Former Secretary of State and self-declared Republican Colin Powell said he voted for Democrat Barack Obama for president — twice — because of concerns over the economy, according to a Fox News broadcast of Bill O'Reilly's show, "The Factor."
In a heated Tuesday interview, Mr. Powell said his votes were based on the economic plans brought forth by Republicans, which were not "suited for the times we were in," according to the broadcast.
Mr. O'Reilly argued that Mr. Obama's first-term economic policies were disastrous for the nation — and especially so for minorities, according to broadcast.
"So you basically said to yourself, 'I'm still going to support the guy even though his economic policies haven't worked for African-Americans and pretty much anyone else?" Mr. O'Reilly said. Mr. Powell contested that characterization.
"Why do you only see me as an African-American, Bill? I'm an American," he said.
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Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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