Over the past couple of months, a petition demanding a congressional censure of former President Jimmy Carter has been gaining momentum via the Internet. Please indulge me for a moment while I explain what a horrifically bad idea this is.
True enough, Jimmy Carter has been gallivanting around the world spouting his leftist dribble to anyone who’ll listen. It’s both disappointing and frightening that he has such a large audience, as it indicates what a gullible world we live in. For example, Carter recently posted an op-ed (“Punishing Innocent Palestinians is a Crime”) that accuses America and Israel of intentionally starving innocent Palestinian women and children. The man is shamelessly anti-American and will stoop to whatever depth he feels he must to help his equally anti-American party get back into power.
The “Censure Carter” campaign is being spearheaded by none other than Melanie Morgan. Melanie is Co-Chair (along with Howard Kaloogian) of the conservative “Move America Forward” organization. The whole thing started when Melanie grew tired (as are we all) of the repeated demands from the Left for Congress to censure President Bush. She wrote an article detailing the damage Carter has done to America’s credibility abroad and demanded (rhetorically, I think) that Congress instead vote to censure Jimmy Carter. Many who read the article agreed, and the idea spread like wildfire across the Internet. I have tremendous respect for Melanie Morgan, but in this case, she is dangerously wrong.
First off, Congress has far more important things to do than sending a nasty-gram to a former U.S. president. Let’s face it – that’s all a congressional censure is. It’s essentially a letter from Congress that says, “You’ve been a bad boy.”
What do you suppose Carter would do if he were censured? Would he run back to Georgia and hide under his bed? Would he write a tearful apology in the New York Times, begging for the GOP’s forgiveness? Would he stop consorting with terrorists? No, no, and not a chance. If anything he’d be emboldened by such a move. He’d mostly likely redouble his efforts and do even more damage than he has already. He’d wear the censure like a badge of honor.
And, what Republican in his or her right mind would sign on to such a thing? Any congressperson who gets within ten feet of this will be buried under a mudslide of bad press. The Republicans have of late become slaves to their own polling numbers. It is highly unlikely therefore, that any of them would risk “attacking” one of the Left’s elder statesmen.
Lastly, how do you think the rest of the Democrats and the Antique Media would respond to such an event? Carter would instantly receive Victim Status. He’d be paraded all over the media as the latest casualty of right-wing hatred and intolerance. He’d be placed upon a pedestal and worshipped as a political martyr. A Carter censure would not serve the GOP, nor would it stop Carter from engaging in his befuddled hate speech. It would however, be one more nail in the GOP’s electoral coffin this November.
I bear no ill will whatsoever toward Melanie Morgan, but censuring Jimmy Carter will serve only to give the Left more ammunition with which to fire at the Right. In the end it would likely cost Republicans more votes than it would gain. Jimmy Carter gets too much undeserved publicity already. Let’s not give him more.
Related Reading…
Censure Carter Website
http://www.censurecarter.com/
Jimmy Carter’s Recent Op-Ed
http://www.cartercenter.org/doc2337.htm
Move America Forward
http://www.moveamericaforward.org/
Melanie Morgan’s Article – “Censuring Jimmy Carter”
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49308
“Censure Carter” TV Ad
http://www.censurecarter.com/video/1
Alan Burkhart is a freelance political writer, cross-country trucker, and proud citizen of the reddest of the Red States - Mississippi. You can reach him via e-mail at: alan@alanburkhart.com or by visiting his website: www.alanburkhart.com.
