Jimmy Carter

In a political discussion someone wrote this to me:

"Obama would just be another Jimmy Carter"

Well, it just so happens that the book I am reading right now has some thing to say about Mr. Carter, and I quote

"Jimmy Carter served on real live nuclear submarines... Carter is a graduate of the Naval Academy, having attended during World War II. In the Navy he became a submariner, serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, and he rose to the rank of lieutenant. He was personally selected by Admiral Hyman Rickover, known as the 'Father of the Nuclear Navy,' for the top-secret nuclear submarine program, where Carter enrolled in graduate work in reactor technology and nuclear physics , and served as senior officer of the precommissioning crew of the Seawolf America's second nuclear submarine."

Wikipedia has this to say"

Carter worked hard to combat the continuing economic woes of inflation and unemployment. By the end of his administration, he could claim an increase of nearly eight million jobs and a decrease in the budget deficit, measured in percentage of the gross national product. Unfortunately, inflation and interest rates were at near record highs, and efforts to reduce them caused a short recession.

The White House Biography says:
Carter could point to a number of achievements in domestic affairs. He dealt with the energy shortage by establishing a national energy policy and by decontrolling domestic petroleum prices to stimulate production. He prompted Government efficiency through civil service reform and proceeded with deregulation of the trucking and airline industries. He sought to improve the environment. His expansion of the national park system included protection of 103 million acres of Alaskan lands. To increase human and social services, he created the Department of Education, bolstered the Social Security system, and appointed record numbers of women, blacks, and Hispanics to Government jobs.

In foreign affairs, Carter set his own style. His championing of human rights was coldly received by the Soviet Union and some other nations. In the Middle East, through the Camp David agreement of 1978, he helped bring amity between Egypt and Israel. (My emphasis, if he had done nothing else that would have made him great.) He succeeded in obtaining ratification of the Panama Canal treaties. Building upon the work of predecessors, he established full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and completed negotiation of the SALT II nuclear limitation treaty with the Soviet Union.

After leaving office, Carter founded an institute to promote global health, democracy and human rights. He has traveled extensively to conduct peace negotiations and establish relief efforts; he is also a key figure in the Habitat for Humanity project. As of 2008, he is the earliest-serving living president and the second-oldest. Carter remains a relevant national figure today, and has been especially vocal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and you can read his lecture here.

The right wing pundits pick on Mr. Carter and hold him up to ridicule. Because they do not honor those who really accomplish things. Instead they hold up cardboard cowboys such as the Ronald Reagan or our current president as being "heroes". "Heroes" who did everything they could to avoid serving their country. "Heroes" who have run our country into the ground and left it there to rot while they make themselves richer.

Jimmy Carter (a real hero) did everything he could to make this world a better place and to improve the lives of not just Americans but of everyone in the world and for that I honor him. I salute you Mr. President. America is fortunate to have you.

So, if as my friend says "Obama would just be another Jimmy Carter" Then Mr. Obama you've got my vote. Go get em!

More about Carter may be found here, here , here and you can read about the Carter Center here.