Hurray (once again) for Jimmy Carter !!!

[Dzimbowicz]

Published on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 by the Atlanta Journal
Constitution

Letter to Zell Miller: 'You Have Betrayed our Trust'

by Jimmy Carter

To Sen. Zell Miller:

You seem to have forgotten that loyal Democrats elected you as mayor
and as state senator. Loyal Democrats, including members of my family and me, elected you as state senator, lieutenant governor and governor. It was a loyal Democrat, Lester Maddox, who assigned you to high positions in the state government when you were out of office. It was a loyal Democrat, Roy Barnes, who appointed you as U.S. senator when you were out of office. By your historically unprecedented disloyalty, you have betrayed our trust.

Great Georgia Democrats who served in the past, including Walter
George, Richard Russell, Herman Talmadge and Sam Nunn, disagreed strongly with the policies of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and me, but they remained loyal to the party in which they gained their public office. Other Democrats, because of philosophical differences or the race issue, like Bo Callaway and Strom Thurmond, at least had the decency to become Republicans.

Everyone knows that you were chosen to speak at the Republican National Convention because of your being a "Democrat," and it's quite possible that your rabid speech damaged our party and paid the GOP some transient dividends.

Perhaps more troublesome of all is seeing you adopt an established and very effective Republican campaign technique of destroying the character of opponents by wild and false allegations. The Bush campaign's personal attacks on the character of John McCain in South Carolina in 2000 was a vivid example. The claim that war hero Max Cleland was a disloyal American and an ally of Osama bin Laden should have given you pause, but you have joined in this ploy by your bizarre claims that another war hero, John Kerry, would not defend the security of our nation except with spitballs.
(This is the same man whom you described previously as "one of this
nation's authentic heroes, one of this party's best-known and greatest leaders --- and a good friend.")

I, myself, served in the Navy from 1942 to 1953, and, as president,
greatly strengthened our military forces and protected our nation and its interests in every way. I don't believe this warrants your referring to me as a pacifist.

Zell, I have known you for 42 years and have, in the past, respected
you as a trustworthy political leader and a personal friend. But now, there are many of us loyal Democrats who feel uncomfortable in seeing that you have chosen the rich over the poor, unilateral pre-emptive war over a strong nation united with others for peace, lies and obfuscation over the truth, and the political technique of personal character assassination as a way to win elections or to garner a few moments of applause. These are not the
characteristics of great Democrats whose legacy you and I have
inherited.

Sincerely, and with deepest regrets,

Jimmy Carter

© 2004 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

[rhino47]

1. Hi Dzimbowicz Welcome to DU

Jimmy Carter rocks!

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Jimmih ROCKS!

This whole country owes the man a giant collective apology for the way we treated him while he was President.

--bkl

[coloradodem2005]

3. I would agree.

Mr. Carter certainly is loyal.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. Dare I say...Jimmy Carter was too good

for the presidency...he was consistently honest, tried his hardest to be fair and equitable, didn't sugarcoat things to the American people and focused on the poor and disenfranchised. He also admitted his mistakes, and worked on the "big picture" in foreign policy, trying to use American's influence to bring adversaries together, rather than ignoring, or inflaming rivalries and animosities.

A true statesman. MKJ

[the Kelly Gang]

5. it is a good letter

[TexasSissy]

6. Excellent letter. Remember when Presidents could

use the English language? I had almost forgotten.

[Gildor Inglorion]

7. God bless Jimmy Carter...

a great American, a great Georgian, and a true Christian in the very best sense of that often-misused word. Long after ol' sorry Zell's memory has faded into obscurity with other despicable southern-trash "leaders," Jimmy Carter will be remembered with honor and praise.

[Gildor Inglorion]

8. Duplicate - deleted by poster

[IkeWarnedUs]

9. Link

Here's the link to the letter in the AJC for future reference:

http://www.ajc.com/print/content/epaper/editions/wednesday/opinion_14e3fa39c58de1d500fa.html