POWELL: USEFUL IDIOT, PHASE TWO?

Apparently not -- apparently he doesn't want to help build a filibuster-proof majority for Bush, Frist, and the hard right, though it seems to be for personal rather than political reasons, according to the New York Daily News:

Hillary vs. Colin?

That's the dream matchup that top New York Republicans would like to see in 2006 - a pitched battle for the Senate between Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Secretary of State Powell....

"This is an idea that has great potential," newly minted state GOP chairman Steve Minarik told the Daily News last night. "Colin Powell would have tremendous star quality, and I plan to talk to him about this."

Minarik noted that Powell is a New York City native....

A close associate of Powell's, however, told the Daily News that he will not serve in government again.

He'd probably win if he did run -- New York voters aren't really any smarter than, say, Maine voters, who don't realize that a vote for any GOP senator is a vote for Frist and Bush.

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UPDATE The New York Post story about this doesn't add much, but here's a quote from the longer New York Sun story:

The scenario sent a shiver of excitement through Republicans, who delighted at the thought, however fanciful, of a titanic clash between the venerated soldier-diplomat and the celebrated Senator Clinton.

"You could sell tickets to this one," Rep. Peter King, a Republican of Long Island, said....

Mr. Powell's star power would lift Republican tickets statewide and could help the party win countless local races that come below the U.S. Senate on the ballot, such as judges, county officials, and seats in the Assembly, Mr. King mused.

"It would get more people on the Republican line and give an energy and vitality to the Republican Party that we haven't seen in years," he said.

I love that -- King doesn't even pretend to conceal the fact that the state GOP basically just wants to use Powell (in the campaign, after which Bush can use him in D.C.).