Colin Powell unsure whether to support Obama again

Colin Powell non-committal on Obama's bid

Colin Powell is "not committed" to backing President Barack Obama in his re-election bid next year. The former Secretary of State threw his support behind Obama in the latter's historic 2008 run for the White House.

In a TV appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" show today, Powell said he is waiting for all possible candidates to emerge before making a decision.

"I'm not committed to Barack Obama, I'm not committed to a Republican candidate," retired general Powell said. "Right now I do not see on the Republican side any individual who I think is going to emerge at the top of the pile."

Obama's bid for a second stint at the White House may be derailed by the weak U.S. economy. But recent polls suggest otherwise. According to a poll by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, Obama's job approval is at 53 percent. Similar indicators also portray most Americans as supportive of the President in spite of the high unemployment rate and slow economic recovery.

"I think he is doing a good job right now," Powell said. "I think he has some tough times ahead, and I think he's had some setbacks."

But Powell also credited Obama for stabilizing the economy, health care reform and strong foreign relations, specifically with China. He suggested the next important task should be the creation of more jobs, something which the President has hinted as a focus on his upcoming State of the Union address.

Powell denied that he wants a cabinet position as Obama reshuffles positions. Among possible options is the position of Defense Secretary, which Robert Gates will vacate sometime this year.

Posted by James Fried on Monday January 24 2011, 1:36 AM EDT. Ref: Bloomberg. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0