Good News for CUNY

by Cliopatria

Colin Powell came to New York yesterday to announce a $1 million gift to his alma mater to jumpstart a policy center at City College that he helped found nine years ago. In addition to the gift, the center announced an expanded advisory council that includes such figures as James Baker; Tom Brokaw; Harold Evans; Richard Haass; Vernon Jordan; Henry Kissinger; Elie Wiesel; and Fareed Zakaria. It remains to be seen how aggressively the center will expand, but for CUNY this represents an extraordinary potential advancement.

At the press conference announcing the gift and advisory council, Powell made it quite clear that he supports the military critics of Donald Rumsfeld. He declined to comment on their demand that Rumsfeld resign, but pointedly said that they"have contributed to the public debate" with their remarks.

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Ralph E. Luker - 5/5/2006

I thought even the Republican National Committee had given up its "defense" of the Bush administration, but not John Lederer.

John H. Lederer - 5/5/2006

Prof. Luker,

Since my postings are, as you point out, defenses, it must also be a function of the number of accusations. must it not?

chris l pettit - 5/4/2006

What. A. Surprise.

CP

Robert KC Johnson - 5/4/2006

Very interesting. I must admit that, regardless of my opinion on the conduct of the war, I don't have much regard for Powell. If he believed what he now says he believes, he should have resigned as a point of principle.

But his gift is still great news for CUNY!

Ralph E. Luker - 5/4/2006

Mr. Lederer: Have you _ever_ -- even just once -- passed up an opportunity to defend the Bush administration -- even from those who were once a part of it? For such loyalty, you should draw a paycheck.

John H. Lederer - 5/4/2006

Pertinent section of NY Sun article (the whole article is subscription only)

"Responding to questions from reporters, Mr. Powell also stood by his comments of last week, when he said that as state secretary he had urged a larger troop presence in Iraq, an opinion not shared by top military officers. "Ultimately, the president went with the commanders and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs, which is what the president should do," he said yesterday.

Mr. Powell said the retired generals who have called for Secretary Rumsfeld to resign "have contributed to the public debate," but he would not say whether he agreed with them."

If Tommy Franks is to be believed, Powell's urging of more troops was for the "battle" phase of the invasion, not the post-invasion period. If that is so, events proved Powell flatly wrong, and Franks and others correct that a lighter faster more maneuverable force with a smaller logistical tail was better suited for the operation.
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