What he did then: Secretary of State

What he does now: Private citizen

Reported involvement: In late 2001 and early 2002, Powell reportedly lobbied for a more moderate detainee policy. As a retired general and combat veteran, he argued that American soldiers could pay the price in future conflicts if our enemies decided to reciprocate the detention and interrogation practices then under consideration by the White House. Powell's attorney, State Department legal adviser William Howard Taft IV, prepared a memo for the White House, which it ultimately ignored, that countered the arguments being advanced by the Justice and Defense Departments.

Photograph of Colin Powell by Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images.