VIDEO: Colin Powell Discusses the Late Margaret Thatcher on CBS THIS MORNING

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher "exuded influence and power" in an interview that aired live today, April 8, 2013, on "CBS THIS MORNING" on the CBS Television Network (7:00 AM - 9:00 AM).

Powell, following the announcement of Thatcher's death, told co-hosts Charlie Rose, Norah O'Donnell and Gayle King that his friend of 30 years was "tough as nails," but had a softer side to her as well. "She could be very, very warm and considerate of other people," Powell said.
"The British people have lost a great inspiration," Powell added. "They have lost somebody who should be an example to anybody in political life today." Watch the appearance in full below!

Excerpts from the interview are below.

Norah O'Donnell: With us now, former Secretary of State Colin Powell. General Powell, good morning. Thank you for joining us. What are your thoughts this morning on the legacy of Baroness Thatcher?

GEN. Colin Powell: I think she was a great leader. She was a determined person. She was someone who had a vision, had a purpose and went after that purpose and brought everybody along with her for a while. Of course she ran into difficulties as politicians often do. I knew her for 30 years. I watched her on many occasions. She certainly was as President Gorbachev said, "an Iron Lady." We had a lighter view of her. We said "watch out for the handbag." She was tough as nails, and I have story after story of how she stood us tall when she was annoyed with something we had done.

Gayle King: Do you have one to share with us this morning?

POWELL: When I was a young major general, I was working for Casper Weinberger who was our Secretary of Defense, and there was a competition over a particular radio that we were going to buy from a foreign source, either from the British or the French. And the contract went to the French and Mr. Weinberger had go tell Mrs. Thatcher. I was with Cap as he walked into that marvelous parlor and he started to explain in his lawyerly terms, as only Cap could do, why the contract went to the French and Mrs. Thatcher just looked at him and then said "Now there, Cap, I'm telling you, don't bother trying to explain it to me. It is not explainable. There's been dirty play at the crossroads." Cap took a deep breath and started again, and she said, "Didn't you just hear me? Don't try to explain it to me." Then she said something a little untoward about our French allies. Then she looked at me, waved a finger, and said, "Don't write that down, young man." I have so many stories like that over the years. We vacationed with her and her tremendous husband Dennis. But the British people have lost great inspiration. They have lost somebody who should be an example to anybody in political life today.

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