At 85, Jimmy Carter pulling no punches FEATURE 09/24/2010

At 85, Jimmy Carter pulling no punches

FEATURE

09/24/2010
WASHINGTON — Thirty years since losing the White House, Jimmy Carter has launched a new campaign to reintroduce himself to Americans as a blunt-talking champion for liberal causes at home and abroad.

Still sprightly as he nears his 86th birthday on Oct. 1, Carter maintains a hectic schedule and has eagerly weighed in on the most controversial issues, breaking an unwritten rule for former US leaders to keep to themselves.

In a string of appearances in recent days, Carter has called for the United States to seek better ties with Iran and North Korea, criticized what he sees as Israel’s unwillingness to make peace and staunchly backed Muslims’ right to build a community center near the former World Trade Center.

In one of his less expected comments, Carter — a born-again Christian who teaches the Bible every Sunday at his church in Georgia — even hinted on late-night television that he used to masturbate.

The 39th President has reserved his most stinging criticism for Fox News, accusing the widely watched channel run by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. of fanning polarization and hostility toward President Barack Obama

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Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100924com7.html