Jimmy Carter Speaks Out On Wright, Obama, McCain

Former President Jimmy Carter appeared on CNN's Larry King Live on Monday, addressing everything from the 2008 election and Rev. Jeremiah Wright to his recent talks with Hamas.

In the first segment, Carter said he would not have left Wright's church after hearing his remarks, and that Wright wouldn't be "anything permanent or damaging" to Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy.

CARTER: I grew up in Plains, Georgia and we have 600 people and 11 churches. And the largest and most powerful church is the Lebanon Baptist Church, which is an African-American Baptist church, so I have heard this kind of preaching all my life when we visited their church and they came to mine. What I think he's teaching is a liberation theology and his origins... I think sermons are still shaped by the deprivation of racial discrimination that our country has felt for 100 years after the civil war.

Carter said he would not be endorsing a candidate during the primaries (despite the fact that "all of my grandchildren and all of their spouses and all of my children and all of their spouses were for Obama"), and predicted that the party would rally around a winner after the primary elections were over in early June. But he did offer praise to both candidates:

I think [Obama] has brought a new level of eloquence and inspiration to a lot of people. Hillary has also surprised a lot of people with her tenacity and her capability as a formidable candidate. I think at first she was kind of in the shadow of her husband. I think now she's blossomed forth in a very formidable fashion. If I were she, I would not withdraw until defeated and if I was Obama I would go forward as well.

In the second part, Carter addressed his recent trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, during which he spoke twice to representatives of Hamas. King played clips of John McCain challenging Obama to condemn Carter's meetings, and of Obama saying he personally would not have met with Hamas.

Carter responded:

Well, you know, I know the pressures that are on candidates running for president or Congress or governor or anything else in this country, and I don't blame Senator McCain for making what I consider a very foolish statement, telling Obama to tell me what to do. And I think Obama takes the right attitude by saying it's not his place to tell me what to do, but he would not go and meet with them. I think it's perfectly rational.

Comments

[Bulbul]

Jimmy Carter was less than a good President, but hey, compared to Bush everyone was good !

He also have a certain kind of silly vindictiveness, he was snubbed by Bill Clinton way back then, that he can not forget..I bet he will go for Obama.

[VictorLudorum]

billy boy billy boy
you everybody's fool,
you fought at home
and got laid in school,
now your a baptiste of black dresses
and publics win cash and mobile phone
to serve your jhon
so you can keep pissing on,
piss in the garden.
around the treees,
piss at the airport
you beer drinking geek,

[Hope42]

Boy, the Zionists are out in force on this message board. Ever since Jimmy Carter spoke out and told the truth about Israel, there's a segment of the population that continually smears him. Hey, I remember the Carter administration and I remember it as being very good. It was very telling that it took Reagan's inauguration for the hostages to be suddenly released. Remember Iran/Contra????
I greatly admire Jimmy Carter. Look at all he accomplished in ONE WEEKEND speaking to a Hamas leader!
The Israelis and Zionists are stuck in a way of thinking which will keep them in constant misery and they are too dumb to realize it.
Carter is head and shoulders above the present White House Resident.
Bet this comment is not approved..­.can't mention Israel, don't you know. On the other hand, they can feel free to say anything they want and smear anyone they want.

[AMJordan]

Jimmy Carter was not a great President, however he is a Great Man. If you look at what Presidents have done after leaving the White House, I would say Ford and Carter were the two who did the biggest things.

[arkgrfx61]

I am Jewish and I agree - I think the Israelis need to get their head out of their asses and realize that Jimmy Carter does not condone what Hamas does, but he understands "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

[VictorLudorum]

Ayy billy boy
ayy billy boy
you lit the fire
you took a turn
you gamed jones
and sold your mama
billy boy
you lost your marbles
you pissed to much
you naughty fool
you peasant from a poor school
you pissed to much
with general zia ul haque
the 600
in a eleven
has a pimpu there
that lets your kind of creep
serve no 7
and at no 9
you play 6zero
you fall from 7 to a 1 instead
your famous in life
but a nobody dead......­..........­......

[DenveRockwell]

Nice to see they're letting the kindergarten kids have computer time.

[dumbosrus]

How hysterical.

It's hard for me to believe that there are still people in this country that think Jimmy Carter was even a 'good' president.

The man was an incompetent boob when it came to money, failed to understand the true reality of Iran in the late 1970s, and still to this day, just doesn't get it. He's the type of person that expects sacrifice from other countries to the point where he would just give up on them in order to avoid blood shed. He is STILL battling the Viet Nam Syndrome, doesn't get MIddle East politics, and still thinks he is relevant to the world - all in the name of peace.

Back in the 70s when Jimbo was president, he took as much credit as humanly possible for the 'peace' deal between the Israelis and the Egyptians. Meanwhile, he conveniently forgot about Iran.

