July 31, 2005
Jimmy Carter: From Hammers for Homes to Crowbars for White House
Former President Jimmy Carter spoke at an overseas church conference, and he tossed out any message about God's grace for a chance to bash the United States by misrepresenting our mission and conduct in the war on terror and by providing veiled justifications for terrorists. It's bad enough when a future President goes overseas and protests against our country, but it's worse when a former President does the same thing--because people in other countries often give great weight to his words and he sends them mixed signals. Rather than using his position to help our nation, Carter has become a cheerleader for those who don't like us.
President Carter would do well to remember the difficulty of the President's job. He should honor the tradition of former presidents with class, who avoid public criticism of the current occupant of the White House and avoid interfering with our nation's policies. Instead, in trying to rehabilitate the image of his dismal Presidency, Carter goes beyond handling hammers for the poor. He makes unofficial and unwanted visits to the dictators of Cuba and North Korea and criticizes our nation throughout all lands--acting as if that is help. This is nothing new, as he even went behind the back of President Clinton. Based upon the results of Carter's re-election bid, the voters stated that Carter had done enough. Why doesn't he get the message?
Jimmy Carter
(Left of dictator?)
Jimmy Carter has proven to be not only the worst president in recent history, but also the worst former President. And, don't tell me about him constructing homes for the poor, because it takes more than hammers to rebuild an image. At least he shouldn't take a crowbar to rip up the White House and make the job harder for others.
Posted by GM Roper at July 31, 2005 04:00 PM | TrackBackWoody, I've watched Jimmah go from "A lousy President, but a good man" to "A lousy President" to "A lousy President and a Holier Than Thou type" to "A lousy President and a interfearing big mouth"
To now, just a plain ole big mouthed washup who thinks that just because he can trash the US and this President, that makes him important. Too bad Jimmah, I liked you better when you were a peanut farmer and were "Outstanding in you field!"
Posted by GM Roper at July 31, 2005 09:41 PM
Worse President of recent history? Hardly. That would apply to the guy who continues to read `My Pet Goat' to schoolkids for seven minutes with a deer-in-the headlights look in his eyes while our nation is being attacked. Sorry, Woody, I fall in line with the folks who hand out the Nobel Peace Prize, rather than the hacks at the Heritage Foundation, who labeled (laughably) Carter a traitor for his visit to Cuba.
Posted by jim hitchcock at July 31, 2005 09:44 PM
Jimmah like most (if not all) on the left is a total disgrace. He has been despicable and cowardly in every respect.
Posted by Michael at July 31, 2005 11:02 PM
Jim, you can't trust everything from Michael Moore and his lot. Bush absolutely could not move from where he was until the Secret Servce readied the car, cleared the area under high alert, and prepared Air Force One for an emergency take-off. The White House staff was already gathering information, for which there was precious little at that time, and our military and air traffic controllers where already assessing and handling the emergency with air traffic. Bush's "delay" did nothing to slow our response--did it?
The Nobel Committee gives out peace prizes to major players that attack the U.S. They did it last year, too, in an intentional snub to Bush. They have diluted that award with so much leftist bias that one can take the Heritage Foundation more seriously.
Under Carter, we had double digit inflation, unemployment, and interest rates. We had the world smirking at us for Carter's impotence with the Iranian hostage situation. If what you said about his presidency was true, then how do you explain that the election for his second term was called for Reagan by 7:00 PM ET because it wasn't even close.
The American people decided he was a terrible president, and now he's showing us that he's a terrible ex-president. He can talk to President Bush privately, just as he and other presidents used to ask the counsel of Nixon privately. It is bad precedence for a former president to cause problems to succeeding administrations.
In fact, the only good thing that I can see about him is that he's a Braves fan, although he sits in the box of Ted Turner and former wife Jane Fonda. But, if the Dodgers want him, they can have him.
Posted by Woody at July 31, 2005 11:17 PM
Jim: "That would apply to the guy who continues to read `My Pet Goat' to schoolkids for seven minutes with a deer-in-the headlights look in his eyes..."
Of course, I would remind everyone that 7 minutes while seeming like a long time, was only a fraction of the time that Mr. Kerry and others sat 40 + minutes "not knowing what to do." I believe that my beloved friend Jim supported Mr. Kerry too. ;-)
Posted by GM at July 31, 2005 11:17 PM
Woody, I really don't see how Michael Moore has anything to do with the lack of response shown by Bush. The man sat there for seven minutes looking totally befuddled. Are you telling me YOU wouldn't be jumping out of the chair, out the door, screaming for more information right then and there? Please.
It doesn't take any editorializing by Moore or anyone else for me to clearly see that this is a guy incapable of any response or action that he hasn't been completely prepared for by handlers and advisors first. A leader he is not.
Posted by jim hitchcock at August 1, 2005 12:23 AM
Jim, you have to analyze the President's actions based upon what was known at that moment and not what you learned later--then, compare that to Carter's responses for emergencies like the Iranian Embassy takeover.
The guy whispering to the President might have said someting like, "Mr. President. A plane crashed into the World Trade Center and now another one just hit the Pentagon. That's all we know for sure and we don't know who is responsible, but our military and air traffic controllers are already taking preventative actions. While we're trying to get more information, our agents are sweeping the area around here because we assess you at maximum risk right now. You're safest here. Give us 5-10 minutes and we'll have you cleared to go to AF1 that is being readied.
