President Barack Obama's campaign is hoping that the recent endorsement of former Secretary of State Colin Powell will help the president win voters in swing states. The campaign released a radio ad Wednesday in Florida, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire, Ohio, Iowa, Nevada, and Colorado touting the recent nod for a second term.
"He served America as a four-star general, as secretary of state, here's Republican Colin Powell on CBS," says a narrator in the ad. The ad then cuts to a clip from CBS on Thursday.
Powell, who served as secretary of state under George W. Bush during his first term, says in the ad, "I think we ought to keep on the track that we are on."
Powell then describes why he will vote for Obama, citing the president's handling of the economy, the auto bailout and conduct of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Top Romney surrogate John Sununu seemingly suggested on Thursday on CNN that Powell endorsed Obama because of race. Sununu then released a statement minutes later in an effort to walk back the comment, saying the endorsement was based on nothing but Obama's policies.
In response to the comment, Obama said that he would let Powell's words "stand for themselves," and added, "I don't think that there are many people in America who would question General Powell's credibility, his patriotism, his willingness to tell it straight, and so any suggestion that General Powell would make such a profound statement in such an important election based on anything but what he thought was what's going to be best for America doesn't make much sense."
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