Does anybody find this ironic? Jimmy Carter is known for having one of the most lackluster administrations in all of American history. I know that a statement like this is almost impossible to prove, but let’s face it; in 1980, the Republicans didn’t need an icon like Ronald Reagan. They could have taken back the presidency with Donald Duck, America was so impatient to get rid of Carter. Now, maybe it is not right to paint the former president Carter in such a light. But is it really smart for him to give people the opportunity to compare his presidency with that of others? If I were him, I’d prefer it if others did not compare my record with others.
Former US president Jimmy Carter unleashed a torrent of criticism against George Bush and Tony Blair over the weekend, in which he accused the Bush presidency of being the “worst in history” and said Mr Blair’s support had been abominable and subservient.
Even for a former politician with a reputation for plain talking, Mr Carter’s blazing criticism took observers by surprise and had the Republican leadership responding in equally harsh measure. The White House spokesman yesterday called Mr Carter “increasingly irrelevant”, adding that his “reckless personal criticism is out there”.
In a newspaper interview, Mr Carter said of the Bush years: “I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history.” And speaking on BBC Radio 4, Mr Carter criticised Mr Blair, who leaves office next month, for his close relations with Mr Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq war.
“Abominable. Loyal, blind, apparently subservient,” Mr Carter said when asked how he would characterise the British prime minister’s relationship with Mr Bush. “I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world.”
He told the BBC that if Mr Blair had opposed the invasion he could have made it tougher for Washington to shrug off critics. “One of the defences of the Bush administration in America and worldwide … has been, ‘OK, we must be more correct in our actions than the world thinks because Great Britain is backing us’.”
(photo: AP)
