Colin Powell on Same-Sex Marriage: I Have No Problem With It
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday in an interview with CNN that he supports same-sex marriage. However, he has yet to signal his support for President Obama, whom he endorsed in 2008.
"I have no problem with it," Powell told CNN when asked about same-sex marriage.
"In terms of the legal matter of creating a contract between two people that's called marriage, and allowing them to live together with the protection of law, it seems to me is the way we should be moving in this country."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
A former four-star general, Powell was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1993 when President Bill Clinton implemented "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," banning homosexuals from serving openly in the military. Powell later went on the serve as secretary of state under President George W. Bush.
While stepping out in support of gay marriage, Powell has yet to give his support to President Obama in this year's upcoming presidential race, saying he wasn't ready "to throw my weight behind someone" at this time.
Powell's endorsement of Obama in 2008 created quite a stir since Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who was a former POW and war hero, was the GOP nominee. He called Obama a "transformational figure."
Although many political pundits believe Powell will eventually offer his support to Obama, when asked during NBC's "Today" show on Wednesday, he was non-committal.
"It's not just a matter of whether you support Obama or Romney," Powell said. "It's who they have coming with them. I always keep my powder dry, as they say in the military."
Powell also mentioned that he thought President Obama needed to work harder to get the economy back on track and that he felt the need to listen to what the Republican Party and Romney's economic plans might be.
A "moderate" by his own description, Powell did express concern that some of Romney's foreign-policy advisers have political beliefs that are "a little far to the right."
"I don't know who all of his advisers are, but I've seen some of the names and some of them are quite far to the right and sometimes they … might be in a position to make judgments or recommendations to the candidate that should get a second thought," Powell said Monday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
In addition, Powell favors the U.S. plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and said the country has the ability to keep the Taliban at bay, but that it will require them to take a stronger stance than they have in the past.
"At some point the foreign presence is not that helpful, so I think that plan is good and you know, we just can't stay there forever."
Powell is currently making the media rounds to promote his new book, It Worked for Me.
