General Colin Powell was nominated Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Thursday by President Bush . He is expected to win easy Senate confirmation and make history as the first black and the youngest ever person to hold the post . Powell fits the mold of Bush 's national security advisers , like - minded pragmatists favoring consensus building rather than confrontation . He is very fair in presenting others viewpoints and fits a role where diplomacy and political finesse with Congress is as essential as his instincts . He was credited with helping the Reagan White House recover from the Iran- Contra Affair and with guiding preparations for summits with Gorbachev .
General Colin Powell was nominated Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Thursday by President Bush. He is expected to win easy Senate confirmation and make history as the first black and the youngest ever officer to hold the post. Powell fits the mold of Bush's national security advisers, like-minded pragmatists favoring consensus building rather than confrontation. He is considered fair in presenting others viewpoints and fits a role where diplomacy and political finesse with Congress is as essential as battlefield instincts. He was credited with helping the Reagan White House recover from the Iran- Contra Affair and with guiding preparations for summits with Gorbachev.