Carter exposed the dirty truth

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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/9360064.htm?1c

 

Posted on Tue, Aug. 10, 2004

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POLITICS

 

Carter exposed the dirty truth

 

BY RHONDA CHRISS LOKEMAN

 

lokemankcstar.com

 

At the Democratic National Convention, where public

Bush-bashing was put on low simmer, one speaker was

first to turn up the heat -- and it wasn't any of the

ones that you would expect.

 

Contrasting the current administration with others,

the prominent Democrat said, ``We had a confidence

that our leaders, both military and civilian, would

not put our soldiers and sailors in harm's way by

initiating wars of choice unless America's vital

interests were in danger. We also were sure that these

presidents would not mislead us when issues involved

national security.''

 

This is not your father's Jimmy Carter. Bemoaning what

has happened to America's relations with allies since

the Sept. 11 attacks, Carter said, ``In just 34

months, we have watched with deep concern as all this

good will has been squandered by a virtually unbroken

series of mistakes and miscalculations. Unilateral

acts and demands have isolated the United States from

the very nations we need to join us in combating

terrorism.''

 

Bush gets `dressing down'

 

Telling the truth was a messy job at the DNC, but

somebody had to do it. It may as well have been

Carter, arguably the best ex-president we've had and

one of the most honest politicians we've elected.

 

It didn't matter that most people at home didn't see

him address the convention or that the TV pundits were

too busy interviewing each other to acknowledge the

best dressing down of the current administration there

had been so far.

 

What mattered was that Carter finally had his say. His

speech was not incendiary, but it was remarkable.

 

Said Carter: ``Today our dominant international

challenge is to restore the greatness of America based

on telling the truth, a commitment to peace and a

respect for civil liberties at home and basic human

rights abroad. . . . Without truth, without trust,

America cannot flourish. Trust is at the very heart of

our democracy, the sacred covenant between a president

and the people. When that trust is violated, the bonds

that hold our republic together begin to weaken.''

 

Carter reminded fellow Americans that he served in the

Navy under two presidents, Democrat Harry Truman and

Republican Dwight Eisenhower. ``They knew the horrors

of war and later, as commanders in chief, they

exercised restraint and judgment.''

 

Made tough choices

 

He then ridiculed President Bush's military-service

record and compared it with that of John Kerry, the

Democratic presidential nominee. Kerry, a Vietnam War

hero, arrived at the convention on a ferry accompanied

by several men with whom he had served or whom he had

helped rescue in Southeast Asia.

 

``Today our Democratic Party is led by another former

naval officer, one who volunteered for military

service. He showed up (applause) when assigned to duty

and he served with honor and distinction.''

 

The lid on the truth about the Bush-Cheney record was

put on so tight in the FleetCenter, something like

that was bound to happen. One would have expected the

first salvo to come from Howard Dean. The convention

could have used Dean's rebel yell. Watching Kennedy

trying to restrain himself on stage was like watching

a hippo slip into a tutu. It was against the laws of

nature.

 

Jimmy Carter knows about civility, and he knows a real

''compassionate conservative'' from a faker. He knows

about making tough choices when confronted with

terrorism. Carter's choices cost him a second term,

but it didn't cost the country the lives of nearly

1,000 U.S. troops in an unnecessary war.

 

Carter said in Boston: ``Twenty-eight years ago, I was

running for president and I said then I want a

government as good and as honest and as decent and as

competent and as compassionate as are the American

people. I say this again tonight.''

 

Jimmy Carter is mad as hell and told us that he's not

going to take it anymore.

 

©2004 The Kansas City Star