Bush honors Carter, other Nobel laureates at White House
Posted on 11/19/2002 4:26:37 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
Bush honors Carter, other Nobel laureates at White House
Reception seems muted amid former president's criticism of Iraq policy
11/19/2002
WASHINGTON - Former President Jimmy Carter came back to the White House on Monday as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate - and a frequent critic of the current administration.
Noting that Mr. Carter had spent "a lot of quality time here," President Bush honored him and five other Nobel Prize winners during a brief meeting in the Oval Office, followed by a short White House reception for friends and family.
"These Americans are a great honor to their fields and a great honor to our country, and we're proud to have you here," Mr. Bush told reporters shortly after greeting the Nobel laureates. "We're proud for what you've done for not only America, but the world. And we're proud for your contributions."
The Carter family toured the White House and had a chance to visit with friends.
Mr. Carter stood just to the right of Mr. Bush in a line of Nobel laureates that included Raymond Davis Jr. of Blue Point, N.Y., physics; Riccardo Giacconi of Washington, physics; John B. Fenn of Richmond, Va., chemistry; H. Robert Horvitz of Cambridge, Mass., physiology/medicine; and Vernon Smith of Fairfax, Va., economics.
The 78-year-old former president won the Nobel Peace Prize in October for his "untiring efforts" to champion human rights, promote democracy and broker peace between Israel and Egypt in 1978.
The decision to award the peace prize to Mr. Carter became tinged with controversy after Nobel Committee chairman Gunnar Berge said the prize wasn't just a tribute to Mr. Carter's work, but a rebuke to the current U.S. administration's policy toward Iraq.
The Bush administration's response to Mr. Carter's award has been somewhat muted - a condition that continued Monday when the White House decided to honor the Nobel winners in an Oval Office meeting and reception. Last year, Mr. Bush celebrated the Nobel winners in a televised East Room event.
In September, Mr. Carter said he was disturbed by administration threats to take military action against Iraq without the blessing of the United Nations. While he has praised the decision to have inspectors go into Iraq, Mr. Carter last week criticized the Bush administration.
Mr. Carter said on CNN on Friday that current U.S. foreign policy was "arrogant" and urged the Bush administration to set a better example for the world through the voluntary destruction of the United States' own weapons of mass destruction.
The Associated Press and Cox News Service contributed to this report.
And don't forget Miss Lilian, who was heard to say, "Jimmy always wanted to be President in the worst way.....and he accomplished just that."
Jimmy Carter stood to the right of Mr. Bush. Now, that's funny.
The least stupid is the family "brain."
heh heh !! And from the camera's view, that quite left....
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