News, Carter blasts Bush on his global impact. (unemployment, Congress, Iran)

[John1960]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - 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."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070519/ap_on_re_us/carter_bush;_ylt=AsM.rbwujHdRw32rrchw.blI2ocA (broken link)

[silas777]

Originally Posted by John1960

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - 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."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070519/ap_on_re_us/carter_bush;_ylt=AsM.rbwujHdRw32rrchw.blI2ocA (broken link)

The Jimster, is just looking at his legacy and sees that his greatest accomplshment in his life will be building habitats, so he is trying to capitalize on the unrest of the lunatic fringe and insert himself back into the political scene!

[Adream]

I must admit that former President Jimmy Carter wasn't a real stand-out to me while he was in office, though he did try to effect positive change while coming up against an uncooperative Congress and Senate. The deck was just stacked against him in D.C.

I have come to regard him as a humanitarian with the vision of a true elder statesman. He has his own personal beliefs and feelings, but can access situations from a broader perspective. He has guts to voice his opinion out loud while this president is still in office!

The Republican comeback was weak:

"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."

Also stated by Mr. Carter:

"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."

[burdell]

Originally Posted by silas777

The Jimster, is just looking at his legacy and sees that his greatest accomplshment in his life will be building habitats, so he is trying to capitalize on the unrest of the lunatic fringe and insert himself back into the political scene!

Lunatic fringe? You mean the 70% or so of Americans who don't agree with the policies of this administration?

Should we infer from your post that you think destroying habitats with dubious purpose is a greater accomplishment than building habitats?

[Hawkeye48]

This is kind of unprecedented for an ex-president to criticize another president while in office.

[fishmonger]

Didn't Teddy Roosevelt criticize William Howard Taft?

[Sporin]

Originally Posted by silas777

The Jimster, is just looking at his legacy and sees that his greatest accomplshment in his life will be building habitats, so he is trying to capitalize on the unrest of the lunatic fringe and insert himself back into the political scene!

I disagree. Carter spoke his mind, and it says a lot when a man who wears his faith on his sleeve like Carter does denounces Bush's "faith based initiatives."

People give Carter way too much grief, he was a lame duck the moment he took office, but his accomplishments since leaving office are pretty much unparalleled.

[mb919]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye48

This is kind of unprecedented for an ex-president to criticize another president while in office.

Sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade.

[silas777]

Originally Posted by Sporin

I disagree. Carter spoke his mind, and it says a lot when a man who wears his faith on his sleeve like Carter does denounces Bush's "faith based initiatives."

People give Carter way too much grief, he was a lame duck the moment he took office, but his accomplishments since leaving office are pretty much unparalleled.

I believe if he were a republican that would be called a hypocrite,
Very much unparalleled ! no former president has built more houses than he has!

[crashcop]

Originally Posted by mb919

Sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade.

Carter may be a wonderful man, but alot of people help with habitat for humanity. As President he was and will be depicted by history as one of our worst choices for a leader. Double digit inflation and unemployment. And he could not resolve the Iranian crisis. I am not sure he had a foreign policy?

It is better to make the wrong decision than no decision at all. This represents Carter's whole term and led to one of the greatest margins of defeat by a sitting President. Carters an old man who could not lead in '76 and he still does not have a clue. I doubt the sitting President will lose any sleep over Jimmy Carters opinions.