Bush thinking: "Okay. There's nothing I can do at the moment but try to comprehend this and plan my goodbye to the children without scaring the pants off of them. What is going on and who is doing this!? Could it get any more serious? I'll have to wait for the preliminary report, and when the Secret Service says that they're ready, I'm out of here."
Jim, I took me a lot longer than Bush to comprehend this, and Kerry took six times as long. This is nitpicking and inconsequential to anything except to attack Bush.
At least it only took Bush 7 minutes to physically show action, but clearly he was assessing the matter. Compare that to Carter who took over a year to act on the Iranian hostage situation, which occured in great part to his ineptness in foreign policy and his orders for the Embassy Marines to hold fire while being stormed. Can you imagine how they felt? Also, I wonder how fast Clinton moved with the first bomb attack on the WTC when the truck blew up in the basement? He was so concerned that he let it go as a NYC police matter.
Posted by Woody at August 1, 2005 08:48 AM
Clearly assessing the matter? While continuing to read to school children rather than jumping up to find out what the heck was happening to his country?
Well, you have your take on the situation; I have mine.
But here you guys are; continually denigrating a presidential candidate who at least had the cojones to go and fight for our country, albeit for a short time. He came out of that experience against the war? So did a lot of others. And you spew hate at a former president, who I need not remind you, as CIC singlehandedly fought off a horde of attacking rabit (well, one rabbit) while deployed at sea (o.k., it was a lake).
But, have to say, guys, you show a singular resistance to exercising critical thinking when it comes to anything that comes out of the mouth of our current `wartime' President...without ever considering his credentials as a draft dodger. Have you ever blogged about the fact that this guy waited until twelve days before his college deferment ran out to sign up for the National Guard, had his dad use his influence to get his appointment approved in one day as opposed to the normal one to two month process, thereby guaranteeing him a slot (Jumping to the front of the line, as it were) in a service which he knew full well would never be deployed to Vietnam?
Posted by jim hitchcock at August 2, 2005 04:25 AM
Actually Jim, Clinton was the draft dodger. Signing up in an Air Guard unit with elements currently deployed in Vietnam in a plane that was known to be a difficult plane to strap on your ass hardly qualifies as cowardice.
On the other hand, volunteering for coastal patrol which though technically was in "combat" but one of the absolutely safest spots in Vietnam, then bitching like hell when the swift boats were assigned to riverine duties. ASKING for a PH for a scratch? Then when your CO says no, going around the system deliberately setting up a get out early sceanario?
If you had had any influence in those days, would you have used it? I would have, and I enlisted in the regular army, knowing full well that I would be likely sent to 'Nam. I wasn't, but that is another story.
Kerry's Vietnam service doesn't hold up Jim. The SBVT had him pegged, Unfit For Command, and they got their asses handed to them for their troubles.
Posted by GM Roper at August 2, 2005 06:26 AM
Kind of a moot point, seeing as how I have never had the experience with influence to really know how I would handle it...but I'd like to think not. Just a bit immoral to take up someone else's slot down the line, I think.
If only I'd had the eyesight...man, flying helicopters would have been pretty irresistable to me. Hueys would have been acceptable, but I think I'd have preferred loaches or, dare I say it, Cobras!
Note I said nothing about cowardice, I was simply staing that Bush avoided the draft, and avoided Vietnam deliberately. Didn't stop him from claiming to be a war president, or playacting carrier landings. Don't remember mentioning Clinton, either...oh, I get. Were playing a game of one upmanship :)
Posted by jim hitchcock at August 2, 2005 08:11 AM
Actually Jim, in a round about way you brought up Clinton when you mentioned a draft dodger. Well, I guess I'm one too if Bush is. I got my draft notice on my birthday in 1969 and opted to join in order to go to OCS as opposed to being drafted. Clinton on the other hand acknowledged dodging the draft via a cutsey letter and a requested deferrment so that he could join "later."
You are absolutely correct - I know, you knew that ;-) - regarding your comment about waiting to the last. But, again, I'm worse since I waited until I actually had a draft notice...
Having said that, your implication was that Bush was only joining to avoid Vietnam. As I said, at the time he joined, the unit he joined had men and planes already in Vietnam so he may have fully expected to go in also... but, while he was still in pilot training the plane was determined to be unsuitable for combat in the Vietnam environment and brought home. The plane was an interceptor, not a fighter bomber, nor a plane suitable for close ground support. It was designed as an interceptor.
Lastly, my dear friend, this wasn't being played as a game of one-ups man ship, but rather I was refuting your arguments, at least that was my intent.
Still loves ya though!
Posted by GM at August 2, 2005 05:34 PM
"Lastly, my dear friend, this wasn't being played as a game of one-ups man ship,"
Oh, I knew that...just had to have a way to end, that's all.
Posted by jim hitchcock at August 2, 2005 06:10 PM
im ashamed for country, im ashamed i voted for jimmy carter andim ashamed of what he has become both with words and actions trashing pres. bush at king funeral was over the line
Posted by jim at February 9, 2006 07:29 PM
I,m ashamed i voted for ex president Jimmy Carter. He was a lousy president and now he is an even worse ex president. Jimmah has done many terrible things since leaving office,but his sleezy atempt to humileate President Bush, at Mrs. Kings funeral was way over the top. Jimmy needs to shut up and go away
Posted by jim at February 9, 2006 07:46 PM
