I wonder why President Carter isn't there?

[MichMary]

I would think he would have been invited, along with the other living ex-Presidents. (I'm guessing GWHB's health prevented him from being there.)

[lark]

1. I read last week that his cancer had recurred, and was bad.

He may not be in good enough health?

[Algernon Moncrieff]

4. You might want to check this

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/jimmy-carter-cancer-spreading/

[lark]

7. Well, I'm glad to see this, Carter is the best man to ever be president.

He's given so much to so many who had so little, it just warms my heart. I've been worried for him. Guess I should know better than to believe things I see on FB. Sigh.

[mountain grammy]

14. Thank you for posting this.

and that's a relief. I feel he would have been there if he could, but Jimmy Carter could do nothing that would upset me.

[DURHAM D]

2. I think he is out of the country with Habitat. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Possibly, but Carter's presidency predated McCain's time in Congress

and maybe they didn't know each other well.

[RockRaven]

8. Yeah, McCain's first election win was House seat in '82 midterm. Carter was already out of politics.

I could see either a lack of invitation, or a declined invitation, not causing offense to the other party if they were only casually acquainted. That would be especially true if Carter's health or travel schedule would have made it hard on him.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. And President Carter also served in the Navy

He also went to Annapolis and had a very promising career until his father died in 1953 and he went home to run the family farm.

[Boomerproud]

15. He was a commander of a nuclear submarine.

Something the pubs almost never acknowledged.

[Rhiannon12866]

16. He's a nuclear engineer which is why he was so effective dealing with North Korea

On behalf of the Clinton administration back in 1994. And he's also a diplomat. That agreement held until 2002 when George Bush* included North Korea in his "Axis of Evil" statements.

[edbermac]

6. The guy is 93 years old.

Might also not be in good health

[stonecutter357]

11. are building homes for habitat for humanity !

[KG]

9. he's got better things to do

[peekaloo]

10. yeah, I saw him interviewed earlier this week at a Habitat site (midwest I believe)

he was respectful and generous in his praise of McCain's military career.

can't help thinking though if this ceremony was invitation only perhaps JC's remarks about McCain, prior to the 2008 election, "milking" his time as a POW didn't sit well with the family.

[stonecutter357]

12. building homes for habitat for humanity .

[UTUSN]

13. (an observation, not knowledge: ) CARTER is as much or more maverick, even if invited might not go

In photos of gatherings of ex-presidents, he is almost invariably off to one side while the others are chumily together. He puts McCAIN's maverick-ness in the shade.