Thank you Bill Maher for treating President Carter with the class he deserves.

[phleshdef]

For those who haven't seen tonight's Real Time or even those who don't really like Bill Maher, I still encourage you to watch his interview with President Carter and then his new rules segment at the end of the show. I feel like Bill Maher just did more to vindicate and defend Jimmy Carter, as he rightfully should be vindicated and defended, than any other liberal media personality or politician has even thought about attempting. The points Bill makes in his New Rules segment about Carter should be studied, repeated and thrown in the face of every right winger that attempts to use "Jimmy Carter" as some kind of insult. We are talking about a real hero for humanity in general when we are talking about Jimmy Carter, its about time we start fighting that bullshit and shame these assholes who engage in such unfounded attacks against such a good god damn man.

[Cha]

1. Thank phlesh~

[rufus dog]

3. Please proceed PussyPony

[phleshdef]

4. Honestly, I think Carter was treated like absolute shit by Washington.

That was the real problem. It was like how Obama gets treated by the Republicans now, except Carter got it from both sides and it was because he was a true outsider.

[Cha]

9. Oh, I think Pres Obama is getting it from both sides now.. think

firebaggers and the great duer's "pos used car" schtick.

[phleshdef]

14. Yea but Carter was primaried by Teddy Kennedy.

I love Teddy for a lot of things, but that was a disgusting moment for him and Democratic politics in general, in my opinion.

[Cha]

15. Yeah, read about it much later on DU.. I had no inkling clue

of politics back then. Wonder if Teddy ever kicked himself?

[phleshdef]

17. Well, I was a newborn baby when all that went down, lol.

But from what I read, Carter and Kennedy DID reconcile.

Carter's statement in an interview after Teddy's death:

CARTER: Well, like all Americans, and I think people around the world, we’re just distressed at the death of a great man. I knew Ted Kennedy very well, on both sides of the fence – as a matter of fact in 1980 he ran against me for the Democratic Nomination when I was President and I was lucky enough to prevail.

But I think that among all the members of our U.S. Senate and the Congress of the United States he’s been pre-eminent. He’s been a staunch and honest and open and very able to express his views to the American people. And my own hope is that his deep commitment to a comprehensive health plan will be honored now by his contemporaries, by his peers, in the near future.

But we’ve already expressed, my wife and I, our condolences and our prayers to the family, and I don’t think there’s anybody that serves in the U.S. Congress now that could possibly be missed by the American people as much as Ted Kennedy.

INTERVIEWER: I think he was 47 years in the Senate, the third longest serving Senator ever. He pushed through a lot of big legislation. How did he change the American landscape?

CARTER: For the better. I think that Ted Kennedy, although he came from a very affluent family – a very prominent family, successful in politics – I think his first commitment was always to the people who were most in need, and he worked for those who were deprived in the American society, and not only did he work for them, but he was very effective in his legislative work. It was not just an idle commitment on his part. He was dedicated when the Senate was in session or out of session. Ted Kennedy, everyone knew, was fighting for the poor and deprived, those people in need in our community and our nation, and it was surprising how successful he was.

INTERVIEWER: It is a day to remember his achievements but also perhaps to ask the question of whether he might have achieved true political greatness were it not for his personal flaws. Would he have been President were it not for Chappaquiddick?

CARTER: Well, let me say that all of us have personal flaws and I don’t think that this is a time to concentrate on that. As a matter of fact, when he ran against me for President it was shortly after Chappaquiddick and, although I never mentioned it in the campaign, I think it was a detrimental factor, and had he not had that embarrassing experience in his younger life he would have been maybe more successful on the national scene. But he more than made up for that after 1980 and during the years that he served before in the Senate and after the Chappaquiddick event occurred. And I think he suffered from the consequences of it. He bore it like a man and he survived in the minds and hearts of the American people.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/08/28/773602/-Jimmy-Carter-s-comments-on-the-death-of-Ted-Kennedy

[Cha]

18. That's sweet from Carter..

You are a young start.

[calimary]

53. He is truly a noble man, that Jimmy Carter.

Great nobility, humility, and class. More built-in class than all the romneys could buy with all their money and car elevators. He got such a shitty deal from so much of America, and not just from the usual bad-guy suspects, either. People on our side of the aisle didn't give him much respect and treated him like a punching bag. He was and still is an extraordinarily classy man.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. Like when he gnawed on Carter's head with them wooden teeth

it was certainly not what you would call polite.

