Carter splits with father on war in Lebanon

[Freddie Stubbs]

U.S. Senate candidate Jack Carter, son of former President Jimmy Carter, says he doesn't agree with his father's criticism of Israel's bombing in Lebanon.

"I do not share that view," Carter said in statement released Friday by his campaign. The release followed Jimmy Carter's comments in the German newspaper Der Spiegel. The former president told the paper he did not believe Israel had "any legal or moral justification for their massive bombing of the entire nation of Lebanon."

President Carter's comments have been widely criticized by conservatives.

"Simply put, this is an issue on which my father and I agree to disagree," Jack Carter said. "Israel has every right to defend itself from the terrorists who seek to destroy her, and those who choose to harbor such terrorists."

more: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060819...

[OwnedByFerrets]

1. Father knows best. n/t

[GeorgeGist]

2. I guess it's easier...

to bury your head in the sand in Nevada.

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. Perhaps he realizes that his father's position is a sure loser with voters

[w4rma]

4. Agreed. (nt)

[BobRossi]

5. Perhaps he is simply a DLC wanabe. nt

[LynneSin]

11. Perhaps we just like to toss DLC labels on anyone we don't agree with

[CollegeDUer]

29. AIPAC would target him but the election wouldn't be decided on that

Come on. Voters are not going to go to the polls and vote against him because he accuses israel of disproportionate violence (at the very least).

I'm tired of this fear of israel. It has to stop.

[Demeter]

6. Perhaps He's Just Young and Green

Too young, and too green.

[sabbat hunter]

7. i agree with young carter

Israel has a right to defend itself. especially against an illegal armed milita like hizbollah.

[leesa]

12. That's not what Israel is doing however.History diudn't start on July 12th

[mucho macho]

22. Question

In your opinion does that make JIMMY an anti-semite???

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. He is 59 years old

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Carter_%28politician%...

[NVMojo]

15. he's gotta be around 60

[robcon]

8. Perhaps the son is right...

and the father is being unfair.

[IndianaGreen]

30. Perhaps the son got a fat check from AIPAC

and perhaps he should read Amnesty International's report of Israeli bombing in Lebanon.

[LynneSin]

10. Nice to see not every child of a president is a dumbass who can't think

Clearly Jack Carter is his own man, with his own plan and doesn't need his father to tell him how to think. Gives me even more respect to both Carters

[pansypoo53219]

13. 1 carter

IS trying to get elected.
duh.

[NVMojo]

ooppss!!!

[NVMojo]

14. sadly this is where I split with Jack Carter ...sounds like Harry Reid ...

and his opponent for Senate already does what Bush wants.

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. And Harry Reid has been elected from the State of Nevada

Perhaps they are both in tune with NV voters.

[PaDem]

16. I wonder what he really thinks.............

we'll never know because he needs to be elected, whereas his father no longer does.

[Freddie Stubbs]

18. What makes you think that this not what he really believes?

[PaDem]

19. It may well be, but it strikes me as odd...........

that almost every politician in our federal government says almost literally the same two or three lines when it comes to Israel. You see virtually no variation of opinion. In my view, this is because even the slightest criticism of Israel can be political suicide.

[Cha]

20. Yeeeaaah!

Glad we have someone like Pres Carter who is able to look at both sides.

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. Perhaps the nation has come to a consensus on this issue

And it is usually political suicide to go against something that virtually everyone except the fringes agrees on.

[Douglas Carpenter]

26. it is a bit more than just the fringes..

and journalist only rarely challenge certain assumptions--it is a wonder that there is as much disagreement as there is.

LA Times Poll:

"Overall, 50% of the survey's respondents said the United States should continue to align with Israel, compared with 44% who backed a more neutral posture. But the partisan gap was clear: Democrats supported neutrality over alignment, 54% to 39%, while Republicans supported alignment with the Jewish state 64% to 29%." LA Times poll - link:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-po...

from Alternet - LA Times Misleading Poll - link: http://www.alternet.org/blogs/themix/40171 /

"Most Americans consider Israel's bombing campaign in Lebanon justified, but they are divided about what role the United States should play in the crisis and how closely the nation should align itself with the Jewish state, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll has found.

But the data reveals that there's more than a little bit of spin there. 43 percent said that Israel's actions were "justified, not excessively harsh," 16 percent said they were "justified, but excessively harsh" and 28 percent said the were "unjustified."

It would be far more accurate to say that Americans are split down the middle, with slightly more respondents condemning Israel's campaign. That's because, while there is some debate about whether Israel's response is justified in general, that is not the principle issue that divides America and Israel from the rest of the world.

The primary issue being debated in the world's capitals is whether the response was proportional, which makes the answer "Justified, but excessively harsh" essentially contradictory."

"snip:"So, because the poll was about Israel's actions, and not the general principle of retaliation, it's far more accurate to put the 16 percent who said that the Israeli response is "excessively harsh" with those who believe it is unjustified. That makes it a 43/44 split in terms of supporting the Israeli campaign."

link:

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/themix/40171 /

[PaDem]

27. we may have come to a consensus...........

I find it troubling that this consensus is based on misinformation and half-truths.

[flpoljunkie]

28. Political suicide, indeed! Pro-Israel lobby incredibly influential in US.

Politicians go up against AIPAC at their very real peril.

[mucho macho]

21. political pandering

by Junior is all that is.

[Freddie Stubbs]

25. Are representatives supposed to represent the views of thier constituents?

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

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