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The text of a letter former President Carter sent to Zell Miller over the weekend
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/ ^ | Josh Marshall

Posted on 09/07/2004 2:05:44 PM PDT by VMI70

The text of a letter former President Carter sent to Zell Miller over the weekend ...

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 lieutenant governor and as 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 Convention because of your being a “Democrat,” and it’s quite possible that your rabid and mean-spirited speech damaged our party and paid the Republicans 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, never claimed to have been a war hero, but I 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 pacificist.

Zell, I have known you for forty-two 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 preemptive 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.

I contacted President Carter's office for comment and his press spokesperson Deanna Congileo told me that the letter was a private communication and that President Carter would not be issuing further comment.

-- Josh Marshall http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Georgia
KEYWORDS: carter; jimmycarter; miller; zell; zellmiller
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To: ATOMIC_PUNK; VMI70
I have one question only and it is; Does ANYONE care one hoot in hell what Jimmah KAAATAAAA says about anything?
281 posted on 09/07/2004 6:49:03 PM PDT by Bigun (IRSsucks@getridof it.com)
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To: VMI70
I, myself, never claimed to have been a war hero, but I 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.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!

282 posted on 09/07/2004 6:51:48 PM PDT by NeoCaveman (If "W" stands for wrong, what does the "F" in John F Kerry stand for?)
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To: VMI70

They keep repeating the same old mantra of 'personal attacks' against Kerry. WHAT personal attacks? His voting record is personal??? These people have LOST it!


283 posted on 09/07/2004 6:52:08 PM PDT by Capricam
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To: StarCMC

bump


284 posted on 09/07/2004 6:55:59 PM PDT by Soaring Feather (Poetry is my forte.)
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To: VMI70

Maybe Jimmmmy's Nuclear Expert, Amy, would give her opinion!


285 posted on 09/07/2004 6:58:12 PM PDT by leprechaun9
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To: TomGuy

286 posted on 09/07/2004 7:00:47 PM PDT by visualops (I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.)
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To: VMI70
Please read : Reagan's War by Peter Schweizer

Page 228, 2nd paragraph:

"Former president Jimmy Carter dropped by Soviet ambassador Dobrynin's residence on a day in late January 1984 to discuss the state of the world. Carter was concerned about Reagan's defense buildup, Dobrynin recalled. The former president went on to explain that Moscow and the world would be better off with someone else in the White House. Otherwise, "there would not be a single agreement on arms control, especially on nuclear arms, as long as Reagan remained in power."(emphasis added)

Jimmy, you were wrong then and you are wrong now. You still practice the politics of FEAR, DIVISION, and HATRED which is the very essence of the Democrap Party!
287 posted on 09/07/2004 7:09:31 PM PDT by leprechaun9
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To: VMI70

I wonder how many people will attend Carter's inevitable funeral?


288 posted on 09/07/2004 7:13:48 PM PDT by jackbill
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To: VMI70

I look forward to Senator Miller's reply to this pathetic letter where Carter says that political party dedication is more important than family dedication!!!!!


289 posted on 09/07/2004 7:15:10 PM PDT by eeriegeno
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To: VMI70

Ha ha he he. LOL. Payback's a bitch, Jimmah. If Jimmah can use his big mouth and part with precedent by slamming incumbent presidents, then I must say that the door for criticism is wide open for everyone. There is no "loyal" there, Jimmah.


290 posted on 09/07/2004 7:49:00 PM PDT by Donna Lee Nardo
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To: Buckhead

Post of the year.


291 posted on 09/07/2004 8:08:13 PM PDT by Diva Betsy Ross (It's not Bush's fault... it's the media's fault!)
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To: ATOMIC_PUNK

Thanks for the ping!


292 posted on 09/07/2004 8:26:34 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Brad Cloven
I didn't think we were allowed to post from The Onion.

Best laugh of the day.

Carter's statement about his strenghtening the military and protecting the country in every way is the a)biggest lie I have ever read (Clinton's included) or b)proof positive that Carter is insane. Jimmah must have chuckled to himself when he wrote that bilge.

293 posted on 09/07/2004 8:27:35 PM PDT by Lawgvr1955 (I think Kerry needs more cowbell.)
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To: VMI70

Typical RAT. Party always takes priority over country. The Peanut farmer can go to hell.


294 posted on 09/07/2004 8:32:29 PM PDT by ABG(anybody but Gore) ("I'm just a gigolo, and everywhere I go, people know I'm lyin' about 'Nam".....)
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To: VMI70
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.

This has me screaming with laughter! Poor Jimmy, he has really lost it!

295 posted on 09/07/2004 8:37:06 PM PDT by ladyinred (John Kerry reporting for "SPITBALL" duty!)
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To: ladyinred
What Jimmy misses, and Zell was telling us, that the Democratic Party he grew up in and worked in, was very different from the Democratic Party of today. The party of today has only one aim, that is unseat George W. The old party was about working people, and helping people/ This new party is about Communists, Bolsheviks, and people undermining our country at every turn..
296 posted on 09/07/2004 10:50:52 PM PDT by BooBoo1000
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To: stanz; StarFan; Dutchy; RaceBannon

Have you see this? Poor ole Jimmah...


297 posted on 09/08/2004 8:10:51 AM PDT by nutmeg ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Comrade Hillary - 6/28/04)
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To: nutmeg

Oops... see = seen


298 posted on 09/08/2004 8:11:45 AM PDT by nutmeg ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Comrade Hillary - 6/28/04)
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To: nutmeg
Notice how often he uses the term loyal democrats which supports Zell's claim that it's party first, family second.
299 posted on 09/08/2004 8:24:44 AM PDT by StarFan
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To: Indie

And even worse, party over family!


300 posted on 09/08/2004 9:11:12 AM PDT by MattGarrett
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