[phleshdef]

19. Hahahhahahahahahahhaa.

Hahahhahahahhahaa.

I'm not exaggerating, I literally am laughing my ass off at that. Well done. LOL.

[deathrind]

8. How did he fu*k up?

Do you have specific examples? If u want to really see just how devious the Republican Party can be in their quest for power, research the Iranian hostage crisis and the intervention done by operatives of the Reagan campaign in preventing the release of hostages before the 1980 election. Carter was way ahead of his time. Had he won a second term and been able to enact and implement the programs he saw as vital to the future of American and the planet the human race would be in a much better postition today then we are. The man actually had solar panels installed on the White House... which Reagan promptly remove upon taking office.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. Jimmy Carter is my favorite ex-president,

maybe even more than JFK. The irony is that I didn't vote for President Carter in 1976. I was busy having a small child and not really paying attention, and I liked Betty Ford a lot. Besides, I was somewhat bothered by Carter's religiosity. (Which looks so mild now.) But by the time 1980 rolled around, I was a big, big fan and was sorely disappointed when Reagan "won." Reagan's apparent resolution of the hostage crisis was manipulation of the worst kind. One has to suspect that deals were made.

This would have been a different country if Carter had won a second term, but the forces who really run the show could not let that happen. There are some really evil puppet-masters at the heart of this country's power structure, and they've been there for as long as I can remember, pulling strings...

I'm getting old, and I'm tired of it.

[2banon]

66. ^This! 1000+! Everything you said.. and yeah, I'm really tired of it too.. n/t

[BlueMTexpat]

13. The 1980 election was as much of a disaster - if not more -

for the world as the 2000 "selection" was. The 1980 election just wasn't quite as overtly stolen as was the election of 2000. And the GOP wasn't yet completely dominated by RW fundie crazies.

But Reagan's election and policies set the stage for almost everything bad that has happened since. One of the especially bad political consequences was that it sent too many Dems scurrying to find a "Third Way" instead of standing their ground and being proud liberals.

The way that Dems in general treated Carter - an outsider to the inside-the-Beltway powers that be - was neither kind nor intelligent for their long-term political strategy.

Carter stands for what is best in humanity, but with qualities that don't always help a politician who wants to win re-election. I'm so glad to see that he has been/is being recognized for that consistent and sincere humanity during his lifetime. He is certainly one of the most universally deserving Nobel Peace Prize winners ever.

[CrispyQ]

23. An excellent post.

The dems have been weak since Reagan. When a two bit actor poked fun at the word at the word liberal, they should have said "Fuckin' A we're liberal & here's why" & then read off all the points in the Joe Conservative essay. Instead they ran away from the word with their tail between their legs & have abandoned many liberal policies as well. Too many in our party are on the same gravy train as the repubs.


When I think where we might be with the environment if the 1980 election hadn't been rigged with the whole Iranian hostage thing, well, it's sad. Tragic actually.

[BrotherIvan]

30. Reccing both posts

Reagan was the rot that started it all. Democrats turned tail and ran, for fear of his massive "popularity". Unfortunately, those who grew up under Reagan and are in office now are trying to emulate him with very little success and terrible consequences. No praise of Reagan or baby bush should ever pass a Democrat's lips. That is a huge alarm bell.

[freshwest]

42. Also for both. n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

67. I think Bill Maher made a valid point,

that President Obama should be holding Jimmy Carter up as an example of a president to emulate rather than Ronald Reagan.

[BrotherIvan]

68. TOTALLY agree

I am so tired of Democrats holding up Republicans as good with the economy, good at defense, or even fucking sane. Their ideas are WRONG WRONG WRONG for this country. I am dismayed whenever I hear his praise of Reagan and it has gone on since the beginning. Stop it!

Carter has so many things that appeal to what we need in this country: just a few examples being alternative energy and peace. This country is dying and we need a true liberal vision to get us on the right path.

[AlbertCat]

40. What do you expect of a country that went for VHS over Beta Max????

Reagan and the GOP meme of "greed is good" won out over Carter's call for conservation.

Everyone in the nation blithely went for instant gratification brought to you by the GOP and not the shared sacrifice for a better future of Carter. And we are now paying for the lies of ethereal instant gratification.

[babylonsister]

5. Thanks for the ammo. Great post, rec'd!!

[newdemocrat999]

6. Is there a link to watch it?

[phleshdef]

7. Not that I know of yet, be on the lookout for at least the New Rules part.

The New Rules usually get released for free internet consumption. The Interview parts are just here and there.

