In the exclusive club of former presidents, not often does one declare his superiority to another. Former President Jimmy Carter appeared to do just that on Monday.
“I feel that my role as a former president is probably superior to that of other presidents,” Carter told NBC’s Brian Williams, citing his work on domestic and international issues that “fill vacuums in the world.”
“When the United States won’t deal with troubled areas, we go there and we meet their leaders who can bring an end to a conflict, or an end to human rights abuse, and so forth,” Carter said. “So I feel that have an advantage over many other former presidents in being involved in daily affairs that have shaped the policies of our nation and the world.”
Shortly after portions of his interview aired, the 39th president walked back his comments.
“What I meant was, for 27 years the Carter Center has provided me with superior opportunities to do good,” Carter said in a statement confirmed by CNN.
Carter is far from the only former president to fill humanitarian or charitable roles after their term in office. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush joined together in the wake of January’s devastating earthquake in Haiti to form the Bush Clinton Haiti Fund. George H.W. Bush teamed up with Clinton in 2005 after a tsunami washed ashore in south Asia killing over 200,000 people.
Carter is making the interview rounds to promote his new book written from a lengthy personal diary he kept via Dictaphone as president. He told CNN’s Larry King that his dictations produced 5,000 pages of written material.
“I think when the paperback of this book comes out, I’m going to make it available to scholars and news reporters to go to the presidential library and read the…taped original,” Carter told King Monday night on Larry King Live.
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(Source: CNN)
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17 Responses
He’s definitely full of himself. This is the man who unleashed terrorism on the world by withdrawing support from the shah of Iran.
He said superior to other presidents during the period of his life after he was president. Most ex-Presidents are quite old when they leave office, and retire to write their memoirs and play golf (or whatever). The only ones who have “had a life” post-White House:
Bill Clinton – dabbled in politics and worked on his advancing his wife’s career (payback for her not divorcing him?)
Teddy Roosevelt — very active, making trouble for successors
John Quincy Adams — became a leading Congressman and lawyer
William Howard Taft – became Chief Justice
I’ld say all of the four above have had more distinguished post-White House careers. Based on certain factors (age, being a lawyer), I’ld suggest that Mr. Obama might join the list in 2012. Considering Carter’s youth when he left office, he seems to have a useful retirement rather than a distinguished second career.
If he was the best president ever, then shouldn’t Obama be told that?
Who cares what this anti-semite did for other nations? He was horrible domestically. Inflation was at an all time high and we had oil embargo!
I guess he must be comparing himself with Hussein Obama in which case there could be an argument on his behalf. However, to compare him to the other 42 presidents…. HE SMELLS LIKE DEAD FISH!
If he says so.
how this guy escaped from Belveue beats me
hopefully as in the picture, we will see him buried in Ramallah too.
It’s simple. He’s the only ex-president that worked against ‘apartheid’ Israel. His futile mind thinks that’s superior. Yemach Shmo.
HE MUST HAVE ALHEIMZERS DISEASE. However he is in the advance stages and we can only hope for a speedy conclusion of his case
He thinks he is the reincarnation of Napoleon. Send him to Elba.
All of the people making the previous comments are just plain jealous.
After all, has any of you grown better peanuts than Jimmy?
As a matter of fact, Bill Clinton invested hundreds of hours of time into combating worldwide poverty (real poverty such as lack of food and basic medical care). He has assisted in raising tens of BILLIONS of dollars over the years to alleviate the poverty in many countries.
In addition, he set out to assist those recovering from Haiti’s national disaster along with Mr Bush…
…where in the world does Carter get the audacity to claim superiority?! He’s achieved no peace in the middle east (his lifelong goal), all he does have is a nobel peace prize; but hey ARAFAT GOT ONE TOO!
The best president? If he’s not mentally ill, he belongs on TV—late night comedy show.
“I”ll never lie ta ya.”
He isn’t claiming to have been a “superior” President
He claims to have been a superior RETIREE (big deal, most of his competitors were too old for a much of a retriement beyond writing memoirs and playing golf).
And even then he is someone exaggerating (compared to some such as Adams, Taft, and even Hoover – who had distinguished careers in public service after being booted from the White House).
The only reason this miserable anti-Semite is still living is because HKB”H is preparing for him to share a cell in Gehennom with Achmanidinajerk.