President Carter blasts Bush

[HWBL]

Source: CNN.com

Carter blasts Bush, Blair over Iraq war - CNN.com

Carter blasts Bush, Blair over Iraq war



LONDON, England (AP) -- Britain's support for the war in Iraq was a "major tragedy"
for the world, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Saturday, as he criticized
Tony Blair's unwavering support for President Bush.

Asked how he would judge Blair's support of Bush, Carter 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.

Carter also told an American newspaper that 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.

Blair was in Baghdad Saturday morning for what will be his last trip to Iraq
as British prime minister. Last week, Blair announced that he would step
down June 27, making way for treasury chief Gordon Brown.

The war in Iraq has been the defining foreign policy issue of Blair's premiership,
and the decision to join the U.S.-led invasion was an unpopular one at home.
So far, nearly 150 British service personnel have died in Iraq.

Carter told the BBC that Britain's support made it more difficult for critics of the war, and
that things could have been different if Britain spoke out against the 2003 invasion.

"I can't say it would have made a definitive difference, but it would certainly
have assuaged the problems that arose lately," said Carter, who was U.S.
president from 1977 to 1981 and has been a critic of the war.

"One of the defenses of the Bush administration, in the American public and
on a worldwide basis -- and it's not been successful in my opinion -- has
been that, OK, we must be more correct in our actions than the world thinks
because Great Britain is backing us.

"And so I think the combination of Bush and Blair giving their support to this tragedy
in Iraq has strengthened the effort, and has made opposition less effective and has
prolonged the war and increased the tragedy that has resulted."

It's not the first time Carter has criticized Britain. Last year, he said he was disappointed
with "the apparent subservience" of the British government to Washington on issues
such as Iraq and last summer's Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

'Worst in history'
The criticism of Bush 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, Georgia.

"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."

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

And the arrogant Repug response (reminds me of Schwarzenegger staff
calling Beatty a "crackpot"..... yep, but that crackpot caused Schwarzenshrub to lose that particular, unnecessary, election).

Source: CNN.com
'Carter is irrelevant,' Bush administration shoots back - CNN.com

'Carter is irrelevant,' Bush administration shoots back

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) -- The nasty words between
President Bush and former President Jimmy Carter continued Sunday.

In a biting rebuke to Carter calling the Bush administration the "worst in
history," the White House on Sunday dismissed Carter as "increasingly irrelevant."

Carter was quoted Saturday in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette as saying
"I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this
administration has been the worst in history." (Read full story)

The Georgia Democrat said Bush had overseen an "overt reversal of America's
basic values" as expressed by previous administrations, including that of his
own father, former President George H.W. Bush.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto shot back Sunday from Crawford,
Texas, where Bush spent the weekend.

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

Carter was in Arkansas promoting "Sunday Mornings in Plains," a collection
of weekly Bible lessons from his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

"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: Blair is 'blind, subservient'
Carter's comments, which were published Saturday, were confirmed by his
spokeswoman Deanna Congileo to The Associated Press on Saturday. She
declined to elaborate.

Carter also said Saturday that Britain's support for the war in Iraq as "major
tragedy" for the world, as he criticized Tony Blair's unwavering support for President Bush.

Asked how he would judge Blair's support of Bush, Carter 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.

Blair was in Baghdad Saturday morning for what will be his last trip to Iraq as
British prime minister. Last week, Blair announced that he would step down
June 27, making way for treasury chief Gordon Brown.

The war in Iraq has been the defining foreign policy issue of Blair's
premiership, and the decision to join the U.S.-led invasion was an unpopular
one at home. So far, nearly 150 British service personnel have died in Iraq.

Carter told the BBC that Britain's support made it more difficult for critics of
the war, and that things could have been different if Britain spoke out
against the 2003 invasion.

"I can't say it would have made a definitive difference, but it would certainly
have assuaged the problems that arose lately," said Carter, who was U.S.
president from 1977 to 1981 and has been a critic of the war.

