Carter: Bush Admin. Is "Worst In History"

39th President Blasts The 43rd For "Endorsing" Pre-Emptive War, Abandoning Treaties And Peace Talks

(AP)  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."

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, Ga.

"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."

Carter also lashed out Saturday at British prime minister Tony Blair. Asked how he would judge Blair's support of Bush, the former president 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.

[tmedia-2009]

You go Jimmy Carter!! Those GOPites really hate the truth!

[a-ji]

"the worst in history"... this is a public knowledge. Need not hear from a former President for the public to realize this notion. Everybody knows how the admin is doin.

[nixau-2009]

Jimmy Carter is a true Chistian. People mock him because of it. He is an nuclear engineer and was Commander of a Nuclear submarine. He has saved millions of lives in Africa with his health initiatives and has built many people houses. AND he can complete a sentence. George Bush should thank Carter for his sage assesment.

[jlwesley]

If Carter had any idea what a president should or should not do, we would not have the problem with terrorists that we have today. His lack of action when we were attacked by so called students in Iran and his total lack of authority in that matter proved to the people of the middle east that we do not have the leadership or intestinal fortitude to defend ourselves.

You cannot negotiate or establish treaties with these people, they only understand power.

If that turn the other cheek, yellow streak down his back peanut farmer had been a little more like
GW Bush, we wouldn't have a lot of the problems that we have today

[waynabq]

Carter has more integrity, intelligence and honor in his pinky than Bush and his million ditto-headed lamebrained idiot army put together.

This country is in the sewer thanks to Bush and his army of braindead supporters. If only they could all be transported to another planet or maybe better, to downtown Iraq outside the Green Zone.

[mtracy9]

It's amazing how many misguided Republicans support a uniquely American breed of Christian fascism and militarism, as expressed by the likes of the late Jerry Falwell (may he rest in hell). Bush is definitely the worst president in US history, although Ronnie Reagan has to be a close second. Ronnie lied by saying that he would never deal with terrorists and then proceeded to bake a cake for the Ayatollah. Then Ronnie sold arms to the Iranians -- a treasonous act and a cowardly effort to obtain the release of hostages held by pro-Iranian terrorists in Lebanon.

[lukebize]

"One thing is for sure...

Bush is not getting any Nobel Peace Prizes.
Posted by whatithink at 07:23 PM : May 20, 2007

who wants one"

Once upon a time there was fox in a vineyard. He saw the juicy plump grapes ready for eating at the top of the vine, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't jump high enough to reach them.

Then a crow landed on the vine. He plucked the fine fruit and swallowed it down, saying, "MMMmmm!" The fox slunk away, tail between his legs, saying, "oh, those grapes were sour anyway!"

And that's where we get the phrase, "Sour Grapes!" meaning that a dishonorable person who can't get what he wants belittles that which he so desires.

That's why we laugh at such people.

[lukebize]

"So carter did "everything" to keep us out of war?? What he did was DELAY a war that had been brewing for decades. He ignored the threats, wrung his hands and allowed our citizens to remain prisoners of over a year. For those who rewrite history, we are were we are today because we did nothing for decades. There is a thread and for those who are not blind, they should be able to see the thread."

What war are you talking about? The U.S. war on Iraq? What did Carter do that encouraged this war?

If you are talking about the idiotic "war on terrorism"-- you know, the clear and present danger that W and his friends Rove and Cheney ignored throughout his presidency until it finally brought down the towers-- well, it looks like W can't fight that one, either. It is more than a reach-- even for an ideologue-- to blame a President who was out of office before the WTC attackers were even born.

[lukebize]

"Most shocking is the outright sympathy of many leftist-liberals for Islamic fascism."

... and yet even _that_ can't hold a candle to the hurricane of support among the Christian fundamentalists and other ignorance-glorifying groups for new American Imperialism as personified by the current despotic U.S. regime.

[lars008-2009]

lars008, Jeez, how many times have you posted on here? get a life FFS!
Posted by cali2perth at 07:57 PM : May 20, 2007
+ report abuse
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lars008, Jeez, how many times have you posted on here? get a life FFS!
Posted by cali2perth at 07:57 PM : May 20, 2007
report abuse
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lars008, Jeez, how many times have you posted on here? get a life FFS!
Posted by cali2perth at 07:57 PM : May 20, 2007
report abuse
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not as many as you... but then you stutter...
hahahaha

[lukebize]

"Apparently, Sunday mornings in Plains for former President Carter includes hurling reckless accusations at your fellow man," said Amber Wilkerson
*********************************************

Well, that MIGHT be true if Carter had been speaking of another _man_...

