"A truthful person who, perhaps inadvertently, is continuing to make a statement that is not true"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Jimmy Carter caused a storm of controversy when he met with Hamas during his Mideast trip. Secretary Rice has said the Bush Administration 'explicitly warned Carter' not to meet with the exiled leader of Hamas, but Carter insists that Rice is "not telling the truth":

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday accused Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of not telling the truth about warnings she said her department gave Carter not to speak to Hamas before a Middle East trip.

"President Carter has the greatest respect for ... Rice and believes her to be a truthful person. However, perhaps inadvertently, she is continuing to make a statement that is not true," a statement issued by the Carter center in Atlanta said on Wednesday.

"No one in the State Department or any other department of the U.S. government ever asked him (Carter) to refrain from his recent visit to the Middle East or even suggested that he not meet with Syrian President (Bashar) Assad or leaders of Hamas," it said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/23/jimmy-carter-rice-not-tel_n_98279.html

[acmavm]

1. Condi is a 'truthful person'? Excuse me, I have to go find the dictionary.

[magellan]

2. Is there some unspoken rule among Dems

...that they aren't allowed to call others LIARS even when the evidence is incontrovertible??

[Rage for Order]

14. It's a diplomacy thing

Like instead of telling someone to go f**k themselves, you tell them to enjoy some unaccompanied fornication.

[VP505]

3. Given the choice of believing

someone from the Bu$h Admin or President Carter, President Carter will get my support EVERY TIME!

[pacalo]

4. Well, I guess if Obama said Carter's peace-making trip "was a bad idea"

then I must side with the freshman senator over the heart & character of the ex-president who brokered a peace agreement between Israel & Egypt.

We are in an upside world these days, so I'll hop on the runaway train, too.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Headline: "Jimmy Carter Displays Boundless Tact"

I could never be a diplomat, and I am surely not worthy of carrying Jimmy Carter's old briefcase, but that man defines character and grace.

[tsuki]

8. Should "truthiness" be used instead? eoq

[tavalon]

6. Truthful person in Diplospeak actually means fucking liar.

Sorry, I guess he just assumed that we all carry Diplotranslators. :shrug:

[aikoaiko]

7. technically, warning someone not to do something is different than asking not to do something

I'm just saying.....

[jmowreader]

9. He's trying to at least be nice...

Calling a Senior Administration Official a "fucking liar" is not good form, even though in this case it's completely accurate. And President Carter's a good Godly man who doesn't use words like that.

[lumberjack_jeff]

10. Carter is a good guy, but he's also very smart.

It does not serve the purpose of peace to put himself in a position where a grudge against him serves to derail the progress he makes.

Bush and company are not above creating violence for the purpose of making their enemies look bad.

[bdamomma]

11. he has nothing to apologize for either, he is telling the truth.

something that Condi has no idea of what "truth" is.

[Lex]

12. A diplomat to the core, he.

nt

[booley]

13. Can one be too much the Gentleman?

I think Carter is giving Rice way too much credit.

But then, He is also a Diplomat. and part of Diplomacy is appealing to a person's better nature to do the right thing. Even when it's not clear that person has one.