"I wish I'd sent in another helicopter . . . . ."

[Stinky The Clown]

Last edited Thu Aug 20, 2015, 11:30 PM - Edit history (1)

Jimmy Carter, today at his presser, when being asked various questions by various reporters about his life. He then smiled, and said softly something about getting reelected to a second term.

If only, Mr. President. If only.

I really love this man. I loved him when he was in office and I love him even more since then. A president who was, is, and ever will be selfless.

I'm not a religious person but I can respect people of faith who live by what they believe. On that score Jimmy Carter is head and shoulders above so many others. His hands on work with Habitat continues even today. How many are lucky enough to live in a house that Jimmy's and Rosalind's hands work on? His work thorough the Carter Center is a beacon to world of what should be.

Through all of this we have this man's grace, dignity, warmth, and gentleness.

Please, Mr. Carter, stay with us. Maybe ten more, huh? Our hearts are with you.

[spanone]

1. K&R...

[lpbk2713]

2. Jimmy Carter was sucker punched by the RayGunistas from several directions.

He was a gentleman politician in a time that had no further use for gentlemen.

[arcane1]

4. Not to mention he explicitly and publicly condemned the culture of mass consumption

We can't have THAT!

[lastlib]

8. I sincerely hope that is the only time he loses against a cancer........

[no_hypocrisy]

26. The attempted impeachment and resignation of Nixon left the republicans humiliated.

They had a driving need to overcompensate with the installation of Reagan. Jimmy Carter and Iran gave them an opening. Carter could have bombed the hell out of Iran but he didn't. He played the long game and Americans are known for their impatience.

After all these years, I still rue 1980 as the dividing line for before and after Reagan.

[Heeeeers Johnny]

3. Was he referring to the Iranian hostage rescue mission?

That event was a clusterfuck from the very start due to poor planning from his military advisers.

I don't recall if it was originally 3 or 4 choppers that were deployed, but one had to return to the ship before
it even reached it's destination due to problems.

The helos that were used were the wrong choice for the operation. Something about not suitable for the environment
(the sand being whipped around wreaked havoc on the engines).

[GP6971]

7. Uh.....no

8 birds were deployed

[kristopher]

9. It wasn't so much poor planning as...

... bad luck (the weather) and a fleet of Vietnam leftover helicopters that were configured to operate in the jungle instead of the desert (we didn't have desert warfare gear then). The leader of that mission, Charlie Beckwith, was a brilliant and dedicated soldier.

[Hekate]

23. Welcome to DU

Enjoy your stay

[malaise]

5. And yet M$Greedia is cheering on the noise

instead of sharing this man's dignity, grace, gentleness and humor today.

[brer cat]

6. They are diminishing themselves.

They can't touch him.

[Horse with no Name]

10. Not many times that I say this and mean it

but the world will be a little less bright without him in it and that saddens me so much.

[ozone_man]

11. He was the most genuine president in our era.

My mother really liked him as she was the liberal in my family, switching from Nixon to Kennedy.

Yes, let's hope he has a few more years with us.

[harun]

20. Presidents changed after Carter, it's about representing the Corporations now.

[central scrutinizer]

22. True, he was the last Democratic President

I doubt I will live to see another one.

[SusanCalvin]

12. Leaving discussion of that aside,

Reagan still stole that election by cutting a deal on the hostages. A jerk and a traitor.

[passiveporcupine]

13. I'm watching his Q&A right now

He didn't say "send in a third helicopter". He said "I wish I'd sent one more helicopter to get the hostages and uh we would have rescued them overnight...".

Just in case that confused anyone.

[Stinky The Clown]

17. Thanks, I heard parts of the presser while driving but didn't have a chance . . . .

. . . . to post this until much later.

What struck me with his comments about all of this was (not the number of choppers but) how that's where his thoughts go, even now, how many decades hence? Clearly he is hard on himself as only a great man can be. Humble to a fault.

Yeah, I so admire him.

[Octafish]

14. CIA-types sabotaged his presidency.

Human Rights foreign policy didn't sit well with the money trumps peace crowd. Ollie North, Richard Secord and Friends didn't give the hostage rescue the old college try. Then the CIA agents fired by Stansfield Turner gave rise to Safari Club funded by petrodollars and it's goodnight democracy.

[harun]

25. +1

[Octafish]

27. Safari Club

Peter Dale Scott explains:

How do Wall Street, oil companies and the shadow government agencies like the CIA and NSA really shape the global political order?

SNIP...

According to Parry, Alexandre de Marenches of the Safari Club arranged for William Casey (a fellow Knight of Malta) to meet with Iranian and Israeli representatives in Paris in July and October 1980, where Casey promised delivery to Iran of needed U.S. armaments in exchange for a delay in the return of the U.S. hostages in Iran. (6) Parry also suspects a role of BCCI in the subsequent flow of Israeli armaments to Iran.

SOURCE w/links: http://whowhatwhy.org/2014/11/02/the-deep-state-plots-the-1980-defeat-of-jimmy-carter/

[SoapBox]

15. We saw him on the CBS News...

I felt like crying, just watching him smile and listening to his humor.

We need you so much, Mr. President.

[MissDeeds]

16. I wish he could see your post, Stinky

What a moving, heartfelt tribute. I love President Carter too and cannot think of him without tearing up. If ever someone deserved a miracle, it's him.

[Scuba]

18. K&R

[seaotter]

19. Oh, what a different world this would be.

[0rganism]

21. "said softly something about getting reelected to a second term" - it's not too late!

he wouldn't be the first president to serve non-consecutive terms
my country is ready
Carter 2016

[Hekate]

24. Amen, Stinky