What motivated Powell's endorsement?

As a Vietnam veteran, I have a great deal of respect for Colin Powell, and would have no problem voting for him if he were running for President. In fact, I wish he were. But I find his endorsement of Obama problematic.

How he, as a former military leader in the war in Iraq, could support a person that states "that it was a mistake," won't admit that the "surge" obviously worked and we are winning in Iraq, is troubling. Then, without meeting or talking to Sarah Palin, he is critical of her qualifications while criticizing those that criticize Obama, who obviously has no executive experience.

For a person that was a great military leader but a rather mediocre Secretary of State, it kind of sounds like sour grapes and perhaps another motivation. Have the citizens of Illinois noticed that neither of the presidential candidates, while appearing virtually everywhere, have not appeared in Illinois? Guess they both figure that Illinois is "in the bag" since we have a governor with a 13 percent approval rating, a county board president with no rating, and two do-nothing senators.

Since the voters of Illinois have a record of voting this way, I don't blame the national parties for ignoring us. We deserve who we voted for and have to live with it. I would hope that this year each voter will consider who they have voted for in the past, what they have done for them, and whether a "Change" in Illinois isn't way past due.

Daryl Pratt

Arlington Heights