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Jimmy Carter slams Ted Kennedy over health care

applecorped

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applecorped
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/16/60minutes/main6872344.shtml

"The fact is that we would have had comprehensive health care now, had it not been for Ted Kennedy's deliberately blocking the legislation that I proposed," he tells Stahl. "It was his fault. Ted Kennedy killed the bill," says Carter. And Kennedy, who then ran against the president for the democratic presidential nomination, did it out of spite says Carter. "He did not want to see me have a major success in that realm of life," he tells Stahl. "


Stay classy Jimmy.
 
While this may be petty on Carter's part to bring it up now, I don't doubt for an instant that Ted Kennedy was capable of doing such a thing. Kennedy, whatever his altruistic qualities, was an incredible egotist and self-promoter. He liked to have his name on things, and he probably resented that Carter had not consulted him and made him a co-sponsor.

However, I will also say that Carter is probably stretching the truth when he says it would have gone through if not for Kennedy. It might have gotten a lot further, but as we know from both the Clinton and Obama experiences, the road to health care reform is fraught with landmines. Could he have negotiated that path? I frankly don't have a lot of confidence that he could. Carter's greatest weakness as a president was in working with Congress. He was a good man who simply didn't know how to play the game. When it comes to politics, being too honorable is a handicap. Sad but true.
 
They despised each other. Carter famously remarked, "If Kennedy runs, I'll whip his ass."
 
Cain said:
They despised each other. Carter famously remarked, "If Kennedy runs, I'll whip his ass."
Click to expand...

To be fair to Carter, challenging a sitting president for his own party's nomination is a bit of a taboo. Sounds to me like Kennedy placed his own ambition over policy priorities. Not a huge Carter fan, but I side with him on this one. The divisive primary battle might have cost democrats the white house that year.
 
Hm. I don't know enough about Carter. They don't talk enough about him over here.
 
applecorped said:
If Carter had any balls he would have raised this while Kennedy was alive. Dead men tell no tales.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure he did. I was in school then and didn't pay a lot of attention to the day-to-day wranglings of Congress, but it seems unlikely a big thing like health care reform could have come before Congress without a lot of speechifying from various sides. To ask Carter not to talk about it anymore isn't fair.

Besides, it probably came up in a general discussion about his presidency, not as if he stood up in a bar and shouted "Ted Kennedy screwed up health care!"
 
So, if not for Kennedy, Carter would have instituted perfect healthcare system....that would have survived intact 8 years of Reagan immediately after?
 
TragicMonkey said:
So, if not for Kennedy, Carter would have instituted perfect healthcare system....that would have survived intact 8 years of Reagan immediately after?
Click to expand...


Reagan? Who's Reagan?

Is what we would be saying today if Teddy hadn't screwed things up.

Carter passes health care reform in the stagnant late 70's. The country rejoices. 4 more years of Carter. Yeah! then on to 8 years of Mondale. Whoopee! 8 years of Geraldine ushers in a new era of equality for all. Bush 1, Bush 2? Who? No terrorism in the 90's and aughts. No Iraq. No Afganastan.

All because of Teddy.


(Is this the start of Teddy Derangement Syndrome?)
 
Tricky said:
While this may be petty on Carter's part to bring it up now, I don't doubt for an instant that Ted Kennedy was capable of doing such a thing. Kennedy, whatever his altruistic qualities, was an incredible egotist and self-promoter. He liked to have his name on things, and he probably resented that Carter had not consulted him and made him a co-sponsor.

However, I will also say that Carter is probably stretching the truth when he says it would have gone through if not for Kennedy. It might have gotten a lot further, but as we know from both the Clinton and Obama experiences, the road to health care reform is fraught with landmines. Could he have negotiated that path? I frankly don't have a lot of confidence that he could. Carter's greatest weakness as a president was in working with Congress. He was a good man who simply didn't know how to play the game. When it comes to politics, being too honorable is a handicap. Sad but true.
Click to expand...

Yes, until health care costs crush our ecconomy we will not do anything about it. It is too hard to get the serious painful changes needed before then.
 
Region Rat said:
Reagan? Who's Reagan?

Is what we would be saying today if Teddy hadn't screwed things up.

Carter passes health care reform in the stagnant late 70's. The country rejoices. 4 more years of Carter. Yeah! then on to 8 years of Mondale. Whoopee! 8 years of Geraldine ushers in a new era of equality for all. Bush 1, Bush 2? Who? No terrorism in the 90's and aughts. No Iraq. No Afganastan.
Click to expand...

I was 14 when Mondale ran. I remember him saying on TV (paraphrased) "I know it's not what you want to hear, but I'll raise taxes". I knew then he would not get elected. I found that quite honest of him, and had I been old enough I would have voted for him.
 
TragicMonkey said:
So, if not for Kennedy, Carter would have instituted perfect healthcare system....that would have survived intact 8 years of Reagan immediately after?
Click to expand...

The more I read about him, the more Reagan seems like the Antichrist of sound politics.
 
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