[joshcryer]

10. Not a Maher fan but this post compells me to watch.

I'll post later if I check it out. Thanks for the post phleshdef.

[Hamlette]

12. Carter is nearly 90 years old

what a gem

[Enthusiast]

20. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

[Scuba]

21. Haven't see the show, but rec for my favorite President ever.

[CrispyQ]

22. Thank you. I will check it out.

I bought Carter's new book this week. I usually check books out at the library, but I wanted to support him, especially with this title. He is probably the most decent president in my lifetime.

[LWolf]

24. Carter is the only POTUS

during my adult lifetime that I've had any respect for.

[classof56]

25. Thanks for this. I'd also recommend Stephen Colbert's recent interview with Pres. Carter.

Worth the watch!

[ChisolmTrailDem]

26. Watch Bill's comments here re: President Carter, along with some very good advice for Dems.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/29/bill-maher-tells-democrats-stand-your-ground-on-obamacare-and-jimmy-carter/

#t=106

[bvar22]

35. DURec for Bill Maher & President Carter!

Thanks for the video!

[freshwest]

41. Thank You! Yes, no 'but's anymore. We have great ideas and policies and we care. Tell it! n/t

[adirondacker]

48. Thanks for posting. Excellent advice coming from Maher! nt

[Tikki]

27. Years ago one of the cookie manufacturers had a promotion giving trading type cards..

of many of the former Presidents in their cookie packages.
I got a President Carter picture card and carried it in my wallet in the picture slot until it dissolved.

Every once and awhile someone would notice the card in my wallet when I showed ID
at a cash register and comment on President Carter's picture.

If they asked why I was carrying around his photo, I usually would answer that 'kindness
is good and, actually, lying and greed are not good.' I am not sure if they understood, but whatever.


Tikki

[freshwest]

44. Excellent advice. The diiference between Carter and Reagan... n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

28. I think Carter is one of my favorite people. Definitely on the top 5 people I'd like to meet.

But I think that being a "good man" and "good president" aren't necessarily the same thing. It was LBJ who got the civil rights act passed, and he was a total asshole.

[oldandhappy]

29. Amen! Thank you for the post.

I was delighted with the Mill Maher comments. You are absolutely correct. This was excellent.

[mountain grammy]

31. It was a difficult 4 years, a time when we could have changed for the good

but the "exceptionalism" cheerleaders, warmongers and "morning in America" sucked in a whole bunch of voters. I think Ted Kennedy could have beaten Reagan. I knew Carter wouldn't, but having the entire Democratic party behind him might have not led to the landslide in 1980 and just maybe Reagan and his policies could have been mitigated. Who knows, I got drunk that election night. The beginning of the end.

[delrem]

54. Jimmy Carter's term was a *good* 4 years.

Carter was replaced by something totally fucking awful. Carter was replaced by something that ought to be analysed into all its awful components and that ought to be exposed for the total decadence it was and is.

Not likely in our post-Orwellian "look forward, not back" age.

I don't give Reagan voters *any* credence, any excuses, because as a Canadian I watched the whole process, right down to the Jar of Jellybeans, the fireside chats, and the wars of choice that the fucker initiated. I read about the death squads that the fucker promoted - the uninhibited torture and murder that occurred because that fucker and his grisly Rasputin, Henry Kissinger, saw fit. I read about the fascist leaders of coups against democracy that the fucker dined with.

The term "Reagan Democrat" is an abomination.

[ReRe]

57. Reagan Democrats...

... are the ones trying to take over the Democratic Party right now. The Third-Wayers, the DLCers.

[delrem]

61. "trying"? Please, fix your tenses. nt

[ReRe]

62. Never.

I don't remember signing the Democratic Party over to the Reagan Democrats/DLCers/Third-wayers. Maybe you've ceded leadership over to them (and indeed ARE one of them), but I and the majority of DU members haven't.

[delrem]

63. "and indeed ARE one of them"

Bye.

[ReRe]

64. Adios

[mountain grammy]

65. You know, you're right. Carter was replaced by something totally fucking awful

and remember, that was before Fox news (or any cable news) and the proliferation of right wing radio. They were out there to be sure but we had the Fairness Doctrine that kept things pretty much in check. We still had real reporters.
The "something totally fucking awful" brought out the ignorant, the hateful and the very ingrained racism in so many Americans. He announced his run for the presidency in Philadelphia, Ms., famous for murdering civil rights workers. The racists fell right in line.

