Petrelis Files

AARP Mag: Cheney "Snapped My Garters" Says Powell

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell is featured on the cover of the new issue of the AARP Magazine, all because he sat down for a wide-ranging interview with the publication for mature Americans.

Powell discusses the standard issues, his upbringing and family, relationship with Bill Clinton and George Bush, the blot on his record because of his speech at the UN that helped get us into the Iraq quagmire, oh and the matter of garters. You read right. Garters.

The former secretary talks about his relationship at times with Dick Cheney and he uses the quaint term "snapped my garters" to describe how Cheney would criticize Powell.

Honestly, I could have lived my life without visualizing Colin Powell wearing garters and Dick Cheney coming up to him and snapping his garters. Please, it was bad enough having to watch and listen to Powell perform the Village People's disco hit "YMCA." For all I know, he was wearing garters under his costume when he sang that golden oldie and getting a thrill from it all. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

From AARP Magazine:

Q: Your career was almost spotless. Does it bother you that your most recent public position was a low note? You've said it was very painful.

A: Yeah, it hurt. Let me point out that the same intelligence I provided that's subject to so much controversy—that's the same intelligence that the Senate and House used four months earlier to vote for a resolution. It's the same information the President thought was accurate after his director of intelligence told him it was a slam dunk. And it was the same kind of intelligence that President Clinton used to bomb Iraq in 1998. But nevertheless there was no spotlight on this issue like the spotlight I had on me at the UN. I wasn't alone in believing those stockpiles were there—our commanders believed they were there, and they were prepared to fight through chemical attacks to get to Baghdad—and our President believed it and Congress believed it. So when it turned out that part of that information was wrong, the spotlight was on me. And I'm disappointed. I'm sorry it happened and wish those who knew better had spoken up at the time. But there isn't anything else I can say about it. When people ask me, "Is this a blot on your record?" Yeah, okay, fine, it's a blot on my record. But do you want me to walk around saying I have a blot on my record every day? I have a blot on my record. There it is. It's there for everybody to see forever.

Yes, and it's quite a bloody red blot too, Mr. Powell. More from the interview:

Q: Okay. But during the first Iraq war you gave some advice and [then Secretary of Defense] Dick Cheney said, "You can't say that, you're not the secretary of state."

A: Yeah, but I did, and kept doing it.

Q: My point is that later, when you were secretary of state, he reportedly ignored your advice and did end runs.

A: That's his privilege as Vice President. He was tough, demanding, and when he thought I was out of line, he snapped my garters. I guess that's not a politically correct thing to say. But when he thought I was out of line he would pull me up short. But guess what? He was my boss! He's supposed to, and let me know where the line is.