Carter helps Bush out on Port issue.....why dems will keep losing..

[HardWorkingDem]

Now, what is the reason Carter would even do such a thing? Why offer the Bushies any slack at all? Certainly I understand the integrity of Carter and all that, but whatever happened to the great stand by of, "no comment"? My gosh, in this day and age, with so much at stake in our country, why offer a political lifeline to Bush at all?

Here's the link to the report of Carter and his comments on the Port issue.....

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/13921401.htm?source=rss&channel=miamiherald_nation

[ingac70]

1. I'm glad Carter appears on the side of the Pres. on this issue....

It lends credence to freeper fears and will further drive a wedge between redneck repubs and the corporate whores.

[Webster Green]

4. That sounds about right...

They hate Carter almost as much as Bill & Hill.

[kentuck]

13. I don't know if that was Carter's intent...?

but that will probably be the effect. The Bush Adinistration wants this deal real bad and they will use Jimmy Carter as an authority to prove their point, and whom the freepers will dismiss immediately.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. I don't know why Carter did that. My guess is that he hasn't got the

information regarding that port authority. He might change his mind in the coming week once everyone knows about the truth regarding the UAE.

[jobycom]

5. Are you serious? You really think Carter would make a statement

without knowing more details than you or I could ever know?

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. I think the CIA is coming out against the UAE, and yes, I don't think

Carter knew about the drug smuggling.

[jobycom]

18. I'm sure Carter knew all the stories

and new the facts as well, as far as they could be ascertained.

[skipos]

3. Those damn DINOs! Is Carter DLC!?!

Just kidding. I disagree with Carter, and understand your point, but if the guy feels that way, why shouldn't he say it?

[NativeTexan]

7. Carter has more intelligence and integrity..........

.....than the ENTIRE Bush Fascist Party COMBINED. Let him say what he pleases!!

[dalloway]

14. I agree.

[HardWorkingDem]

8. Because....

how many Repugs of Carter's stature have came out and tried to make positive statements about Dems? None that I can think of.

I love Jimmy Carter. His integrity and character have never been in doubt. He is the walking epitome of a great human being. That is why he should not offer his good name for Bush at all. Now, he doesn't have to act like a Rethug and toss the sinking Bush a bucket of concrete like Bush would us, but he doesn't have to help him bail out the sinking boat, either.

Just watch - places like FauxNews are going to be using this all over to defend the Bushies.

Even though one political pundit said in 04 that everyone feels the current presidential election is the most important one in their lifetime, I believe that the 06 elections WILL be the most important elections to Dems in my lifetime and that 08 will be just as important and all of us need to act, think and feel the same way.

We are at the crossroads here.......

[NativeTexan]

19. Excuse me but there ARE no Republicans.......

....of Jimmy Carter's status!!!

[jobycom]

6. Carter says what he believes to be true, he doesn't play politics for

one party. THAT's why he has the respect he has. Would you rather him play politics over this and give the answer most of us think will help our party even if it's against what he believes?

You don't have to agree with Carter on it, I'm just saying that his integrity is what makes him who he is.

[wakeme2008]

10. here is Carters problem

". ``I'm sure the president's done a good job with his subordinates to make sure this is not a threat.''

Sorry President Carter I am just a sure he has not.

[Nashyra]

11. His remarks allow him to hammer him

when he sees an opening. He's honest and he knows the congress has gotten on the band wagon to derail this deal.

[JamRock]

25. Jimmy is saving his shots for an more suitable opportunity. Iraq is the

real long-term security disaster.

[SaveElmer]

12. JC has earned the right to speak his mind...

We should be happy that we agree with what he says 95% of the time. If a man with t hat kind of intelligence and compassion agrees with party positions that often, we know we are on the right side of things.

[HardWorkingDem]

15. It's terrible "winning" politics....

And whether people like it or not, this is what 06 is all about. Bush is getting hammered over this issue and what does the number one democrat that has integrity overflowing out of his body do? He gives this guy some cover.

Why can't the Dems just sit back from time to time and just close their mouths and let Bush keep digging in his hole? When someone is in a hole, if the first thing to do is stop digging, then first thing for an opposing person to do is toss the person a bigger shovel.

Why is it that Dems fail to learn the lessons of winning politics over and over again?

A very similar thing happened a while back to Bush - I can't recall the exact topic right now, but he made a blunder and some Dem came out and slapped the band aid on for him and that was that.

My god, our integrity, honor and patriotism have been questioned for almost five years now. When has a single, prominent Rethuglican came out and said that liberals certainly love the US but just have different ideas?

[SaveElmer]

16. Well I hear over and over on this board...

Country before party. No compromise with moderates...etc etc etc. I ma not including you in this as I don't know where you stand. But, this is thr price we would pay for that kind of position.

I usually agree with you. It is best for the party to subsume its differences when fighting the real enemy. Jimmy Carter is an exception in my opinion. His future effectiveness as an advocate for peace would be harmed if he became identified as a politician again.