And now every American president will have to deal with his failure!!!

Pure and simple, Jimmy Carter is a joke, and always will be.

[RoloTomassi]

An incompentent boob [and a right-wingnut to boot] calling Jimmy Carter an incompentent boob. Rave on, the "joke" here is obvious without any assistance from me....

[samtaylor1]

The worst part of these attacks on Pres. Carter, is that ignores, the fact that the Iran hostage situation, was made worse by US agencies trying to pull him down. It was like Enron and Schwarzeneger.

[iBgood]

What's even more hard to believe is people like you who voted for bush twice and still support him and his policies.

Carter has a lot more respect than your dear leader who basically has none.

[SCG2]

The joke is our current "decider" he has no excuses, other than ignorance.

Carter had the oil embargo hit the economy, and Iran was the result of years of CIA support for a dictator. Carter was the reason behind the Egypt and Israel peace accords. He took measures to move us off oil and encourage energy efficiency 30 yrs ago, but Reagan trashed all those energy saving tax credits, early on.

[karaplanet]

Most people conveniently forget how forward thinking Carter was regarding our energy policy. Recall the lowering of hwy speed to 55mph? The encouragement of conservation and exploring alternate energy sources? He wore sweaters in his living room chats with the public, put solar panels on the White House. One of the first things that Reagan did after getting into the WH was to remove the solar panels, and begin to dismantle regulations that reverberate to this day. I agree that Carter's weakness was the economic side, yet if his energy policies had been followed, we would have been off of Middle East Oil long ago. Give the man credit where credit is due. Smearing his presidency as a total failure is done by those who practice revisionist history, and have their own agendas.

[Gould123]

Get off the band wagon people! 72% of our country thought Jimmy Carter was right to meet with Hamas! So in the long run our country is still behind this man your calling names. However, I never cared for Him much, I do respect the man and admire him! He has done some good for this country an as a Obama supporter I would hope you all keep in mind what he did good while in office. the people on this post is less than 1% of the country, and need I remind you it's nice tohave free speech, and to show respect in giveing your opinion! My opinnion of Hillary Clinton is very Low in deed, but I wouldn't call her names nore would I ever vote for her if she was the last Demacrate staanding-­--------an­d I find Carter much more inviteing than I'd ever find Hillary for a President. But we can say that, without the nasty disrespect some times shown here!

[ashleybaines]

regular Americans are not smearing him.... it's only the J's..... who may not be named.

These boards are owned and occupied -- just like Palestine.

[AMJordan]

What happened in Iran started long before Carter was President. He was handed a terrible situation and had to do the best with it.

The problems we're having in Iran right now is because the Bush Administration and the nocons can't keep from poking at them.

[maxfusion]

No one that counts cares peanut head.

[RoloTomassi]

What...are you two matching bookends?

[buckinfuzzard]

Peanut Head? fer chrissake are you in the 3rd grade. Grow Up!

[dumbosrus]

Memo to Jimmy carter: JUST SHUT UP!!!!

Your 15 minutes of fame ended long ago. With Washington D.C. attempting to corner the market on old aged gas bags, you would be welled advised to just shut up. Your know-it-all attitude is not fooling anyone except the sheeple in your own failed and fraudulent political party.

You're an idiot Jimbo, just shut up!!!

[andyboy]

dumbosrus,

Is this really neccessary? If you don't have even the most rudimentary knowledge of politics, common sense or courtesy please just don't blog here. Your not adding anything to the thread. Funny you protesting someone else's supposed know it all atitude.

Horrible post. One of the worst I've ever read.

I'm really shocked at what's happened to HuffPo. The number of idiotic trolls has multiplied greatly.

The moderators actually seem to give preference to the most ridiculous clowns while deleting others who actually have a point.

[blindjester]

I love Jimmy Carter.

He's what a statesman is supposed to be like.

[cavemandave]

wow, being elected president of the united states of america only gets you 15 minutes of fame? funny, this current president seems to be taking a lot longer.

[MiddleRoad1]

I thought he sounded wise and baanced. That is a lot more than I can say for a couple of the current candidates

[JudgeCrater]

Yeah, that whole energy conservation thing was pretty stupid, wasn't it?

Note to dumbosrus: it's called "being 20 years ahead of your time." For your information, the current President provides an example of the exact opposite.

[georgecrupper]

aint it refreshing to read that some folks are anti-political and understand that talking to your enemy might make sense...le­t me give most Americans some good advice...s­cience has give us so much free time that there are not enough productive jobs...exa­mple in the 1700's 90% of the population had to grow all the food...tod­ay less the 1% of the population in American grow all the food necessary.­..therefor­e the government has to provide a pacifer of beer, entertainment and a credit card to keep people happy...th­ere was a time when Parkinson's law "Work fills the time available" today it is Crupper's law "Words fill the time available"­...do we need 24 hours of misinformation by the media, government, businessmen and religious leaders?..­.but then what would they do?