"One of the defenses of the Bush administration, in the American public and on a worldwide basis -- and it's not been successful in my opinion -- has
been that, OK, we must be more correct in our actions than the world thinks
because Great Britain is backing us.

"And so I think the combination of Bush and Blair giving their support to this
tragedy in Iraq has strengthened the effort, and has made opposition less effective and has prolonged the war and increased the tragedy that has
resulted."

Unprecedented criticism
It's not the first time Carter has criticized Britain. Last year, he said he was
disappointed with "the apparent subservience" of the British government to
Washington on issues such as Iraq and last summer's Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

The criticism of Bush 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.

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."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Go, Jimmy! At 80 he still makes more sense than that braindead Shrub

[Grimmlok]

I love how when Bush is criticized, all the Bushie fucktards run out to defend him.

When a Dem is criticized, all the other Dems stay utterly silent.

They still haven't learned. Not one fucking thing in 6 years.

Pathetic.

[darksithbunny]

Sorry but my first thoughts was Hi Kettle, you're black! Love ya, Pot.

[Just Kill Me]

Regarding Jimmy Carter? WHAT?!?!?!

[Mira]

President Carter has always been one to call out Repubs for their lack of moral compass and pathetic policies/decisions. There's no way Carter is as bad as Bush 43. He and his gangbangers make Carter look like an angel.

President Carter was the one who said we should go solar power by the year 2000. We all know how good that idea is, and how completely it got shot down. No profit in solar.

And all they've got is that he's "irrelevant?" Puh-leeze. That's just lame. They got nuthin' effective to retort with, so they call him "irrelevant." So transparent.

[purewine]

Just goes to show how out of touch the Bush administration is. Jimmy Carter is more relevent then ever.

[kingcap72]

People can say what they want about Jimmy Carter as a former president, but that doesn't make what he says any less relevant. Unlike Bush he didn't preside over a corrupt administration, drag us into an illegal war or abandon the people of the Gulf Coast when they needed him to do his job as president. That's all Bush.

But I find it ironic that the Republicans would attack Carter for calling out Bush, but how long did the Republicans blame Bill Clinton for all of Bush's screw-ups? The Republicans can dish it out, but they can't take it.

[buttmunch]

I think Carter was underrated as a prez and I think he's one of the few Dems with any real balls. He's a good egg, that Jimmy.

[Grimmlok]

Yeah, don't ge too fulsome in your praise.. he's already retracting qwhat he said, claiming it to be "in error" or "unfortunate" or some shit

[Mira]

That's because the Fed knee-busters just got to him. "reveal any more shit we're going to have to deny or refute and you're dead" - I'm not being facetious.

[purewine]

No, Jimmy, don't back down! We need you!!!!

[Grimmlok]

eh *shrugs*

it's so hard to give a fuck anymore.

[purewine]

^That's exactly how the Bushies want you to feel. If you don't care, they can keep doing what they want.

Resist! Resist! Fight the power!

[Grimmlok]

I've watched for almost 7 years as Bush has turned every possible scenario into a clusterfuck, and nobody has said or done dick all, including the supposed "opposition" party.

Your civil rights are gone, your government has suspended habeus corpus, they spy on you illegally, detain you illegally, torture you, you're in 2 wars without end, China owns your economy, the poor are getting screwed and the rich getting fatter, an entire city was lost, religious freaks are running wild and nobody (including the public) has seemed to give much of a damn, or are too stupid to understand.

Even when the supposed opposition party gets into power, theyre *STILL* unable to stop pissing themselves in fear over an administration that has lower popularity ratings than fucking Nixon, and refuse to engage in criminal proceedings to bring those vipers down.

Frankly, I think the USA is a lost cause right about now.

[Mira]

And too many of us don't know, don't want to know and don't care. Some still do. But there's still nothing we can do about it. It's too late. Done deal. And that's not doomsday speak. Just the plain stark reality.

Any delusions that America is still the way it once was are just that - a delusion.