Jimmy Carter Options

[Guest_davis¹³_*]

The reaction to his book is just sad.



Carter's Palestine book prompts resignations
14 advisory members protest former president's criticism of Israeli policy


Updated: 1 hour, 56 minutes ago
ATLANTA - Fourteen members of an advisory board to Jimmy Carter’s human rights organization resigned Thursday to protest his new book, which criticizes Israeli policy in the Palestinian territories.

The resignations from The Carter Center board are the latest backlash against the former president’s book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” which has drawn fire from Jewish groups, been attacked by fellow Democrats and led to the resignation last month of Kenneth Stein, a center fellow and a longtime Carter adviser.

“You have clearly abandoned your historic role of broker in favor of becoming an advocate for one side,” the departing members of the Center’s Board of Councilors told Carter in their letter of resignation.



The 200-member board is responsible for building public support for the Carter Center. It is not the organization’s governing board.

The board’s members “are not engaged in implementing work of the Center,” Carter Center Executive Director John Hardman said Thursday in a news release.

Blame all around, but mostly of Israeli policy
Deanna Congileo, a spokeswoman for Carter and the center, issued Hardman’s statement in response to The Associated Press’ request for comment from Carter.

The book follows the Israeli-Palestinian peace process starting with Carter’s 1977-1980 presidency and the peace accord he negotiated between Israel and Egypt. It doles out blame to Israel, the Palestinians, the United States and others, but it is most critical of Israeli policy.

Steve Berman, an Atlanta real estate developer among those who resigned, said members have “watched with great dismay” as Carter defended the book, especially as he implied that Americans might be afraid to discuss the conflict in fear of a powerful Jewish lobby.

That is the honest to goodness truth whether you like it or not, Mr. Berman. People are afraid to criticize Israel. ANTI-SEMITE!!!! AIEEEE!!!!!!

Berman said the religious affiliation of the resigning members, which include some prominent Jewish leaders in the Atlanta area, didn’t influence their decision.

The resignations came a day after Congileo and officials at Brandeis University said Carter will discuss the book at the Waltham, Mass., campus. The Nobel Peace Prize winner will not, however, debate the book with outspoken Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, as Brandeis originally proposed.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16579676/

[Arturo_Vandelay]

At least the"powerful Jewish lobby" isn't sending suicide bombers. So they resign? You're all for free speech. Carter can go find some redneck Jew-baiters to take their places. THen everyone's happy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5081001796.html

Briefing Book Baloney

By George F. Will

Thursday, August 11, 2005; Page A23

A quarter of a century has passed since 44 states said "No, thanks" to Jimmy Carter's offer to serve a second term, yet he still evidently thinks his loss is explained not by foreign policy debacles, such as invading Iran with eight helicopters, and a misery index -- inflation plus unemployment -- of 22, almost triple today's index. Rather, he seems to think approximately this:

Ronald Reagan won because he won the only debate. He won it not because of Carter's debate performance ("I had a discussion with my daughter, Amy, the other day, before I came here, to ask her what the most important issue was. She said she thought nuclear weaponry . . .") but only because Reagan had Carter's briefing book. And Reagan had it because this columnist gave it to him.


That last accusation, for which there is no evidence, is, as he has been told, false. But he is a recidivist fibber. Last Oct. 21, on National Public Radio, he said: "We found out later that one of Ronald Reagan's supporters inside the White House had stolen my briefing book, my top-secret briefing book that prepared me for the debate. And a very prominent news reporter was the one who took the briefing book to Ronald Reagan and helped drill him on the things that I might say if he said certain things." Asked who that reporter was, Carter replied, "It was George Will, and it was later known that he did that."

But one cannot know what isn't so, and "top secret" is a government classification inapplicable to campaign fodder. Still, Carter continues to retail -- and to embroider -- his fable. Recently in a Plains, Ga., church, he illustrated his aptitude for the virtue of forgiveness by saying that once, after columnist Will read a report of his telling his briefing book tale, Will wrote to him "asking for forgiveness."

Well. The only letter I ever wrote to Carter was in response to one he wrote to me on Oct. 29, 1993. His letter began: "For a number of years I have felt some resentment toward you because of the reports that you either knew about or actually used my personal briefing book in preparing Reagan for our campaign debates [sic]." He added:

"Because of this feeling, and despite my lifetime interest in baseball, I even refrained from reading your 'Men at Work.' Recently, in order to learn how to be a better Braves fan next year, I spent $1 in a used bookstore for the book, and really enjoyed it.

"Even if the news stories about the debate incident are true, I feel that we are even now.

