Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who served under President Bush from 2001-2005, announced on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that he was endorsing Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president.

But first, interviewer Tom Brokaw asked him what wasn’t on the American radar screen that should be. The answer: Education. And specifically, Powell highlighted the high dropout rate, especially among the minority populations. (Is Powell headed for a high-profile education policy position in an Obama White House? UPDATED: To read about Powell’s existing work on the dropout crisis through his America’s Promise Alliance, click here.)

In explaining his endorsement of Obama, Powell said he was disappointed in McCain’s exploitation of the Bill Ayers controversy, declaring that the rhetoric and the robocalls have gone “too far.”