One of Mitt Romney's campaign chairmen has hastily withdrawn his suggestion that Colin Powell, the former secretary of state, only endorsed Barack Obama for re-election because they are both black.
One of Mitt Romney's campaign chairmen has hastily withdrawn his suggestion that Colin Powell, the former secretary of state, only endorsed Barack Obama for re-election because they are both black.
John Sununu, the former New Hampshire governor, said the endorsement by Powell, a Republican who served in both Bush presidencies but backed Obama in 2008, could be explained by the fact that the men were of the same race.
"Frankly, when you take a look at Colin Powell you have to wonder whether that's an endorsement based on issues or whether he's got a slightly different reason for preferring President Obama," Sununu told CNN.
"When you have somebody of your own race that you're proud of being president of the United States, I applaud Colin for standing with him."
The remark prompted swift criticism and Sununu quickly released a statement backtracking on his comments.
"Colin Powell is a friend and I respect the endorsement decision he made and I do not doubt that it was based on anything but his support of the president's policies," he said.
The remarks by Sununu, one of Romney's most prominent and flamboyant supporters, proved an unwelcome distraction as the Republican prepared to give a major speech on the economy.
It is not the first time that he has been accused of injecting the issue of race into the presidential election.
In July, he told reporters on a conference call that he wished Obama "would learn how to be an American" and was forced to apologise. Earlier this month, he was criticised for describing the president as "lazy" after his poor performance in the first presidential debate.
Powell, whose parents were immigrants from Jamaica, served as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff under President George Bush Snr and as secretary of state under President George W Bush. He is a moderate Republican once seen as a promising presidential prospect.
He made no mention of race in his endorsement of Obama on Thursday, saying instead: "I signed on for a long patrol with President Obama and I don't think this is the time to make such a sudden change."
Powell credited the president with recent improvements in the economy and praised him as a steely commander-in-chief who had wound down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He also expressed scepticism that Romney would be able to cut taxes and increase military spending without adding to the federal government's budget deficit.
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