"Best wishes,

"Jimmy Carter"

My Nov. 10 reply was untainted by any request for forgiveness:

"Dear President Carter:

"I am delighted that you have at long last overcome your repugnance and given yourself the pleasure of 'Men at Work.' I am distressed, as I suspect you naughtily knew I would be, to learn that this masterwork was found in a used bookstore. That is more evidence of the decline of Western civilization."

Then, to the point:

"Regarding your briefing book, I will tell you what I have told many others. When I got to David Stockman's house on the day he was preparing to play the role of you in the debate preparations, he had on his kitchen table what I gather was the briefing book. I do not know how he got it; more to the point, I do not know who thought having it would be helpful. Frankly, you deserved better. My cursory glance at it convinced me that it was a crashing bore and next to useless -- for you, or for anyone else."

Even though, as a columnist, my support for Reagan was well-known, my participation in his debate preparation was as inappropriate as it was superfluous -- after three decades of public advocacy, Reagan was ready . And speaking of the inappropriate:

The role of ex-president requires a grace and restraint notably absent from Carter. See, for example, his criticism of the United States when he is abroad, as in England two weeks ago. Having made such disappointing history as president, Carter as ex-president should at least refrain from disseminating a historical falsehood.

So strong, however, is the human impulse to believe comforting myths that Carter probably will continue to promulgate the fiction that I gave Reagan the utterly unimportant briefing book, thereby catalyzing the 1980 landslide. But to be fair: As a candidate, Carter promised only that as president he would never tell a lie, thereby leaving himself a loophole for his post-presidential career as a fabulist.

[SherryB]

George Will is Jewish. Any non-Jew's you can quote???

[Arturo_Vandelay]

George Will is Jewish. Any non-Jew's you can quote???

Sorry, I don't keep track of religions. Didn't know he was Jewish, don't care. Lefties quote him when they want a conservative that agrees with them, THEN he's good enough. It was all over when he said Iraq was a civil war.

Now he's just another lousy Jew. Again.

[Nomarchy]

Sorry, I don't keep track of religions. Didn't know he was Jewish, don't care. Lefties quote him when they want a conservative that agrees with them, THEN he's good enough. It was all over when he said Iraq was a civil war.

Now he's just another lousy Jew. Again.

Just don't equate SherryB with all lefties, OK?

I consider her knee-jerk "he's Jewish" a bunch of cowdoody, and have told her so repeatedly.

[Arturo_Vandelay]

Just don't equate SherryB with all lefties, OK?

Especially not Jewish ones, of which there are more than a few.

[SpaceCowboy]

Especially not Jewish ones, of which there are more than a few.

"They" tend to make up the core of the hated ACLU.

God bless 'em for it, too.

[Arturo_Vandelay]

The thought he was Jewish came to me when I read the other thread and realized he looked like Howard Fineman.

Otherwise I never really thought about it.

Seems like many Jews are named after riches of some sort. Goldman, Silver, Will.

I was thinking if they had a heroic spy he'd introduce himself as Bond, Negotiable Bond. (too corny?)

[Bart Katz]

George Will is Jewish. Any non-Jew's you can quote???

(IMG:http://kkk.wanted.eu.org/obrady.jpg)

[Guest_davis¹³_*]

Family reunion?

[Bee]

He's the short midget in the front.

[Bart Katz]

Oh? Look see who's the one constantly biotching about Jews. Hypocrite mother farkers.

[beasty]

Oh? Look see who's the one constantly biotching about Jews. Hypocrite mother farkers.

Same old same old.

[Bart Katz]

He's the short midget in the front.

Another case of redundance by Mrs. Malaprop.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[SherryB]

Jews have been in the forefront of the fight for civil rights, worker rights, and many other truly good missions.

My problem is with the Jews who put their loyalty to Israel over the best interests of America. Zionists.

[Nomarchy]

Jews have been in the forefront of the fight for civil rights, worker rights, and many other truly good missions.

My problem is with the Jews who put their loyalty to Israel over the best interests of America. Zionists.

You didn't say that, SherryB. You merely said George Will is a Jew, and that you would want the opinions of a non-Jew.

[Bart Katz]

Jews have been in the forefront of the fight for civil rights, worker rights, and many other truly good missions.

My problem is with the Jews who put their loyalty to Israel over the best interests of America. Zionists.

Is George Will a zionist?

[patheticJT]

Another Jimmy carter thread?

[SherryB]

You didn't say that, SherryB. You merely said George Will is a Jew, and that you would want the opinions of a non-Jew.

About THE BOOK. All the people screaming about THE BOOK are Jewish. I can't find one instance where a non-Jew thinks it's wrong. That was my point, badly made. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) All the people that resigned over THE BOOK were Jewish. They were only invited advisers anyway. No big loss. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Nomarchy]

Another Jimmy carter thread?

Yes, one not so obviously slanted against the man.