... he wasn't. He was talking about George W. "The Loser" Bush. Nice try, "Amber". Let's bring up "Tiffany" and see if she can do any better.

[cali2perth]

lars008, Jeez, how many times have you posted on here? get a life FFS!

[cali2perth]

lars008, Jeez, how many times have you posted on here? get a life FFS!

[cali2perth]

lars008, Jeez, how many times have you posted on here? get a life FFS!

[lars008-2009]

dimmy carter leads The Chorus of Useful Idiots...

Leftist Support of Islamist Terror

Most shocking is the outright sympathy of many leftist-liberals for Islamic fascism. They said little about the murder of 500 Russian civilians, many of them children, but screamed week after week because some Arab savage at Abu Ghraib prison wore a bag on his head. They cared nothing about the beheadings committed by the Islamo-savages or the execution of 12 Nepalese. David Horowitz gives an excellent discussion of who this "Left" really is. He calls them neo-communist, I call them Leftist-Liberals. I'm a classical Liberal myself and I feel it's time to remove this irrational element that has been allowed to poison our good name.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/list.htm
The Chorus of Useful Idiots
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/thornton.htm
Supporters of Muslim Terrorism on the un-Religious Left
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id2/index1.htm
Exposing Leftists' Radical Islam Connection
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/left_islam.htm
Definitions, Lies, and Losing Your Head
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/def_lies.htm
Shocking (Liberal) Silence
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/leftist_silence.htm
See no evil: Why the Left is blind to suffering
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/no_evil.htm
When is violent speech still free speech?
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/speech.htm

[lars008-2009]

where you can't say what you think about the president. Despite the fact that they spent eight years discussing the last president's personal life, they want to tell others that we can't talk about the current president's failed policies. Is this what they call freedom?
Posted by whatithink at 07:30 PM : May 20, 2007

idiot...it is that ex-presidents are not to criticize sitting presidents... no ex-presisdent criticized him when he was a sitting president... and if he loved america he would never act like a traitor... he would never side with communist leaders and islamic leaders against amerca...

[lars008-2009]

One thing is for sure...

Bush is not getting any Nobel Peace Prizes.
Posted by whatithink at 07:23 PM : May 20, 2007

who wants one... it is a propoganda politicized prize... given to the likes of terrorists like yasser arafat...

It is convenient for liberals and fascist nazi Islamic muslims to forget that the "Grand Mufti of Jerusalem" went to Germany as a guest of Hitler during WWII...and begged Hitler to find the "final solution" to the jewish problem. This same Grand mufti used his influence to raise Two Muslim SS Divisions in Yugoslavia (Kosovo) and Albaina. These divisions were responsible for the murder of almost 1 Million jews, Serbs and Gypsies.

This same Grand Mufti was the maternal uncle of Yassir Arafat! The Mufti's war continues today worldwide.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/nazi_arab.htm
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id4/mufti.htm
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=grand+mufti of jerusalem

[eccentric506]

the worst administration in history? Yeah right. Jimmy might look in the mirror first. he gave away the canal, was lilly livered withthe islamic fundamentalists in Iran allowing them to hold our americans hostage for better than a year until Reagon took over and the Ayatollah realized that Reagan meant business. Its time to stop kotowing to the islamic fundamentalists who think and realize that dialog only means too weak to hold up in a fight.

[eccentric506]

the worst administration in history? Yeah right. Jimmy might look in the mirror first. he gave away the canal, was lilly livered withthe islamic fundamentalists in Iran allowing them to hold our americans hostage for better than a year until Reagon took over and the Ayatollah realized that Reagan meant business. Its time to stop kotowing to the islamic fundamentalists who think and realize that dialog only means too weak to hold up in a fight.

[whatithink-2009]

cali2perth,

So true. Bush supporters want to turn this country into some kind of dictatorship where you can't say what you think about the president. Despite the fact that they spent eight years discussing the last president's personal life, they want to tell others that we can't talk about the current president's failed policies. Is this what they call freedom?