05/21/2007
Carter Calls His Criticism of Bush Administration "Careless"
Jimmy Carter sharply criticized the Bush administration in an interview published over the weekend in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, calling the Bush administration "the worst in history":
"I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history. 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...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. But that's been a radical departure from all previous administration policies....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. 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."
The White House responded on Sunday, as spokesman Tony Fratto replied, "I think it's sad that President Carter's reckless personal criticism is out there. I think it's unfortunate. And I think he is proving to be increasingly irrelevant with these kinds of comments."
This morning, on the Today show, Carter backtracked on the comments, saying he was answering a question comparing the Bush administration's foreign policy to Richard Nixon's:
"They were maybe careless or misinterpreted. [I] certainly was not talking personally about any president. I think they were [careless], yes, because they were interpreted as comparing this whole administration to all other administrations." (video)
Careless or not, I'm sure Carter could find plenty of people to agree with him.
Posted 4:00 PM EST by Andy Towle in George W. Bush, Iraq, Jimmy Carter, News | Permalink
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Carter probably backtracked because it's considered a great faux-pas for a former president to criticize the sitting president publicly. I don't agree with that, but that's the way it is.
That said, exactly which part of his comment was untrue?
Posted by: Brian | May 21, 2007 4:09:52 PM
I really wish Carter hadn't backtracked like that. What he said is absolutely true and needs to be said by as many highly visible, respected, influential people as possible. On a continuous basis. Until people en masse listen and begin to take action.
Posted by: Michael | May 21, 2007 4:19:37 PM
Jimmy Carter is the only thing that makes me still proud to be from (and living in) the State of Georgia.
While I too wish that President Carter hadn't withdrawn his remarks, I can see how the media jumped on a misinterpreted line and made his comments much "bigger" than Carter intended.
Of all former presidents, in all of American history, is there a single one of them who has gone on after leaving the White House to accomplish as much for our nation and for the whole world as Jimmy Carter? For that reason alone, if not for a myriad of others, President Carter is hardly "irrelevant".
Tony Snow and the rest of the Dubya Dittoheads owe President Carter a HUGE apology.
Posted by: Jonathon | May 21, 2007 4:27:06 PM
I *really* wish President Carter had not equivocated. His original statements were courageous and 100% correct.
Posted by: peterparker | May 21, 2007 4:33:36 PM
I don't think Americans like public figures who tell the truth. Jimmy Carter is a very honorable man. I don't know about 30 years ago, but he is now.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | May 21, 2007 4:34:10 PM
Pathetic. And now even those comments he essentially reinforced will be lost under the din of Righteous Indignation by the Bush Reich and its followers.
More pathetic? The further deificaton of Reagan on "Good Morning America" as former Nixon aide Dianne Sawyer and others swooned over his self-serving, childish diaries and licked Miss Nancy's David Evins shoes as she replayed her evergreen dewy-eyed recollections of St. Ronnie of Bel-Air. Part 2 tomorrow. It is to puke.
Posted by: Leland | May 21, 2007 4:37:35 PM
I absolutely agree. The Bush Administration is a historical tragedy in the making. Indeed, the tragedy is already made! Carter shouldn't have backtracked what he said was the absolute truth.
Posted by: Mervin Malone Jr. | May 21, 2007 4:43:02 PM
Interesting article came out today showing that those who are highly politically motivated, either very liberal or very conservative, saw the other side in a worse light than they did foreign enemies such as Al Qaeda, were slightly happier than the general population, but were more unpleasant to be around.
Posted by: anon | May 21, 2007 5:18:35 PM
The problems for the USA started with this "peanut of a President". I guess he has forgotten the hostages in Iran and how Ayatolla Komeini used him as a kitchen rag. If there is anybody that has no leg to stand is this stupid of a President. He was AWFUL. One of the worse Presidents of this country. It amazes me that anybody will listen to what this man says. By the way, I'm not in favor of the current administration. I just wonder for how long the good Lord will makes us suffer this "peanut of a man". Mr. Carter, PLEASE, SHUT UP!!!!
Posted by: Oscar | May 21, 2007 5:19:59 PM
Carter was hardly our greatest nor our worst President, and for you to declare that the US had no problems prior to his Administration, Oscar, is willfully ignorant which equals STUPID. How old ARE you?
Posted by: Leland | May 21, 2007 5:45:52 PM
Former Prez Carter, himself not a stellar performer in the OO (Oval Office), joins the long line of elected politicians, et al. who say one thing/express their opinion, then backpedal and state they are mis-interpreted, mis-quoted, taken out-of-context, et al. It's so weak.
It is no wonder the electorate in this country hovers at an all time low election after election.
Another sorry politician (Carter) who should have kept his mouth shut the first time or let his words stand the first time.
Posted by: Stephen | May 21, 2007 5:54:37 PM
oscar go back quite a bit farther
read "All the Shahs Men" which lays out what is now publicly known about how the brits and we Amewricans created the mullahs and had a hand in creating political radical islam.
The DEMOCRATICALY elected (yes iran had a democracy once) prime minister and parlimant in iran had decided to deman more revenue from the exploitation of their resource OIL. BP british petroleum which controlled Iran's oil flow flipped out and aproached america with a bold plan. Overthrow a democraatic government and see to it the figure head the Shah become a dictator to ensure the flow of money from exploiting Iran's oil fields. We sent in a teddy roosevelt grandson CIA agent to finance and manage the coup. It worked. the shah became a dictator that forbad iranian men from meeting in groups. the only legal place for Iranian men to meet and discuss their upset with the political changes without being killed was in mosques. The mullahs gained power and politics in rian became weded to islam. The descendants of these men hated america and the west for what we did. The ayatollah and the mullahs rose up and overthrew the uS placed Shah.
This was all way way way before carter was even a gleem in some polling booth worker's eye.
The of course we set up Saddam to deal with the aytollah and mullahs in iran which also came back to bite us in the ass. I wish america would see the trend. We also financialy supported castro's revolution in the beggining. Just as we set up noriega and marcos. This problem in the middle east is just the sins of our fathers coming back to bite us all in the ass. We are paying for the greed of our forebears. Oh what a different world indeed it would be if we had never overthrown the parlimentary government in Iran and set up the shah as a dictator. A vastly different world.
Posted by: pacificoceanboy | May 21, 2007 6:05:35 PM
Pacificoceanboy has some good points. But I still wonder what would have happened had the US been a bit more "forceful" in dealing with the Iran hostage situation.
Perhaps we wouldn't be having the problems in the middle east now if they considered the US to be tougher. Carter's way, they saw us as weak.
But hey...moslems are still mad at us about the crusades...might not have made any difference.
Posted by: Myackie | May 21, 2007 6:56:11 PM
Carter can be honestly criticized for many things he did as president, but the Iran situation was not of his making. He inherited it. While many argue that more could and should have been done to free the hostages in Tehran, we should remember that there were indeed attempts made to free them, not to mention round-the-clock diplomatic efforts made by many nations on our behalf.
Carter will not be remembered for being a great president. He will, however, be remembered as a great man, especially for the work he has done since leaving office. There are many people alive on this planet today because of efforts Mr. Carter spearheaded to fight against Guinea worm, a common parasite in parts of Africa. His work internationally via the Carter Center, serving as observers in many elections in many countries has shown his strong support of democracy and democratic institutions. He's been helping young democracies grow and evolve.
In light of everything he has done in service to our country and to our world, he deserves more respect than he has been given by the current White House Deputy Press Secretary, and by commentors near and far.
Posted by: Jonathon | May 21, 2007 7:12:18 PM
If Carter is such a great man, why did he backtrack on his remarks? Stand up for what you said, Mr. President!!!
Posted by: jmg | May 21, 2007 8:24:30 PM
The Bush/Cheney administration goes far beyond being "the worst in history." It is a criminal conspiracy to use the resources of the United States military to control the largest oil reserves in the world. What appeared to be a quick success in the early days of the war, has evolved into the largest terrorist training ground in the world. If anyone watched the interviews with high ranking members of the Iraqi Parliament over the weekend, they are clueless on any plan to bring order. In fact, they want to leave on their two month summer vacation as planned.
Bush's isolationist policy for Iraq is a disaster. He is too stupid to understand that Islamic ideology is more powerful than any tribe or border. These people will fight to the death to evict the infidels. No governing body, laws or surge of military force will stop the insurgents from carrying out their mission. For the radical faction, their path to martyrdom has been programmed from the time they were children.
Obviously Bush and Cheney have made promises to Halliburton and its bevy of subsidiaries and joint venture partners, all slopping at the trough of multi-billion dollar contracts, that we will stay through the last day of his administration. Bush has stated many times that Iraq will become the problem of the next president. Only Congress can put an end to this war which cannot be won or settled. But what if they do?
Now that Iraq is totally destabilized, the US will have to maintain a major force in that region for decades to come as Iran has made it well known that they plan to control Iraq and the Persian Gulf. If this happens, Iran will bring the economic engine of this country to a standstill by slowing the flow of oil to a trickle causing prices to skyrocket. They can bring in the same level of revenue by chopping the volume in half and doubling the price. Welcome to the no win scenario compliments of George Bush and Dick Cheney.
Constitutional amendments have to be put into place so no president can take us into war on offense on his sole authority. Unborn generations will be paying the costs of greed of these two men.
Posted by: Johnny Lane | May 21, 2007 10:13:07 PM
If President Carter had only compared Bush to Hitler would he be getting closer to the truth as far as I'm concerned.
History will judge not only what a complete and totally incompetent idiot and wanna-be dictator Bush has been, but the damage he has caused to this country and the world, is immeasurable.
I can only hope that we are all unconscience and dreaming and will wake up and all of this will be one big huge nightmare, but alas, I fear it's not a dream.
Posted by: Jordan | May 21, 2007 11:44:42 PM
the truth speaks for itself. carter only said what most of us already know. anyone that found his remarks an outrage, only look at what the bush administration has done in the last 6 years. my dear if your not outraged your not paying attention.
Posted by: vince | May 22, 2007 12:40:14 AM
Sorry, but he may have retracted the comments since it was quite a lot like the kettle calling the pot black.
Posted by: none@none.com | May 22, 2007 9:37:20 AM
I meant to add that it's funny there's talk of here of Iran in the 70's, but no mention of Afghanistan.
Posted by: none@none.com | May 22, 2007 9:39:47 AM
I once knew a guy who claimed to be part of the botched hostage rescue effort. He always thought that the attempt was sabatoged by persons unknown.
Posted by: zabadak | May 22, 2007 5:42:52 PM
Carter is an ass!!
Posted by: joseph | May 22, 2007 9:32:38 PM