Call me johnny one note if you please. My country, that I was raised to be proud of, launched an illegal war of aggression based on a despicable hoax that got a million Iraqis and thousands of Americans killed and forced millions of people to flee their own country.

As long as you people refuse to face up to this horrifying fact and speak and act accordingly, I will stand my ground and keep pointing it out until the day I die.

Many of you obviously haven't gotten it through your thick skulls yet. I am giving you the benefit of the doubt when I say that -- the benefit of the doubt that you are capable of understanding the profound moral significance of this fact.

You do understand -- don't you? -- the significance of a million people killed based on a hoax? This is not something in a history book from long ago. This didn't just happened in some far off land called Iraq. This is something that, in part, happened right here in our country.

What in the world can lead someone to argue that a war criminal responsible for a million deaths should be honored in order to gain some slight tactical advantage in an election that is already won?

As long as you keep getting it wrong, I'll keep pointing out the same damn thing over and over. The truth may hurt, you may not be able to accept it, but it doesn't change.

"If, after leaving the Meet the Press studio this morning, Powell saw some elderly person he didn't know in the middle of the street about to get hit by a car, and he lept into the street, putting himself at risk in order to save the elderly person, and did so, what would you be saying in response to those who praised that act? HE'S A WAR CRIMINAL!!!! The fact that he is doesn't in any way detract from the praiseworthy nature of specific acts he undertakes."

Glenn, my brother, I am quite possibly your biggest fan. If you don't believe me, read my past letters and you'll see. But I have to take issue with this argument.

You know the old saw about the serial killer who was the nicest guy you ever met? Same thing.

People aren't mostly disagreeing that Powell's endorsement and his remarks about race were laudable. Taken in isolation, they mostly (Ill get back to that) are.

BUT:

1) Many of us weren't assailing Powell's acts today. We were assailing Powell. And we were assailing those who think it is ok for Obama to participate in the rehabilitation of a man like Powell (i.e. Powell when judged on the entirety of his behavior, not just today's). When you weigh those things together his possibly good acts today pale in comparison with his status as a war criminal.

2) Do you cherry pick good actions of men like Hitler or John Wayne Gacy and laud them for those tiny isolated actions?

Now, on the question of the laudability of Powell's actions today:

1) It is not an open and shut case that Powell's actions were laudable. Basic ethical theory teaches us that a person's motivations are also morally significant, not just the nature of their acts. I beieve it is more than possible that Powell is simply trying to rehabilitate his rightly besmirched image. I'm not going to play along with that.

2) Powell's endorsement at this late stage in the election smacks of opportunism. Where was Powell when it wasn't so likely that Obama would win? The same place he was when he could have done something to save those million people whose lives he helped snuff.

3) When a member of an aggrieved group stands up against discrimination agaianst the group they are a member of, that is a right action -- but it is also to be expected and not necessarily a sign of any great character. Powell is not an Arab. But Powell is a minority. Him standing up for the rights of minorities is obviously correct but we need to know a lot more before we can say it is truly laudable behavior.

"Both of you have apparently give up on changing anything through the democratic process. But here you are, doing nothing about it but writing on GG's blog."

I don't need any lectures from you about working through the democratic process and doing nothing but commenting on a blog. I gave up an academic career to work in politics. I have worked on hundreds of campaigns at the very highest level. I've gotten literally hundreds of Democrats elected.

Spare me.