Colin Powell splits with son over White House race

Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, has put him at odds with his own son, former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Michael Powell.

Michael Powell, who served as a policy adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, is a surrogate for John McCain and represents the GOP nominee on the campaign trail.

{mosads}He endorsed McCain early in the Republican primary in January, and said the Arizona senator was the best candidate to “calm the turbulent economic waters and to steer the new economy in a direction that will bring growth, opportunity and prosperity to all Americans.”

Powell contributed $1,000 to McCain the day of the Iowa caucuses and another $1,000 before the Florida primary. In August, he defended McCain, who had said he rarely uses the Internet, as someone who “understands technology very well” from his time as chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology.

Powell was not available Monday for comment.

His father, Colin Powell, has long been a friend of McCain’s, and in endorsing Obama, the senior Powell broke with the Republican establishment.

Colin Powell supported McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign, and McCain promised then to name Powell as secretary of State, a position Powell would later hold under President Bush.

But Powell said he was impressed by Obama’s steadiness, intellectual curiosity and depth of knowledge. He called McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, unready to become president in case of emergency.

Liberal and conservative commentators alike declared the former secretary of State’s endorsement a major boost for Sen. Obama (D-Ill.).

The younger Powell, however, who still has much of his career in front of him, has lined up solidly behind McCain. If McCain becomes president he could appoint Powell to several administration positions.

Michael Powell served as chairman of the FCC under Bush from 2001 to 2005. During his tenure he advocated for bigger fines to punish obscenity and indecent content.

 Most famously, the FCC under Powell fined Viacom, the owner of CBS, $550,000 for Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” during the 2004 Super Bowl.
 

He has addressed the media as a technology adviser to McCain’s campaign, and told National Public Radio in August that McCain has the experience to help create the economic and social conditions for tech businesses to thrive.

Michael Powell serves as senior adviser of Providence Equity Partners and rector of the board of visitors of the College of William and Mary. He also serves on the boards of Cisco Systems, ObjectVideo and the Rand Corporation.

He served under Cheney during former President George H.W. Bush’s administration, when Cheney held the position of Defense secretary.

Colin Powell served as chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff under George H.W. Bush and national security adviser to former President Ronald Reagan.