I'm not exactly sure what a "nattering nabob" is, either)
Powell responded that he was a loyal member of "Team Bush," but that his advice to the president always involves both the good and the bad.
Not satisfied with Mr. Powell's answer to the "nattering nabob" question, Koppel pressed further, citing the great foreign policy powerhouse Pottery Barn, and their "You break it, you buy it" tagline. The reference to Iraq was clear, and Powell was not going to take it sitting down. His remarks are reproduced here in their entirety, because they are so vital to the security of this nation.
Colin Powell: "In fact, Pottery Barn has the opposite policy. It's one of those urban legends that crept in. And I don't think I'm the one who said it, but nevertheless, it's attributed to me, and I would have said it because I thought it was a good line. But Pottery Barn has made it clear that, as a corporate policy, if you drop it and it's an accident, you do not have to pay for it. And I'm so glad, Ted, that you gave me an opportunity to correct the record, eliminate an urban legend and restore Pottery Barn's reputation."
There you have it. Two questions into the interview, and the best one of our nation's foremost journalists can do to doubt Powell's sincerity is to quote the Pottery Barn.
As for me, I'm sold on Powell's intentions. Iraq may not have been his idea in the first place, but he's certainly aware of the dangers ahead, and he's not going to walk away from them. I'd be sure to keep him out of the Pottery Barn though.
Brian Clapp is still wondering what a "nattering nabob" is. If you are Ted Koppel, please e-mail a clarification to leisurestudies@asu.edu.