[AMJordan]

Exactly. Whoever win the next election ought to have Carter as their "ambassador or goodwill" or something to the Middle East. He is one of the few politicians that they'll all listen to, including the Iranians. (They backed off a lot on Carter once they got a look at Reagan.)

[dplfdr]

Clear calm rational maybe not a good president but an excellent ambassador may he thrive

[Rumplestiltskin]

Jimma should stick to building houses. He should be happy that Bush is edging him out as worst President in the last 100 years.

[andyboy]

No wonder your screename is derived from a fairy tale. Maybe Jimma should go back to being a naval sub commander. Or a successful farmer. Or a Governor. He only bulit houses AFTER he was retired from small inconsequential stuff like Pulitzer prizes and the Presidency.

Why do conservatives hate other Americans so much?

[djthedj]

Why do conservatives hate other Americans so much?

They only hate other Americans who are actually smart enough to form a rational thought.

[blindjester]

Carter was not effective as president, but at least he has a clean conscience. He did little to push us forward (except Camp David). Bush has done nothing but push us backwards.

No comparison at all.

[Wilburrr]

His alternative energy plan would have pushed us a very long way. Unfortunately it was destroyed by Ronald Reagan. We would be free of oil imports now, had Reagan followed it., but Big Oil and their lobbyists had him in their pocket.

[AMJordan]

Let's see---

Since 1908

1.

Warren G. Harding
Herbert Hoover
Richard Nixon
George W. Bush

[MetryJen]

What I think is hysterical is that Jimmy Carter, of all people, looks like he's doing a great deal to achieve the mystical "Peace in the Middle East," and everybody's pissed off at him for it.

[dumbosrus]

You mean mythical peace in the middle east.

Unfortunately for Jimbo, it was on his watch that the current state of Iran came about. All because he suffered from the Viet Nam Syndrome.

To say that Jimmy carter is a blithering idiot when it comes to Middle East affairs, would be an understatement. And in my opinion, this country would be better off without his nose in the nose - FOR ANYTHING!!!

[djthedj]

Isn't revisionist history fun? I didn't know it was Carter who installed the bloody dictator Shah of Iran way back in the 1950s causing the mess we have in Iran now. Thanks for your deep insight.

[faretheewell]

In fact, I would suggest that the current state of Iran was set during the Eisenhower administration and the US/UK overthrow of Mossadegh and the installation of the Shah. The Shah, and his secret police ran an authoritarian regime that was extremely brutal to any sort of dissent. That probably set the stage for the revolution.

[RoloTomassi]

DUMBOS-R-U­S...ya know, that kinda sums it up for you and your ilk, doesn't it?

History, dear Dumbo, doesn't support your convoluted notions, just in case you didn't realize...­.

[AlG1]

I think it is good that President Carter is involved in foreign policy. Lord knows the Bush administration has avoided developing a foreign policy for 8 years.

[mi]

Jimmy Carter is a national treasure.

[mike53]

Which nation?

[ashleybaines]

not yours.... yours is destined for the dustbin...­.. along with its vicious, vile occupants

[harriscrl3]

You know an attack on Wright's church is not an attack on Black church its another attack on Progressiveness in America. I'm not religious infact I'm one step away from Atheism but if I had to go to a church it would be a PROGRESSIVE one as oppose to these religious right fanatics like Hagee. They can couch it however they want but America view Progressiveness as something dirty and something to wipe from this country. And as a Progressive is pisses me off to no end. Look what they have done to this country because fo their LACK of progressive thinking its a damn shame its what it is. Progressives NEED to stand up when they see their values being attacked.

Carol

[Crozier]

Carol - billions of dollars have been spent to create the PNAC. Billions of dollars have been funneled to the most Right Wing Dominionists to create a US theocracy of right wing fundamentalism. This religion promotes greed and God wants you to be wealthy theology. They want a Rapture theology that marries fundy Christianity with Likud Zionists who want the US to annihilate their enemies in the Middle East, especially Iran and Syria.

These Corporatists BOUGHT THE MEDIA OUTRIGHT and HAVE MOST POLITICAL LEADERS OF THE NEOCON AND DLC WING TOTALLY BOUGHT AND IN THEIR POCKET....­INCLUDING HILLARY AND JOHN. These politicians are both profiting and both of them allow the Corporatists, MIC, War Profiteers to make TRILLIONS until this Republic is bankrupt morally and economically.

[MrWhiskers]

64% of Israelis want direct talks with Hamas. Can we please get this out there?

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/958473.html

[dumbosrus]

what was the poll sample? 1000??

Need more details.

[djthedj]

Look them up then...her­e's a hint, you won't find it on FOX or Rush.

[ashleybaines]

dumbosrus is probably posting from Israel.... all the markers are there.