New York Times readers who were unlucky enough to miss Colin Powell's Monday night barnburner got a raw deal the next morning. As is its custom for major events, the Times reprinted excerpts from the speech for its readers. But it's a strange principle that guided the selection of those excerpts. Plenty of mentions of Governor Bush survived -- even the Times couldn't edit an endorsement speech to exclude all references to the man being endorsed, no matter how unpopular he is with the boys and girls in the newsroom. And of course they left in Powell's brief but energetic defense of affirmative action and his call for racial inclusiveness. All that was missing in the Times's version, really, was the heart of the speech.
Fully the last third of Powell's remarks were intended to place Bush's campaign in a larger context -- indeed, Powell tried to make the case that of the two major candidates for president, Bush seems uniquely suitable to the world-historical task awaiting the country's next leader. "The Bush-Cheney team will be a great team for America. They will put our nation on a course of hope and optimism for this new century," Powell said. "For all our children's sake, above all, let us as a party strive from this moment on to make that century a reality. Fellow Republicans, fellow Americans, let's elect George W. Bush and Dick Cheney."
The warmth -- extravagance, even -- of this endorsement must have exceeded the fondest dreams of Bush and his supporters. When the most popular man in America -- a hero who carefully husbands his reputation for non-partisanship -- delivers this kind of endorsement, it's news. Or so you would think. Too bad it wasn't fit to print in the Times.