Senator Barrack Obama’s bid for the presidency got a huge shot in the arm today when Former Secretary of State Colin Powell came out and publicly endorsed him. 

During an interview on Meet the Press, General Powell told Tom Brokaw he admired and respected fellow Republican John McCain, however, he is troubled by what the extreme right of the Republican Party is doing with the campaign. 

The extreme right has created a divisiveness under the disguise of their slogan, Country First.  All you have to do is look at the McCain-Palin rallies to see their lack of inclusiveness. 

Powell’s endorsement of McCain comes on the heels of other Republican endorsements.  Late last week, conservative radio talk-show host Michael Smerconish endorsed Sen. Obama, as did conservative columnist Christopher Buckley, the son of National Review founder William F. Buckley. The Chicago Tribune endorsed Sen. Obama last week, the first time the paper has endorsed a Democrat in its 161-year history.

Of course, there will be those who will dismiss Powell’s endorsement of Obama, saying it was expected because both Powell and Obama are African-American men.  But don’t you remember, Black Republican Alan Keyes ran for President against George W. Bush and Powell endorsed who???