What was so disturbing and amazing about the whole thing was the rest of the country fell in line too. Like lambs to the slaughter, Unions endorsed Reagan and the first time I heard the term "Reagan Democrat" I threw up. You are right, it's an abomination, but it was all just preparation for the 2000 coup.

[tooeyeten]

32. Treated better than

He was by Bush in the White House.

[Bluenorthwest]

33. Jimmy was my first Presidential vote, primary as well and I never really forgave Ted

Kennedy for what he did nor have I forgiven the 'moderate' Democrats who voted for Ronald "Satan" Reagan instead of Jimmy. They called themselves 'Reagan Democrats' then, I called them Republicans and still do.

[WillyT]

34. My First Presidential Vote Too... 1976...

[GoCubsGo]

36. Same here.

I will forgive the young, stupid "Reagan Democrats" who now realize their mistake and regret their votes, but they seem to be relatively few and far between. I really don't understand the attraction to that old coot. He was obviously dumb as a stump, and phoney as a three dollar bill. It still boggles my mind that that S.O.B. was given one term, let alone two.

[madokie]

38. I'm with you on all that

Ted Kennedy cost us the election if anyone did. I remember it well. He went after Carter with fangs bared. It sucked and in my mind it still sucks to today.

[marlakay]

50. My first vote too 18 in 74

I have always liked him. He got railroaded by so much that wasn't his fault. I used to say he is too nice to be pres.

[delrem]

56. 'Reagan Democrats' = Republicans (of course) or simply too stupid to breathe without instructions.

[bayareaboy]

37. What Carter does a bible teacher is one thing...

But you have to say both him and his wife have done more to change peoples attitudes about home ownership for all people in America.

And of course decent elections all over the World.

[joanbarnes]

39. History has and will prove the Greatness of Jimmy Carter, and will harshly judge GWB.

[Zorra]

43. The Reagan "Democrats" who voted him out of office committed a crime against humanity

by doing so.

Literally.

[freshwest]

45. Which I argued then but couldn't get through. The success of the EEOC did Carter in.

Our unions were strong during the Carter administration. Then those who voted for Reagan whined when he broke PATCO and then it worked its way down. Reagan did his best to destroy OSHA and all things that protected workers.

A very bitter time for me. I'm now thinking I was wrong to take the high road and not say, 'Ha! I told you so!' Maybe they would have learned something, maybe not.

[JI7]

46. the reagan Democrats were mostly racists who republicans appealed to with southern strategy

[IkeRepublican]

47. Thanks Pleshdef

I've noticed Carter's gotten some press over the past week, but wasn't sure of any of the actual sources. Need to go check it out. Thanks again.

[First Speaker]

49. Carter was like John Quincy Adams--a very great man, but not an effective President...

...politically, at least, he was a failure. He had the hostage crisis and inflation, and they killed him, leading to the conservative ascendancy of 1980. But he and Adams were the two greatest ex-Presidents ever...

[delrem]

55. And I'll bet you've never heard of "Iran/Contra",

or any of the evil machinations of the fascists who engineered Iran/Contra.

[First Speaker]

58. Yes, I have...

...and it's irrelevant to anything I said. First of all, Iran-Contra occurred in 1986-7, and Carter, of course, was defeated in 1980. But if you mean the supposed "October Surprise" of 1980, and the conspiracy to keep the hostages in Iran until after the election, yes, I heard rumors of that at the time--October, 1980--from a relative who worked in the intelligence community. I did then--and do now--believe that the rumors are true. "Fascism" and "treason" are indeed appropriate words, though I don't believe it was as serious as Nixon's actions in 1968 to torpedo the Paris Peace Talks. But none of this came to light *in 1980*, which was the only point I'm trying to make.

[delrem]

60. Actually, Iran/Contra did indeed happen in 1980.

That's when it started.
It continued because too few Americans could give a godamn.

[Warpy]

51. The interview was very classy.

I think Maher realized just what a smart man Carter is and knew if he went for cheap laughs he'd be completely skewered in the most gentlemanly way and that he'd have a tough time recovering from it.

If we're here as a species to tell the story in another century, I think Carter will be remembered as one of the greatest humanitarian ruler of all time.

[AzDar]

52. K & R

[hrmjustin]

59. I was born when he was president.