Carter with his wife Rosalyn laying a wreath at Arafat’s grave
Jimmy Carter one of our worst Presidents was in Ramallah Laying a wreath on the mausoleum of former AIDS infected Palestinian leader Yassar Arafat. President Bush refused the chore of laying the wreath on Arafat’s grave during his visit to the Middle East.
A rumored supporter of Barack Obama’s, Carter will remain in the region to meet with exiled Hamas leader Mashaal later in the week.
More on Carter’s trip:
Former President Jimmy Carter embraced a leading Hamas figure Tuesday, according to participants in a meeting that infuriated Israeli officials already upset by Carter’s freelance Mideast peace mission.
more stories like thisCarter also laid a wreath at the grave of Yasser Arafat, whom the Bush administration and many Israelis blame for the breakdown of peace talks seven years ago and the violence that followed.
At a reception in the West Bank town of Ramallah organized by Carter’s office, the former president hugged Nasser Shaer, a senior Hamas politician, meeting participants said. Embraces between men are a common custom in Arab culture.
“He gave me a hug. We hugged each other, and it was a warm reception,” Shaer told The Associated Press. “Carter asked what he can do to achieve peace between the Palestinians and Israel … and I told him the possibility for peace is high.”
Carter’s office refused to comment, saying he does not discuss closed meetings.
Shaer, who served as deputy prime minister and education minister in the Hamas-led Palestinian government that unraveled last year, is considered a leading member of the Islamic militant group’s pragmatic wing. After a stint in an Israeli prison last year, he is now a professor at a West Bank university, teaching comparative religion.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Carter’s meeting with Hamas “dignified” a group committed to Israel’s destruction. “One cannot but wonder how this attitude is supposed to promote peace and understanding,” he said.
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Carter continues to prove his disdain for Israel with this last outrage.
Jimmy’s creepiness factor is overwhelming. I wish he would stay there. It would the beginning of a cleansing that this country needs from traitorous hacks like Mr. Carter.
t/b: Hot Air
JIMMY CARTER INCREASED MILITARY SPENDING BY 50%.
His last budget proposed a “real” 5% increase for five years.
Reagan told aides “I will not let Carter be known as the Defense president”
He proposed a 13% “real” increase.
His last four budgets cut spending in real dollars
He cut the number of troops in his last term.
Carter Tax increase?
Carter left Reagan a 575 B budget.
Reagan increased it by 80% for all time record
Carter left Reagan a Debt under 1000B
Reagan increased it by 187%
Reagan had 137 members of his administration charged with crimes.
That is more than all presidents since 1900 to 1981.
The problem some people have is that they view they simplistically view one side in the Middleast Conflict as good and the other as bad. For six of the seven and one-half years of his Presidency, George Bush abandoned any attempt to expand on peace initiatives pursued by his democratic and republican predecessors. This behavior on Bush’s part was stupid to the point of being criminal.
Jimmy Carter has tried to point out that there are actually two sides to the conflict and that Israel isn’t automatically right in every instance. For example, take the huge wall that has been constructed to seal out all Palestinians. Another example of unacceptable behavior by Israel is the military occupation of the Jordan River Valley by its armed forces despite the fact that this is the very most eastern edge of the occupied territories.
This blog portrays more of the same black/white mentality that has made America look like a very unsophisticated country in Europe as we pursue an untenable foreign policy. Jimmy Carter is certainly not perfect. However, if we had a real president in office with a real secretary of state it would be unnecessary for any citizen to do what Carter is doing.
[...] Stuck on Stupid: Jimmy’s creepiness factor is overwhelming. I wish he would stay there. It would the beginning of a cleansing that this country needs from traitorous hacks like Mr. Carter. [...]
He still can’t figure out why Ronald Reagan beat him in 1980. Undoubtedly the worst president in the history of our republic. What a moron!