At a town hall at Emory University last night, Jimmy Carter repeated assertions he made to Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News earlier this week, that the vitriol being spewed toward Obama by right-wing conservatives is race-related.
Said Carter in the Williams interview (above, left): "I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated
animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is
a black man, that he's African American. I live in the
South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest
of the country that shared the South's attitude toward minority groups
at that time, particularly African Americans. And that racism inclination still exists. And I think it's bubbled up
to the surface because of the belief among many white people, not just
in the South but around the country, that African-Americans are not
qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance,
and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply."
At Emory, Carter stood by his remarks (above, right).
Reactions from the right wing have come fast and hard:
RNC Chair Michael Steele: Carter "trying to color the debate."
LAURA INGRAHAM: Carter "a self-loathing Southerner".
GLENN BECK: Osama bin Laden supports Jimmy Carter's views.
NEWT GINGRICH: Carter a failed President.
