The Bastion Of Racists

During an interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan on October 25, 2012, Romney surrogate John Sununu (the former Republican governor of New Hampshire and the co-chair of the Romney campaign) suggested that Colin Powell’s endorsement of President Obama was racially motivated because they shared the same skin color:

“When you take a look at Colin Powell, you have to look at whether that’s an endorsement based on issues or he’s got a slightly different reason for endorsing President Obama…I think when you have somebody of your own race that you’re proud of being president of the United States, I applaud Colin for standing with him.”

On October 26, 2012, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Colin Powell and a Republican, appeared on the Ed Show defending Colin Powell, endorsing President Obama for President, and criticizing the racism within his own party. Wilkerson said that Powell had always judged those he worked with by the content of their character and their competence, regardless of their ethnicity or racial background:

“I don’t have any respect for the integrity of the position that [Sununu] seemed to codify. Look at me, Ed, I’m white. I’m not black. Colin Powell picked me because of the content of my character and my competence…To say that Colin Powell would endorse President Obama because of his skin color is like saying Mother Teresa worked for profit.”

When asked if there was more behind Sununu’s comments, Wilkerson was very blunt in saying that racism played a huge role in many Republican’s oppose President Obama:

“My party, unfortunately, is the bastion of those people, not all of them, but most of them, who are still basing their decision on race. Let me just be candid: My party is full of racists. And the real reason a considerable portion of my party wants President Obama out of the White House  has nothing to do with the content of his character, nothing to do with his competence as commander-in-chief and president, and everything to do with the color of his skin. And that’s despicable.”