Sunday, May 20, 2007

Just when you thought there was no fight left in the Bush administration . . .

From Reuters:

The White House on Sunday fired back at former President Jimmy Carter, calling him “increasingly irrelevant” a day after Carter described George W. Bush’s presidency as the worst in history in international relations.

Carter, a Democrat, said on Saturday in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that “as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history.”

White House spokesman Tony Fratto had declined to react on Saturday but on Sunday fired back.

“I think it’s sad that President Carter’s reckless personal criticism is out there,” Fratto told reporters. “I think it’s unfortunate. And I think he is proving to be increasingly irrelevant with these kinds of comments.”

7 comments:

EBD said...

Those who comfortably elevate themselves atop the mountain of corporeal suffering are always on hallowed ground -- if you'd only ask them.

Roger Kimball (www.newcriterion.com/weblot/2007/05/jimmy-carter-comedian.html
has a slightly different take: "...when it comes to all-around incompetence, fired by unbearable moral sanctimony, (Jimmy Carter) wins the prize. He really is the worst to date..."

WE Speak said...

I'm jealous Joan, I rarely get such high praise anonymous comments.

Anonymous said...

If Carter is "increasingly irrelevant", why is the White House responding to him?
The denial only reveals how relevant Carter must be, at least to making the Bushies squirm. Sure, Carter made errors as President, but Bush has undoubtedly done America more harm than any single US President in history. If the country can be recovered, it's going to go through a painful re-evaluation of what we should stand for... Pre-emptive war? Unilateral strikes against the will of the UN? Shades of torture & mistreatment of detainees? Clandestine transfer of prisoners for interrogation without any judicial oversight? An executive that grants itself un-Constitutional powers? Don't think the rest of the world isn't looking on with disgust, and horror. Only those enemies that want to see America fail in its potential to lead are happy with what Bush has done.

Roy Eappen said...

Carter is reponsible for the fall of the Shah in Iran. he was a horrible president and his vice president was even worse. He is the Ramsey Clark of this era,
And anonymous you are just a silly coward . You are so sure of your position you hide like a bunny in its hole in the ground.

Zeitgeist said...

Eistein said "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Bush is insane and a murderer, he should be impeached and charged as a war criminal at Nuremberg for his condoning of torture.

Do not forget real people are dying due to this man's decisions. Where is our empathy and outrage at the harm he has done to mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. When I think of how I would feel if one of my children were killed in a war fought for oil I cannot see how anyone who calls himself a Christian would condone this.

Carter was right - worst president ever.

Anonymous said...

How many people died at the hands of the Soviets and their client states while Jimmy Carter worked his worry beads? How many died when Carter greased the skids for the Shah's fall, allowing Iran to fall into a fundamentalist grip from which it has yet to emerge? Choosing not to lead, as Carter did so well, is still making a choice. Jimmy Carter has been even more of an embarrassment as a former President, continuing to kiss up to Castro and making nice with Islamic extremists, all while kicking the only functioning democracy in the Middle East, Israel, in the gonads.

Having Jimmy Carter pass judgement on the work of other Presidents is like Billy Joel criticizing someone else's driving.

EBD said...

Or Paris Hilton calling June Callwood a "celebutard."