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 its 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 campaigns 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 dont 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/
This Carterism is particularly incredible:
"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 dont believe this warrants your referring to me as a pacificist."
No one believes that.
I'm wondering why the non-partisan (choke!) mainline media isn't calling Zell a maverick now, just like they always do when McCain sides with the 'rats.
Hah, Peanut Man will be forever on his Cracker Barrel front porch chair, rockin' away, pickin' his ear with a straw and fuming about what might have been.......while Zell Miller will be in DC sitting on the right hand of God for the next four years.
Leni
Zell Miller is driving the Democrats crazy.
Jimmy's encounter will that killer rabbit may have done more damage than we knew.
I'm sure Jimmy sent Senator Jeffers a letter about loyalty soon after Jeffers changed his party status.
Jimmy, like so many other democrats, puts party affiliation above all else, including loyalty to his country.
To: Former President Jimmy Carter
From: Senator Zell Miller, Georgia
Subject: Republican Convention Speach
On the subject of Patriotism, my family comes first.
On the subject of Party Loyalty, my family comes first.
On the subject of dismal choices and poor leadership, you lead the way.
Sincerely, Zell
Hang around the Habitat houses and enjoy your "fans".
Some really good laughs on this thread ya'll - Jimmy Carter thinks he strengthened the military! Huh???
Holy chit-tha! Holy chit-tha! They took the bar! And the old goat Carter GAVE AWAY the Panama Canal!!
Carter thinks loyalty to party is more important, than loyalty to country.
Jimmy who? One guy here even assumed it was Clintons letter, thats how insignificant Carter has become.
Carters upset because he gave the Democratic National Convention its most forgettable and bathetic address while Zell countered at the Republican Convention with memorable fire and brimstone barn burner.
Remember, its all about Jimmy.
I was in the Navy when this clown was president. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Jimmy doesn't get it--Zell is first and foremost a loyal American!
Jimmy could schedule the White House tennis courts but he couldn't even grow peanuts.
"Now, while young Americans are dying in the sands of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, our nation is being torn apart and made weaker because of the Democrat's manic obsession to bring down our Commander in Chief.
"What has happened to the party I've spent my life working in?
"I can remember when Democrats believed that it was the duty of America to fight for freedom over tyranny.
Carter still doesn't get it. He's still pushing partisan politics over the security of this country.
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