Politics. On Point.

Former secretary of state and retired Gen. Colin Powell received the President's Award at the 42nd annual NAACP Image Awards. The prestigious award was presented by NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous in recognition of Powell's special achievements and distinguished public service. "General Colin Powell has led an extraordinary life of public service," said Jealous in a statement. "As the first African American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and later the first to serve as Secretary of State, General Powell holds a unique place in American history. He is a man of conscience and conviction, who uses his vast influence to promote education and self esteem to our country's youth. Although his position on the Iraq War was controversial, he was often the voice of reason in the prosecution of that war. He rose from humble roots as the son of Jamaican immigrants to become a distinguished military leader, a statesman, a humanitarian...

Another busy day for President Obama as his scheduled included meetings with two prominent D.C. area figures: Mayor-elect Vincent Gray , and General Colin Powell. Gray and President Obama discussed funding for infrastructure for Ward 8, D.C. license plates, the city's high unemployment rate, and voting rights.  The two spoke on the 55th anniversary of Rosa Parks' giving up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus - an act that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and catapulted the Civil Rights movement. 'I'm unequivocally in support of voting rights for the District of Columbia", Obama told Gray. The District faces a $188 million gap in the Fiscal Year 2011 operating budget. Gray expects to have future meetings with the president. On meeting with General Powell the president explained, "Most of the discussion we had was around national security issues.  We talked about some of the challenges across the landscape, from North Korea to Iran to Afgha...