The whole is less than the sum of its parts, but the paragraph beginning "Virginians aren't stupid" says a lot about the author's world view.

Powell need not ingratiate himself to anyone. He earned his success, yet read carefully the portion that intimates it was not merit that gained him his success. He owes it to those who recognized his ability or that he was a African American.  

Please, spread this far and wide.  There are few military leaders who garner as much respect as Colin Powell, and few political leaders as completely out of touch as Jeff Frederick.

Powell's Military Career

Military career

While at City College, Powell joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and later described it as one of the happiest experiences of his life; finding something he loved and could do well, he felt he had "found himself." Cadet Powell joined the Pershing Rifles, the ROTC fraternal organization and drill team started by Gen. John Pershing. Even after Powell became a General, he still kept on his desk a pen set he had won for a drill team competition. After graduating from City College in June 1958, he was granted a commission as an Army Second Lieutenant.[8] Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years, during which time he held a variety of command and staff positions and rose to the rank of General.[9]

While serving with the Third Armored Division in Germany as a Lieutenant, he met Elvis Presley, then serving in that unit. During the Vietnam War, Powell was a captain, serving as a South Vietnamese Army advisor from 1962 to 1963. While on patrol in a Viet Cong-held area, he was wounded after stepping on a punji stake trap.[10] He returned to Vietnam as a major from 1968 to 1970, where he first served as the executive officer for the Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division), then as the assistant chief of staff of operations for the Americal Division. In that post, he was charged with investigating a detailed letter by Tom Glen (a soldier from the 11th Light Infantry Brigade), which backed up rumored allegations of the My Lai Massacre. Powell wrote: "In direct refutation of this portrayal is the fact that relations between American soldiers and the Vietnamese people are excellent." Later, Powell's assessment would be described as Whitewashing the news of the massacre, and questions would continue to remain undisclosed to the public. In May 2004 Powell said to Larry King, "I mean, I was in a unit that was responsible for My Lai. I got there after My Lai happened. So, in war, these sorts of horrible things happen every now and again, but they are still to be deplored."[11]

Powell obtained an MBA from George Washington University in 1971 and then served a White House fellowship under President Richard Nixon.

In his autobiography My American Journey, Powell mentioned several officers he served under that inspired and mentored him. As a Lieutenant Colonel serving in South Korea, for example, Powell was very close to General Henry "Gunfighter" Emerson. Powell said he regarded this man as one of the most caring officers he ever served under. Emerson reputedly had a somewhat eccentric personality. For example, he insisted his troops train only at night and made them repeatedly watch the television film Brian's Song to promote racial harmony. Powell always professed, however, that what set Emerson apart was his great love of his soldiers and concern for their welfare.

In the early 1980s, Powell served at Fort Carson, Colorado. It was there that he had a major clash with General John Hudachek, his commander. Hudachek said in an efficiency evaluation that Powell was a poor leader who should not be promoted. Powell's rising military career was unhindered by Hudachek's evaluation report. After he left Fort Carson, Powell became senior military assistant to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, whom he assisted during the 1983 invasion of Grenada and the 1986 airstrike on Libya.

In 1986, he took over the command of V Corps in Frankfurt, Germany, from Robert Lewis "Sam" Wetzel. In 1989, prior to being named Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Powell served as the Commander in Chief, Forces Command headquartered at Fort McPherson, Georgia.

[edit] Dates of rank

   * Second Lieutenant: June 9, 1958
   * First Lieutenant: December 30, 1959
   * Captain: June 2, 1962
   * Major: May 24, 1966
   * Lieutenant Colonel: July 9, 1970
   * Colonel: February 1, 1976
   * Brigadier General: June 1, 1979
   * Major General: August 1, 1983
   * Lieutenant General: March 26, 1986
   * General: April 4, 1989

[edit] Awards and decorations

[edit] Badges

   * Combat Infantryman Badge
   * Expert Infantryman Badge
   * Ranger Tab
   * Parachutist Badge
   * Pathfinder Badge
   * Air Assault Badge
   * Presidential Service Badge
   * Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
   * Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
   * Army Staff Identification Badge

[edit] Military medals and ribbons
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Service Medal, Army (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
Soldier's Medal
Bronze Star
Purple Heart
Air Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (order of precedence, if worn)
no image Presidential Citizens Medal (order of precedence, if worn)
Bronze service star
National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
Silver service star
Vietnam Service Medal (with 1 Silver Service Star)
Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon (with numeral 3)

[edit] Foreign decorations

   * Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
   * Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
   * Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) (United Kingdom)
   * Légion d'honneur (France)
   * Meritorious Service Cross (M.S.C.) (Canada)
   * Order of Stara Planina in the First Order (Bulgaria)[12][13]

I tried to find some info about Jeff Frederick's amazing and glorious Military record, but there didn't seem to be anything about it on the interwebs.

"The Maistro" can't even figure out that he really needs to be the  Maestro.  Of course, it's telling that he thinks of himself as a maestro (or maistro) at all.

See here for the latest approval ratings of all governors.  I mean, she's definitely popular in Alaska, with 61% rating her job performance "excllent" or "good," but that's not 80%. I suppose someone who can't spell "maestro" can't be expected to be good with numbers either.

New lesson tomorrow!

I thought the same thing.  Shouldn't a person have to be able to spell maestro to be one?  hilarious.

...that even if someone who is to the extreme right replaces him, the new chairman is still going to look relatively normal. I'm wondering if that's the GOP's reasoning behind electing him chairman -- having someone so extreme that even they don't like him and then get credit for picking someone who's more of a "moderate."