Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

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
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 301-309 next last
To: VMI70; All

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 don’t believe this warrants your referring to me as a pacificist."

No one believes that.


61 posted on 09/07/2004 2:18:14 PM PDT by faithincowboys
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VMI70

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.


62 posted on 09/07/2004 2:18:37 PM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Legislatures are so outdated. If you want real political victory, take your issue to court.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VMI70
Jimmah was a micro-manager while in the White House. It's fitting he should obsess about Zell and fire off a petty letter. He's a small, whiny, mean-spirited excuse for a man.

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

63 posted on 09/07/2004 2:18:41 PM PDT by MinuteGal (Florida Freepers....We Have a Great State Forum. Click the Flag on your Profile Page to Get to It)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VMI70

Zell Miller is driving the Democrats crazy.


64 posted on 09/07/2004 2:18:42 PM PDT by Dog Gone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VMI70

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.


65 posted on 09/07/2004 2:18:46 PM PDT by TomGuy (His VN crumbling, he says 'move on'. So now, John Kerry is running on Bob KerrEy's Senate record.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #66 Removed by Moderator

To: VMI70

Jimmy, like so many other democrats, puts party affiliation above all else, including loyalty to his country.


67 posted on 09/07/2004 2:19:32 PM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VMI70

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


68 posted on 09/07/2004 2:19:33 PM PDT by Prost1 (Why isn't Berger in jail?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VMI70
Pound nails, Carter...you loser.

Hang around the Habitat houses and enjoy your "fans".

69 posted on 09/07/2004 2:19:59 PM PDT by demsux
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Old Sarge; Defender2; kjfine; 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; bentfeather; Fawnn; Spotsy; Jet Jaguar; ...

Some really good laughs on this thread ya'll - Jimmy Carter thinks he strengthened the military! Huh???


70 posted on 09/07/2004 2:20:01 PM PDT by StarCMC (It's God's job to forgive Bin Laden, it's our job to arrange the meeting.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Eric in the Ozarks
its not rabid, its rabbit
71 posted on 09/07/2004 2:20:08 PM PDT by rescue
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: VMI70

Holy chit-tha! Holy chit-tha! They took the bar! And the old goat Carter GAVE AWAY the Panama Canal!!

72 posted on 09/07/2004 2:20:19 PM PDT by isthisnickcool (Only dummies play poker with George W. Bush.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VMI70

Carter thinks loyalty to party is more important, than loyalty to country.


73 posted on 09/07/2004 2:20:25 PM PDT by QQQQQ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Jimmy didn't listen to a word Miller said.
74 posted on 09/07/2004 2:20:39 PM PDT by GretchenM (A country is a terrible thing to waste. Vote Republican.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VMI70

Jimmy who? One guy here even assumed it was Clinton’s letter, that’s how insignificant Carter has become.

Carter’s 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, it’s all about Jimmy.


75 posted on 09/07/2004 2:20:56 PM PDT by hockeyrocker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VMI70
". . . as president, greatly strengthened our military forces and protected our nation and its interests in every way. . ."

I was in the Navy when this clown was president. Nothing could be further from the truth.

76 posted on 09/07/2004 2:21:14 PM PDT by haywoodwebb (American, Christian, Conservative, Negro . . . A return to the Party of Lincoln)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

it’s quite possible that your rabid and mean-spirited speech

OH NO! Jimmy's talking about MEAN RABBITS AGAIN!


77 posted on 09/07/2004 2:21:25 PM PDT by GretchenM (A country is a terrible thing to waste. Vote Republican.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: VMI70

Jimmy doesn't get it--Zell is first and foremost a loyal American!


78 posted on 09/07/2004 2:21:31 PM PDT by PeoplesRepublicOfWashington (Jean Fraude Kerrí, le poulet de An Thoi)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VMI70

Jimmy could schedule the White House tennis courts but he couldn't even grow peanuts.


79 posted on 09/07/2004 2:21:32 PM PDT by hgro (<i>)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VMI70
Jimmy needs to go back and listen to Zell's speech....

"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.

80 posted on 09/07/2004 2:21:49 PM PDT by DannyTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 301-309 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson