White House spins the Powell departure

This week Secretary of State Powell submitted his resignation. There was a curious change in language, not to be missed.

Powell for months had been dogged with questions about his departure, to which he dutifully responded, "I serve at the Pleasure of the President."

This week, the tune changed. No longer was Powell simply serving at the pleasure of the President, but Powell now says that the discussion had been well known and it was a matter of timing.

Indeed, Powell went so far as to suggest that the President and he both knew they he was going to leave, but it was only a matter of timing.

But the spinning didn't stop there. Powell backtracked on his previous statements to the press when he said, contrary to his earlier statements, that the President and he both agreed some time ago that the timing was right after the election.

It is surprising that despite the loyalty, Powell suddenly shifted his tune no longer saying "at the pleasure" but that it was "well known" he would only serve one turn.

What's going on?

Powell as former JCS Chief of Staff knows there's more than a scandal brewing. The President is well aware of Powell's embarrassment before the UN.

The President though the Office of Special Plans doctored information which was used to start the nation on an unlawful war in Iraq. There was no WMD, yet the OSP reported this information which Powell presented.

What's changed this week is the new information about the WMD. Powell's' deputy reportedly said that when Powell appeared before the UN Security Council that there was "more" information that was not disclosed.

This is absurd. If there had actually been information that was "not disclosed"," why mention it now? We still have no WMD.

It is ridiculous to now suggest that we knowingly launched a war without full support because we "failed to provide all the needed information." Furthermore, it is absurd at this juncture to suggest that Powell's appearance before the Security Council "didn't have all the information" because we wanted to have the "case for war" rejected.

At best, Powell knows the information was fabricated. At worst, Powell is simply looking for the right time to talk to the Special counsel.

What's actually going on is the President knowing that Powell is outraged and humiliated is hoping to let the "man in the know" bow out gracefully.

The last thing the President needs is for Powell to go directly to the Special Counsel and provide details that contradict the President's version of events about what was known prior to invading Iraq and what information the President was given from overseas intelligence sources about 9-11.

Powell has this information.