Thursday, February 12, 2004
Colin Powell Loses His Temper, He Must Be Insane...
While testifying yesterday to the House International Relations Committee about pre-war intelligence, Secretary of State Colin Powell got a little hot under the collar when a staffer dared shake his head at his comments...
Powell was recalling for the panel his review of the prewar intelligence. "I went and lived at the CIA for about four days to make sure that nothing was," he began, when he paused and glared at a staffer seated behind the members of Congress.
"Are you shaking your head for something, young man, back there?" Powell asked. "Are you part of these proceedings?"
Powell's unusual remarks threatened to derail the hearing. Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), a 12-year veteran of the House, objected, "Mr. Chairman, I've never heard a witness reprimand a staff person in the middle of a question."
Powell shot back, "I seldom come to a meeting where I am talking to a congressman and I have people aligned behind you giving editorial comment by head shakes."
"Well, I think people have opinions," Brown responded.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34636-2004Feb11.html
Now, I don't think it's necessarily appropriate for a staffer to be giving editorial gestures while on duty, but Powell's reaction says a lot...
When Howard Dean does something like this, he's characterized by Republicans (and many Democrats) as being an angry loose cannon with a hot temper. Even Wesley Clark got painted with the "he must have anger issues" brush after a Faux News interviewer questioned his commitment to our troops, and Clark is as cool as a cucumber!
It's funny to see the party that literally took political anger to a whole new level during the Clinton years feign disgust when a Democrat dares show some spine...
I wonder if they'll say anything about Powell...
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