Bush's ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell was on CNN's "A World of Challenges" Sunday to speak on the Russian/Georgian crisis among other things, and, while not exactly siding with the Russians, said Saakashvili was "kick(ing) over this can... light(ing) a match in a roomful of gas fumes" (which, for the most part, has been the Kossack party line). He also implied some not-nice opinions towards the McCain response.
POWELL: It was absolutely predictable what the Russians would do. You could see the Russians stacking up their troops. And I think it was foolhardy on the part of President Saakashvili and the Georgian government to kick over this can, to light a match in a roomful of gas fumes.
SESNO: So, so you’re saying the Georgians provoked this?
POWELL: They did! I mean, there was a lot of reasons to have uh, provocations in the area, but the match that started the conflagration was from the Georgian side.
AMANPOUR: And yet...
POWELL: And that’s a given.
AMANPOUR: And some debate in the presidential elections has basically been, "We are all Georgians now." What does that mean? It’s the same as was said after 9/11.
POWELL: One candidate said that, and I’ll let the candidate explain it for himself.
(LAUGHTER)
SESNO: You can help him, if you'd like.
POWELL: You have to be very careful in a situation like this not just to leap to one side or the other until you’ve taken a good analysis of the whole situation.
SESNO: So your advice to the next President is don't side with the Georgians!
POWELL: No, I did not say that - I said take a look at the thole situation. Nice try, Frank.
Between this and Powell's earlier quote to look at the VP choices to get a sense of the candidates priorities, I can't imagine why he's not endorsing Obama, but I guess as a Republican, he's looking for any kind of light to back McCain (who he maxed out to in the primaries).
Get ready for the counterspin when and if it comes, though. It'll be "Well, we kinda figured Powell would back one of his guys" on wingnut radio.