Taped to the desk of his old office, ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell has a saying from the Athenian historian Thucydides that reads, “Of all manifestations of power, restraint impresses men most.”

Is that what Powell tried to teach the Bush administration and, by failing he offered his resignation? If only he was around to show that to Nixon, right?

Powell once was the perfect choice for either party trying to move to the center – a strong disciplinarian and decorated Vietnam War veteran. Seemingly liberal on some issues such as abortion and minority rights, he remains conservative on others. Loyalty became his second name, sticking by the president every step of the way.

Colin Powell is a man of admirable character and integrity. He added stability and carried the confidence of the people. He was often cited as being Bush’s trump card and the saving grace of the administration.

One would think Powell had all the right qualities to enable him to succeed as Secretary of State. Face it, he was raised in South Bronx and attended the City College of New York. How much more real does it get in the White House?

Powell’s list of accomplishments as a soldier, general and politician deservedly won him the support of people from both parties. Powell, at 52, became the first – and youngest – black chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and America’s highest-ranking soldier, becoming a major leader in operations to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi control. Later, he bridged America’s racial divide even further as the first African-American Secretary of State.

However, a man with such a stellar personality didn’t resign merely because he didn’t get along with Cheney and Rumsfeld. He wasn’t a quitter. He was a principled man who attempted to lend his wisdom to the White House. But after being shunned several times and watching the administration make errors time and time again, he offered his resignation.

Most people wrote Powell off as a mouthpiece for the administration or a man of few words early in his tenure. But, in truth, he was none of those. Of his duties, Powell said: “I’m principally a broker. I have strong views on things, but my job is to make sure the president gets the best information available to make an informed decision.”

But Powell tried to assert his views about several policy decisions, only to be shut out several times by the more conservative trio of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. And then began his downfall. He was humiliated, had to retract statements made (to whom about what?) in good faith and had to take a backseat to lower-ranked officials in the administration. Still, Powell being the man that he is, never bad-mouthed the regime.

Powell’s loyalty even led him to attach his personal credibility before the Security Council to claims of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Since these weapons were never recovered, Powell now views this as a blot that will stain his personal record forever. After a tumultuous four years, Powell seems happier and at peace with himself. I always admired his devotion to the Bush Administration, but I admired his resignation even more. Powell serves as an inspiration to us, today, as a man who will stand up for what he believes in.

Powell seems to be doing his part now that he isn’t involved with the Bush Administration. He has spoken out about the failures of state and federal efforts in dealing with the dangers to New Orleans. He told Barbara Walters in an interview on 20/20: “Not enough was done. I don’t think advantage was taken of the time that was available to us, and I just don’t know why.”

It is distressing that Powell, a virtuous politician who this country could really use, is out of power. However, now that he is not in the White House, he seems to be making bolder statements committing himself to issues in a way that his former job did not permit him to do.

Maybe he realizes that, even from outside the political arena, he can be one of the most influential black men in this country (look at Oprah). Now shying away from political life, Powell should shed some of the underserved loyalty he showed the Bush administration and write a brazen political chronicle of his service. The world would read it.