Jimmy Carter's Son Responds To Criticism of His Dad

People who know G.M. and me also know that we're no fans of former President Jimmy Carter. We have taken our share of pot shots at him ranging from the killer rabbit to being kicked off the island of great Americans to liking dictators more than us to his bad advice to his threat to New Orleans. Most of our comments are in fun, but we clearly are disappointed in his actions as an ex-President just as we were when he was in office. However, we also respect honest discussion and debate about his Presidency and his political positions and activities in recent years.

In one of my local papers, The Citizen, there have been running on-line duels between one writer, Richard Hobbs, and one of Jimmy Carter's sons, Jeff Carter. I know that Hobbs likes to tweak Jeff, and he probably is egged on because Jeff seems to take it quite seriously and personally and can get his feathers ruffled. Well, it is about his dad. However, Jeff also provides a lot of information and facts that most of us would not consider except for him bringing them up. Now, I certainly don't always agree with the information that he provides or his interpretation of it, but I do respect his integrity and sincerity and intelligence, and he has been polite in exchanges with me.

Below is a recent attack and counter-attack between those two, which I have abbreviated, so you would have to refer to the links to get the entire picture. The subject has to do with the recent resignations from the Carter Center of some of the trustees and others over mideast positions written by President Carter in his most recent book.

You may find interest in the reactions of a son of a President to others who criticize him, and you may learn something that newspapers and internet sites don't offer. Also, if you wish, you may add your comments to that discussion, but remain cordial and you will receive cordial responses.

Here's the story about the book and resignations, and below that is the discussion on the matter.

Fourteen members of a Carter Center advisory board – including a former U.S. ambassador – quit today in protest of Jimmy Carter's latest book, which they view as being critical of Israel. In a letter to Carter, the members of the Board of Councilors wrote that the former president had "clearly abandoned your historic role of broker, in favor of becoming an advocate for one side."

Jimmy Carter, the Titanic Presidency (The Citizen, by Richard Hobbs)

Now even his friends are bailing out of Jimmy's maniacal world view regarding his ignorance over the Middle East. From the Article above, 14 Carter Center advisors have resigned in protest over our beloved Ex-president, Jimmy Carter's newest book, which contends, (now hold your boot straps) that Israel is to blame for all that is wrong in the middle East, and the Palestinians and Hamas are just misunderstood and have a right to defend themselves.

The only thing that Jimmy did right the entire time he was president seemed to have been with Israel and Egypt, but now, I'm beginning to really wonder what Rosilyn has been putting into his coffee every morning.

Now that Arafat is gone and Castro is on the way out, who is going to take their seats at Jimmy's funeral. He's been writing his funeral plans of late, so what foreign despot will take those seats.

This is another piece I found interesting from the Wall Street Journal's online version.

Begin Quote:
Is Jimmy Carter an anti-Semite? Shmuley Boteach, who styles himself "America's rabbi," argues in the Jerusalem Post that the answer is no:

Jimmy Carter is not so much anti-Semite as anti-intellectual, not so much a Jew-hater as a boor. The real explanation behind his limitless hostility to Israel is a total lack of any moral understanding....

Lies Mr. Hobbs, Submitted by Jeff Carter

I will not attempt to analyze the worms inside Mr. Hobbs mind that causes his shockingly macabre and grotesque fascination with my father’s funeral. ...Mr. Hobbs rants against my father’s book citing a person who “styles himself as America’s rabbi.” ...Mr. Hobbs took it upon himself to initiate this discussion and said Jimmy Carter’s book states that “Israel is to blame for all that is wrong in the Middle East, and the Palestinians and Hamas are just misunderstood...” I contend that this is an outrageous and bald-face lie perpetrated by him and I challenge Mr. Hobbs to cite references in the book to uphold his allegations.

Because he is a traitor, Submitted by Richard Hobbs

About that lie Mr. Hobbs, Submitted by Jeff Carter

And, it goes on and on. I guess it's a little like exchanges here, but we're so nice.