Carter Says Remarks on Bush 'Careless'

[sabra]

Source: AP

ATLANTA (AP) - Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday his remarks were ``careless or misinterpreted'' when he said the Bush administration has been the ``worst in history'' for its impact around the world.

Speaking on NBC's ``Today,'' Carter appeared to retreat from a statement he made to Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in which he said: ``I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history.'' The comment was in a story published in the newspaper Saturday.

Carter said Monday that when he made the comment, he was responding to a question comparing the Bush administration's foreign policy to that of Richard Nixon.

``I think this administration's foreign policy compared to president Nixon's was much worse,'' Carter said. But he said he did not mean to call it the worst in history.

``No, that's not what I wanted to say. I wasn't comparing this administration with other administrations back through history but just with President Nixon.''

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6649492...

[AndyA]

1. The original interpretation of Carter's remark is still the most accurate and honest.

Pretty much everything about the Bush Jr. Presidency is the worst ever.

Worst foreign policy.

Worst for civil rights and liberties.

Worst for corruption.

Worst for cronyism.

Worst for budgeting.

Worst for government waste.

Worst for arrogance and idiocy.

Worst for sex scandals. (What was Jeff Gannon doing all those nights in the White House?)

George W. Bush: Worst. President. EVER.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. You were right the first time, Jimmy. Stand by it.

[panader0]

3. Don't back down Jimmy! You had it right!

[aintitfunny]

4. I find that a bit disheartening

and find myself curious as to what compelled Jimmy Carter to clarify his statement. His original comment, in context or out, was most accurate.

[Dogmudgeon]

5. Whip 'em and kiss 'em

At which Carter is a master.

The Republicans, with their blunderbuss sense of thin-skinned sociability, can not understand statements like this. Of course, this also explains why modern Republicans are incapable of diplomacy.

Jimmy Carter :

George Bush:

--p!

[Roland99]

6. Damnit! Stop apologizing to the feckless press for these failures of human beings in the WH!!!!

Say you meant every damn word!!!

[nadine_mn]

7. I think Shooter called him...

There is no way Carter's remarks were misinterpreted... He has been a vocal critic, and he finally said what everyone else is thinking.

I am not all about conspiracy theories, however since the loss of the Sen Wellstone, I trust no one.

Just like Cheney was sent to a "surprise" visit to Iraq after their Parliament voted that US should get out, I think Carter received a call from Shooter asking him to go hunting.

Just my opinion

[TwilightGardener]

8. Jimmy! Why? No one was disagreeing with you!

[dbonds]

9. Probably someone made him a deal he couldn't refuse.

Anyone seen any missing horses lately?

[xultar]

10. DING DING DING! Great post.

[OwnedByFerrets]

11. Its very disheartening that he backed down....

from his original statement. Did he get some white powder in the mail.....or the threat of being declared an "enemy combatant" and being secretly sent to Gitmo? I hate when the truth is told and then they back off of it. It makes any person doing it seen disingenuous.

[IWantAChange]

12. Pres Carter - go with your first impression - it's spot on!!!

[dave_p]

13. No!

Never apologize or withdraw anything when you're right. Democrats have to learn this. You retract when you're wrong. Otherwise don't yield an inch.

Bush is far worse than Nixon. The rest of the world didn't give a crap about Watergate, it was entertainment: just Dallas without the sex & shootings.

Nixon didn't leave America's alliances in ruins in the middle of a war without end; he didn't strip away environmental responsibility, loot the Treasury for his pals and defile politics with an aloliance with a hate-filled religious ultra-right and corrupt zealots hellbent on world domination.

Carter was right first time. There's no comparison.

[Art_from_Ark]

28. Compared to what we have now

the Nixon years seem like the good old days

[rodeodance]

14. ha -----well contrasting with Nixon bettr.

[liberal N proud]

15. What does Karl Rove threaten people with?

When anyone stand up and calls these fuckers out it only takes a day or two before they backpedal or back off.
This is not normal in any circumstance that people say the things that Carter said and then back off. He has stated it before about bu$h being a terrible pResident and now he is taking it back?

[erpowers]

16. Thoughtful and Accurate

The comment President Jimmy Carter made concerning the Bush Administration was not at all careless. Furthermore, I do not know why he is backtracking from his words. I do not think he gave up his right to free speech once he finished his term as President.

In terms of the facts of what Jimmy Carter said; his words were very accurate. From what we already know about the Bush Administration we can say it is the worst Administration in the history of this country. From what has come out today, Carter's words seem even more accurate. First, this is the President that threw away a hugh surplus that could have gone on for years if this president had just used it wisely. Next, he went into an ill-conceived war that he also ran horribly. As a result, this country has spent about 300-500 million on that war and the Afghanistan war with very little to show for either war. In Afghanistan, the Taliban is coming back in strength. In Iraq, the country is not that much better than it was when the American soldiers went in four or five years ago. Finally, it was reported this morning that the Bush Administration, for the last five years, has been giving the Pakistan government $1 billion a year to fight terror and capture Osama Bin Laden. After five years and $5 billion nothing has been accomplished in Pakistan. So, this president created the biggest deficits in the country's history and threw away about $505 billion chasing ghosts and finding nothing. Yes, he is the worst president in the history of this country.

[ShortnFiery]

17. They may have threatened Carter's family. BushWorld criminals set new lows for *evil-doers.* n/t

[benld74]

18. What he meant to say was,,,

Bush was CARELESS, NOT my remarks, they were RIGHT ON!

[FatDave]

19. Why did Carter back down?

Why did Kerry back down a few months ago? Why do they always back down? Because they're democrats, and nobody in this party has a fucking spine. There were no threats. There's just nobody on our side willing take anything resembling a stand. And every day I grow a little more weary of them.

[ananda]

20. Carter was spot on the first time!

Bushinc. The worst presidency in history, elected and non-elected.

[jollyreaper2112]

21. Don't you puss out on us, Jimmy!

If there's any criticism of the left that holdsa kernel of truth, it's that we're a bunch of fucking pussies. Any time a Dem gets close to leveling an appropriate criticsm of some fuckhead on the right, the conservitards start bleading in a frenzy of righteous horror. "Oh my god! Their anger is lowering the floor of debate in this country! Oh booohoo! Take it back! Take it back!" And sure enough, the Dem will meekly apologize for calling it like it is.

No more! Smack them in the head and when they ask you to say you're sorry, make sure the next swing takes it off!

[The Stranger]

22. Paging Dick Durbin . . . we need another apology . . .

Wow, even the old die hard Dems run scared when the mean old press follows up.

[A wise Man]

23. "DAMMNIT!!!!!"

Are there any politicians out there with the guts to tell the truth about this ass hole in the "WH" without recanting their statement?

[anotherdrew]

24. well, throughout all histroy? I guess Caligula might be worse. n/t

[otohara]

25. What a Drag

showing my aging hippie self - but this sucks.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

26. Lol

"...comparing the Bush administration's foreign policy to that of Richard Nixon."

[Lisa]

27. Carter's too honest to issue a Bush-type "non-apology apology"

If it were me, I would be saying things like, "I must have acted pre-emptively on faulty intelligence, wink-wink". Of course, I don't have a Nobel Peace Prize or international respect for ethics and diplomatic skills.

Although, maybe he IS putting things between the lines. He probably realizes that "the worst administration in history" might be interpreted to mean the regime of the emperor Nero (or Caligula, as suggested by an earlier poster), so it's more fair to limit comparisons to the past few decades.

[Forkboy]

29. Millions heard "Bush is the worst in history" on tv all day though.

That's good enough for me.