Jimmah Carter Disses McCain

[David]

I hope this gets wide play. Any candidate in McCain's position would draw on that in a campaign. He earned it.

Carter: McCain 'milking' POW time
By Alan Gomez, USA TODAY
DENVER — Former president Jimmy Carter called Republican presidential candidate John McCain a "distinguished Naval officer," but said the Arizona senator has been "milking every possible drop of advantage" from his time served as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Carter spoke Thursday with USA TODAY ahead of Barack Obama's acceptance speech to cap off the Democratic National Convention. Carter spoke of Obama's challenges facing the lingering effects of racism in America and the ability of the Clintons to bring their supporters over to Obama. He decried Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman's decision to "abandon" the Democrats by speaking at the Republican National Convention next week.



Carter, however, focused heavily on McCain. He said he was bewildered by McCain's performance at the Saddleback Presidential Forum hosted by pastor and author Rick Warren in Lake Forest, Calif., last month.

Carter said that whether he was asked about religion, domestic or foreign affairs, every answer came back to McCain's 5½ years as a POW.

"John McCain was able to weave in his experience in a Vietnam prison camp, no matter what the question was," said Carter. "It's much better than talking about how he's changed his total character between being a senator, a kind of a maverick … and his acquiescence in the last few months with every kind of lobbyist pressure that the right wing Republicans have presented."

Carter said that Lieberman, Al Gore's running mate in 2000 and now an independent, had cast his lot with the GOP by deciding to speak at the party's convention.

Lieberman switched his party registration after losing the 2006 Democratic senatorial primary to Ned Lamont, who made opposition to the Iraq war central to his campaign. Lieberman kept his seat and has helped Democrats maintain a 51-49 voting edge.

"I would hope that the Democrats could have enough senators elected in November so that we would not any longer need to include Joe Lieberman among the senators," Carter said.

Carter called Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech at the convention Tuesday "superb," but questioned her for pointing out her accomplishments in some areas and merely saying that Obama shared those concerns.

Carter called former president Bill Clinton's speech Wednesday "perfect." Carter said the two speeches took a lot of pressure off Obama by uniting the party and ensuring that all Clinton supporters would support Obama.

Carter cited a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll last week that found 47% of Clinton supporters said they were solidly behind Obama and 30% said they would vote for McCain, someone else or no one at all. "I think that this week has eliminated that disparity," he said.

Carter also spoke of the segregation he saw growing up and said racism is "always a subtle factor" in American politics. He called this November's election possibly the most "momentous, important" election in the U.S. in the past 100 years, and he was confident that Obama could overcome the racial divide.

But he said race could ultimately be the deciding factor. "If he loses by 2 or 3%, then I would certainly say that the racial issue was a major factor," Carter said.



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[annett]

For alll of Carter's professed religious convictions and born again experiences, he seemingly begrudges McCain's reawakening and looks at it with an air of contempt and cynicism. How can Carter possibly now the depth of McCain's suffering as a POW? Perhaps Carter will one day have his reawakening but it will only come when he admits what a bitter and foolish man he is.

[Rifleman]

Sick is right! It takes a certain level of spirituality to endure the kind of brutality and torture a communist prison camp hands out.

[David]

McCain should be loving this. In my opinion, he doesn't discuss his POW experiences enough.

[Osiris]

McCain has been given honors for his military experiences and as having endured the brutality of having been a POW of the North Vietnamese. Not one of the politicians has ever denied that. But the fact is, that whenever McCain get's asked about something that he is 'uncomfortable' with, he immediately pulls out his "I was a POW" card. He use's it so often, that he is risking making it become quite trivial...unfortunately. Everyone is aware of his Veteran experiences, and we get to hear it almost every single time the man is before a camera. And in sum total, it has absolutely nothing to do with what he wants to implement should he be voted into the presidency.

Carter said that whether he was asked about religion, domestic or foreign affairs, every answer came back to McCain's 5½ years as a POW.

And then when he was asked about his "homes", he came back with more about his POW days.

[joe]

Why is Jimmah still relevant?

If I didn't think my home was important to the questioning, I would discuss my qualifications and background too. It's a more pleasant way of handling the transition.

[Osiris]

Why is Jimmah still relevant?

Because he was one of America's President is why. He served in the nations highest office.

[David]

He's many years removed from a failed Presidency. The more removed from his Presidency the more removed from reality he becomes.

[Drew]

and the more removed from relevancy too!

Jimmy, go build houses for the poor and do something positive instead of weighing in on something that you failed at.

[Hawkscall]

He was, perhaps, one of the worst presidents in recent history. Does anyone remember the "misery index" during that time, the long lines at the gas pumps, the failed attempts at rescuing the Iran hostages???
Then, of course, today there is his raging anti-semitism. What a sick man.

He should stick with Habitat for Humanity and keep his focus there. It its perhaps the best thing he has ever done.

C

[joe]

Nice try. Jimmah is about 30 yrs removed from the office. He probably doesn't remember most of the mistakes he made as President.

[Osiris]

He's many years removed from a failed Presidency. The more removed from his Presidency the more removed from reality he becomes.

That is your own opinion, many others do not think so. Many believe that he served as president, and that he at least deserves some respect for that. Same as we look upon a Veteran, who may not have served but four years, they are "still" Veterans.

Awww, people make mistakes and that makes them bad people don't it?

Reagan got caught up in the Iran-Contra scandal, thus that makes him a bad guy. As for Carter being the "worst", well, Bush has passed him by in that regard.

Carter made a distinction between McCains service to America, and McCain's political stands. And it is true, and a matter of public record, that McCain has ever so often, instead of answering a question he is uncomfortable with, with more verbal renditions of his past experience as a POW.

[joe]

Bush worse than Carter? At least Bush had the nads to take action where Carter sat on his hands and let innocent men suffer in a foreign prison. Reagan made Carter look like an indecisive child.

[Osiris]

ANd you Joe, show an amazing amount of stupidity in regard to what actually went down during those hostage times. Do yourself a favor, and look up "history", "real history", not a political blog, or any political news media crap, but real history written by real historians.

[joe]

Osi,
If I did that, I would be reading your propaganda.

[Osiris]

Well then wallow in your own ignorance...that is your choice. The "history" I am referencing is not propaganda. It is history free from political bias...not that you care anyway if it differes from what you want to believe.

[joe]

Osi,
You don't know what I have read on the subject and I don't know what you have read on the subject. It's possible we have read some of the stuff and disagree. It's interesting. You have this quote by Dwight Eisenhower. I wonder if you live by it.

[Spartan]

Carter was our first woman president. He screwed up everything from the economy to the military and drove the Misery Index skyhigh. He gave away the Panama Canal, and with a wooden paddle bludgeoned a drowning rabbit that was trying to get into his canoe. America fired Carter in the impressive election of 1980. Carter never forgave America for that, which is why he has been trying to retaliate for over 2 decades.

[Osiris]

Yeah, Carter was a dictator wasn't he? He ruled the nation all by himself and those darling republican's never did anything wrong at all...in fact, they actually didn't do a damned thing except to sit around whining. And after this election, we will be treated to four more years of their incessant whining.

[joe]

I give Carter two credits. He had a great smile. He helps build homes for the needy. However, none of those have anything to do with his ability to lead the nation. That is why he failed to be a leader and was not feared by the world as a man of action.