Powell in 2008: We all know that once a person puts his/her hat into the ring for an office, the attacks begin, and we always end up liking the person (not necessarily the candidate - there is a difference) a little less. Certainly we need look no further than Der Schwarz to see how he was brought down a few notches when focus was trained on his free-wheeling younger days, and his free-feeling later days. That said, unless there's murder (and sometimes even that isn't enough - Ted Kennedy), the candidate will survive to run.

Colin Powell, despite whatever personal foibles might be exposed, has got to be The Man for 2008. Witness what he's done just in the past few weeks. He got the U.N. to agree on the Iraq's future (granted, it's not in the form of a check or manpower, but a great start nonetheless), now he gets warring factions in the Sudan to agree on a peaceful power share after fifty years of civil war! This guy is everything Bush is not (actual war veteran with major chops in military leadership and now, international diplomacy; conciliatory without giving away the farm, well-spoken, thoughtful, and without the religious overtones). Other than Rumsfeld killing him off with a drone, I can't see how the prize isn't his for the taking. God, would he scare the Democrats to death.