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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
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To: mpreston

You got it.


21 posted on 09/07/2004 2:10:49 PM PDT by Kackikat
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To: VMI70
I don’t believe this warrants your referring to me as a pacificist.


22 posted on 09/07/2004 2:10:52 PM PDT by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: VMI70

Looks like old Jimmah is back off his meds again. Eiter that, or he has been smoking dope with Willie again.


23 posted on 09/07/2004 2:11:22 PM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (kerry wants to rely on 4 months in Nam, not almost 20 yrs AWOL in the Senate.)
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To: VMI70

Jimmy Carter, among the worst and most ineffective Presidents of the Twentieth Century. He now presumes to preach to others?


24 posted on 09/07/2004 2:11:54 PM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (The Swiftboat Vets - Patriotic Americans STILL serving their country!)
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To: VMI70
It isn't "Duty, Honor, Country" with these guys. "Party, Party, Party." I hope I never become like them. Zell is a hero for standing up to them.
25 posted on 09/07/2004 2:12:04 PM PDT by VadeRetro
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To: SpyGuy

Rabid and Mean Spirited are Jimmah Cahtah's middle names.


26 posted on 09/07/2004 2:12:11 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: VMI70
Jimmy Carter worte:

"...greatly strengthened our military forces and protected our nation and its interests in every way."

Oh man! This is just beyond pathetic.

27 posted on 09/07/2004 2:12:22 PM PDT by jveritas
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To: VMI70

Zell said it very clearly in his speech, he decided to put his family ahead of his party.


28 posted on 09/07/2004 2:12:22 PM PDT by aynrandfreak (If 9/11 didn't change you, you're a bad human being)
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To: VMI70

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

attack!


29 posted on 09/07/2004 2:12:26 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (US socialist liberalism would be dead without the help of politicians who claim to be conservatives)
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To: VMI70

let me see if I understand this....the letter is a "private communication" but is now public? What a pompous jackass.


30 posted on 09/07/2004 2:12:28 PM PDT by LBelle
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To: VMI70
(former President Carter) 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.

Ha. Ha ha. HA HA. HAH HAH. ROFL! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

(former President Carter)I don’t believe this warrants your referring to me as a pacificist.

My elderly aunt's the same way. I bought her a computer but she can't quite figure out how to use the spell checker.

Carter is a doddering old fool.

31 posted on 09/07/2004 2:12:34 PM PDT by asgardshill (GWB throws heat. JF'nK throws spitballs.)
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To: SpyGuy

Hi Jimmie wheres the Canal now, you traitorous home depot loving fool


32 posted on 09/07/2004 2:12:39 PM PDT by al baby
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To: VMI70
Jimmy,

I think my little friend here says it best, you rat bastard:



Legitimized any dictators lately, ol' buddy?
33 posted on 09/07/2004 2:12:50 PM PDT by Rastus (Forget it, Moby! I'm voting for Bush!)
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To: VMI70
The claim that war hero Max Cleland was a disloyal American and an ally of Osama bin Laden should have given you pause

Except that no one ever made that claim. One of the major reasons Americans are questioning Kerry's credibility is that Kerry et al have been making claims of attacks against their patriotism and loyalty that have never been made and are indeed extremely far-fetched. This is one such claim.

34 posted on 09/07/2004 2:13:21 PM PDT by Thane_Banquo ("Armed with what? Spitballs?")
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To: VMI70

Zell decided loyalty to America was more important than loyalty to Marxists no matter what color jersey they were wearing...

America first

party second....


35 posted on 09/07/2004 2:13:23 PM PDT by joesnuffy (Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes)
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To: Snake65
notice is complaint with with loyal democrats, not democrats. It is sad, but perhaps not surprising, that loyalty is the only test. Integrity, intelligence, thoughtfulness, mean nothing in the face of loyalty.
Viva la Zell
36 posted on 09/07/2004 2:13:23 PM PDT by rescue
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To: VMI70
This election is about this country's security and this old pacifist fart thinks his party is more important?! No wonder we had 3,000 innocent Americans murdered by a bunch of terrorists. That was Zell Miller's point!
37 posted on 09/07/2004 2:13:30 PM PDT by kcvl
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To: VMI70
Who sent Josh Marshall a copy of the letter?

I couldn't make it past the first sentence.

I wanted to write Carter about the debacle in Argentina with Chavez -- had to withdraw the referendum on the election, eh, Jimmah?
38 posted on 09/07/2004 2:13:36 PM PDT by NavySEAL F-16 (Proud to be a Reagan Republican)
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To: Arrowhead1952

Toby Keith:

"I'll never smoke weed with Willie Again..."


39 posted on 09/07/2004 2:13:39 PM PDT by RockinRight (Vote early, vote often)
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To: feinswinesuksass
Sorry Idiot...if you want to feel better run back to Castro's harem!
40 posted on 09/07/2004 2:13:56 PM PDT by DoWhatsRight (Worst president and X pres...quite an honor!)
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