Carter Blasts Bush on His Global Impact

[Woodmonkey]

Carter has little room to talk. He's the one who went down to Mexico and talked about Montezuma's revenge just to mention one of his gaffes. He was a weak president. His mishandling of Iran is his legacy.

Carter Blasts Bush on His Global Impact

Jimmy Carter Blasts George Bush As 'Worst' President in History on International Relations

Former President Carter says President Bush's administration is "the worst in history" in international relations, taking aim at the White House's policy of pre-emptive war and its Middle East diplomacy.

The criticism from Carter, which a biographer says is unprecedented for the 39th president, also took aim at Bush's environmental policies and the administration's "quite disturbing" faith-based initiative funding.

"I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history," Carter told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in a story that appeared in the newspaper's Saturday editions. "The overt reversal of America's basic values as expressed by previous administrations, including those of George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon and others, has been the most disturbing to me."

Carter spokeswoman Deanna Congileo confirmed his comments to The Associated Press on Saturday and declined to elaborate. He spoke while promoting his new audiobook series, "Sunday Mornings in Plains," a collection of weekly Bible lessons from his hometown of Plains, Ga.

"Apparently, Sunday mornings in Plains for former President Carter includes hurling reckless accusations at your fellow man," said Amber Wilkerson, Republican National Committee spokeswoman. She said it was hard to take Carter seriously because he also "challenged Ronald Reagan's strategy for the Cold War."

Carter came down hard on the Iraq war.

"We now have endorsed the concept of pre-emptive war where we go to war with another nation militarily, even though our own security is not directly threatened, if we want to change the regime there or if we fear that some time in the future our security might be endangered," he said. "But that's been a radical departure from all previous administration policies."

Carter, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, criticized Bush for having "zero peace talks" in Israel. Carter also said the administration "abandoned or directly refuted" every negotiated nuclear arms agreement, as well as environmental efforts by other presidents.

Carter also offered a harsh assessment for the White House's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which helped religious charities receive $2.15 billion in federal grants in fiscal year 2005 alone.

"The policy from the White House has been to allocate funds to religious institutions, even those that channel those funds exclusively to their own particular group of believers in a particular religion," Carter said. "As a traditional Baptist, I've always believed in separation of church and state and honored that premise when I was president, and so have all other presidents, I might say, except this one."

Douglas Brinkley, a Tulane University presidential historian and Carter biographer, described Carter's comments as unprecedented.

"This is the most forceful denunciation President Carter has ever made about an American president," Brinkley said. "When you call somebody the worst president, that's volatile. Those are fighting words."

Carter also lashed out Saturday at British prime minister Tony Blair. Asked how he would judge Blair's support of Bush, the former president said: "Abominable. Loyal. Blind. Apparently subservient."

"And I think the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world," Carter told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

The Source

[BrianK]

[quote=Woodmonkey;3310875

"We now have endorsed the concept of pre-emptive war where we go to war with another nation militarily, even though our own security is not directly threatened, if we want to change the regime there or if we fear that some time in the future our security might be endangered," he said. "But that's been a radical departure from all previous administration policies." [/QUOTE]

I guess living in Plains Ga. means that the attacks on embassies, the USS KOHL, 9/11 & the planned attack on Fort Dix & other events didn't affect his security. Carter's concept of United We Stand is differant than mine.

I particularly like his use of the word radical. It shows how liberals think. We are to blame not the radical islamics that have threatened our security.

I'm not good at reacting or at least not good at waiting for more attacks so that we can run out and find those that attacked us.

Maybe Carter can negotiate with the radicals. Get them to wear uniforms, have headquarters where we could go in and talk to the leaders. Maybe Carter could even get them to stop making video's of beheadings.

[Caldric]

I thought present and ex-Presidents had the gentlemens agreement not to blame or bash the others? Almost a taboo to do so. I guess that is only for republican presidents to follow.

Carter was the weakest leader in our near history so I guess he needs to take that light off himself. He is always whining about something.

[leobold1]

Bush White House fires back at Jimmy Carter | Reuters

Bush White House fires back at Jimmy Carter

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - The White House on Sunday fired back at former President Jimmy Carter, calling him "increasingly irrelevant" a day after Carter described George W. Bush's presidency as the worst in history in international relations.

Carter, a Democrat, said on Saturday in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that "as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history."

White House spokesman Tony Fratto had declined to react on Saturday but on Sunday fired back.

"I think it's sad that President Carter's reckless personal criticism is out there," Fratto told reporters. "I think it's unfortunate. And I think he is proving to be increasingly irrelevant with these kinds of comments."

Carter has been an outspoken critic of Bush, but the White House has largely refrained from attacking him in return. Sunday's sharp response marks a departure from the deference that sitting presidents traditionally have shown their predecessors.

In the newspaper interview, Carter said Bush had taken a "radical departure from all previous administration policies" with the Iraq war.

"We now have endorsed the concept of pre-emptive war where we go to war with another nation militarily, even though our own security is not directly threatened, if we want to change the regime there or if we fear that some time in the future our security might be endangered," Carter said.

In a separate BBC interview, Carter also denounced the close relationship between Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"Abominable. Loyal, blind, apparently subservient," Carter said when asked how he would characterize Blair's relationship with Bush.

"I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world," Carter said.

Carter, who was president from 1977-1981 and won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his charitable work, was an outspoken opponent of the invasion of Iraq before it was launched in 2003.

[Woodmonkey]

Originally Posted by Caldric

I thought present and ex-Presidents had the gentlemens agreement not to blame or bash the others? Almost a taboo to do so. I guess that is only for republican presidents to follow.

Key word - gentlemens. People who froth at the mouth like Carter aren't.

"I think it's sad that President Carter's reckless personal criticism is out there," Fratto told reporters. "I think it's unfortunate. And I think he is proving to be increasingly irrelevant with these kinds of comments."

Carter has been an outspoken critic of Bush, but the White House has largely refrained from attacking him in return. Sunday's sharp response marks a departure from the deference that sitting presidents traditionally have shown their predecessors.

It's been one-way deference. In the past, presidents didn't attack each other. Bush being silent on Carter's attacks have looked like rolling over and hurt him. Carter's an easy target and some of his own abysmal record should be highlighted with each attack of his - double digit inflation, long lines at the gas pumps, the hostage crises that drug on and on, our plummet in the world, etc.



In a separate BBC interview, Carter also denounced the close relationship between Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.[/quote]

[cato2]

And while the others give speech's he puts a hammer in his hand. While other reflect on past glories he attempts to bring peace to the world through action.

Might be a reason why he received a Noble Peace Prize while other simply collected their payment for a speech.


His acceptance Speech:
Jimmy Carter - Nobel Lecture

[KBay84]

Yeah, and this from a guy who gave the green light to an ill planned, under-manned and ill-fated (the last one not his fault) Iranian hostage resque mission. Even if the sand storm hadn't knocked out the CH-53's, the probability of success was low.