[jobycom]

17. Is that really what it's about for you?

Winning? Because if it is, I disagree strongly. To me, it's all about doing what's right and hopefully best. If that means supporting Bush if he gets something right (and I'm not saying he did in this case), then it does.

I won't say something I don't believe in, or remain silent when my opinion could matter, just to win something. Because then I haven't really won anything. I've just become what I despise.

[HardWorkingDem]

21. Pragmatic politics...

why is that every time someone here suggests learning how to play the American political system better, some other DU'er takes it as commments meaning to set aside one's principles and morals? I never suggested such a thing. The thing is, regardless of a persons status as an icon, if we do not "win" in 06, then where are we? What can we expect?

My god, what the Dems have completely ignored is that the Bushies may not be looking hard at 06, 08 or even 12, but instead years and years down the road. This is why Dems MUST start doing better and why we can't have one of our most revered members giving this turd any cover at all.

And for those who think Carter isn't political or doesn't play politics, oh, for crying out loud. That is what it is all about. Politics is simply the battle to attain power. Morality comes in when what is done with that power once it is attained.

And to be frank, in one way, isn't Carter being a little bit selfish when he does such a thing? Yes, he is espousing his morality and integrity, but think of what happens later if his comments were to stop the examination of this deal and gave Bush a respite from the criticism. What good does it do if the right wingers start saying, "oh, this deal can't be that bad. Jimmy Carter is endorsing the deal, so lay off Bush." (Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be happening.)

[Wordie]

22. When Dems say anything,just to win, the electorate responds, and they lose

So I'd say the "win at all costs" strategy is not such a good one.

[HardWorkingDem]

23. Read my number 21 post...did I type "winning at all costs"...?

if I did, I didn't think so. But if I did, my intent is not to sell our souls to come out on tom. But read my 21st post. It explains what I mean.

But I'll type it again: no where am I suggesting Dems put aside their morality or integrity for a moment. What I am pointing out is that we must get smarter. It's like a fly has landed on our foot and to kill it instead of using a flyswatter we choose a shotgun to blow half of our leg off.

I don't know what it is when Bush starts floudering away like this and then in walks some Dem to help him out. Clinton did this last year over Iraq and Lieberman continues to pull these stunts.

[Wordie]

24. But to think that Carter should have said nothing, or something against

his own principles, really is about "winning at all costs," isn't it?

Have you never considered that maybe Carter is right? After all, who is it who is yowling the loudest about this deal? Have you been watching FAUX news? I have hesitations about the port deal too, more in terms of whether we should let contracts to any foreign government for critical infrastructure projects. Still, I trust Carter to know what he's talking about, and to not hesitate to say things out of purely political concerns, because it isn't the "correct" thing to say. He gets more points from me everytime he does so, even when I disagree with him.

And PLEASE don't put Carter in the same classification as Lieberman!

[HardWorkingDem]

26. There are times to just be quiet and say nothing...

As I typed earlier, when has a Rethuglican offered real support to a Dem? But tit for tat isn't a real answer.

This is another issue the Dem's could have sat back on and said nothing. Carter, by way of his extreme integrity, should have just sat back and said nothing. This is not really a human rights issue or much else.

Like I said - for five years now ANYONE who has thought critically or spoken critically about the aftermath of 9/11 has had their patriotism, honor and integrity questioned. Not one Rethuglican has came out and said "come on. Liberals love this country as much as anyone."

And what to Dems do? WE keep coming out and doing things like what Carter did when we don't have to.

As others have pointed out - this is a POLITICAL controversy, not MORAL one. It is all about politics and didn't require comments.

I sit back and watch this story unfold and think, "how could Bush be so tone deaf to this?" Even a conservative at work is bewildered by this. Bush is digging a deep, deep hole and we should make sure has plenty of nice, clean and sharp shovels to keep on digging with.

[LetsGoMurphys]

20. I wont be able to forgive Jimmy for this...period. n/t

[radio4progressives]

27. Did it ever occur to anyone that the our Ports have been Owned by other

countries, possibly for decades? I'm trying to research what the history is on this point. This might have been established under Carter or Ford or before then? That would explain why Carter would pooh pooh the issue and defend Bush on this point. There maybe other reasons, something to do with the Carlysle group, which Carter might be associated with on some level or invested in (or not) - I look at the wierd partnership he made with Jim Baker on the Elections Commission - and his reports that were easily proven false - something stank when that report came out, before the report was even made, everyone got very concerned about Carter joining forces with Jim Baker - and it turns out that Carter was very close with Ford another charachter that figures into a lot of evil shit. I never know what to think about Carter. But on this matter, if the ports were under the authority of the Great Britain/European Governments during his administration, which i suspect it may have been - but that needs to be checked - that explains Carter's comments. Because if he doesn't come out in advance of the media, it will come out soon enough and the RW will spin it to their benefit.

What we don't know right now is the history of foreign nationals and multinational corporations owning our ports and port authority. that's what we need to find out - i have been trying.. but drawing a blank so far.. don't really know where to look for that information either.