Well, I Guess When You Don't Get Many Invitations...

[Lord Jim]

you'll accept an invitation to just about anything:

Carter is only former president to RSVP for Trump's inauguration

One month out, Jimmy Carter is the only former president to RSVP to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, while Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are putting off their decision until the new year.

The Clintons have been keeping a low profile since the election and have made no decisions about whether to attend, according to a person familiar with the planning. Angel Urena, a spokesman for Bill Clinton, declined to comment.

Bush’s spokesman, Freddy Ford, told POLITICO that the most recent Republican president will not announce whether he will attend until the new year, while a source familiar with the matter said Bush is also still weighing whether to show up. George W. Bush had tweeted out a statement of congratulations to Trump after the election, but neither he nor his father endorsed Trump, who often mocked his brother Jeb throughout the GOP primary.

George H.W. Bush has confirmed that he will not be at the inauguration, according to his spokesman, Jim McGrath, who cited the 41st president’s age, 92, as the reason why he will skip.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/t ... nts-232937

ETA:

Since His Trumpness is also having a really tough time lining up entertainment for his shindig, maybe he could also get Carter to perform as well as attend...

I understand Jimmy's magic on the spoons and does some wicked bird calls...

[dales]

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has been booked.

All bets are off for any other entertainment.

[Joe Guy]

Maybe he can get Yakov Smirnoff to give a speech.

[Lord Jim]

They got the Rockettes too, but some of the individual Rockettes are balking at participating. There's some conflict over whether or not they are required to:

http://www.thewrap.com/rockettes-donald ... adio-city/

When you compare the internal memo to the public statement, (which are in diametric opposition to each other) it seems to me that the union leadership wants to require (at least the full time dancers) to participate, while publicly being able to claim that they aren't being required to...


I really liked this comment about the controversy:





ETA:

What would be truly hilarious would be the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Rockettes performing together...

The MTC providing the music for the dance numbers...

Now that I'd probably watch...

[Long Run]

Is attending the inauguration a "have-to" for certain persons, like ex-presidents and others? Such people go because it is a solemn national event, and attendance is part of what we do as a country. Doesn't matter who the POTUS is, it is about America, not the person who sits in the seat. You don't have to go to the after-party to celebrate, but you have to go to the event?

[BoSoxGal]

I think it's very unfair/ugly to insinuate that President Carter doesn't receive many invitations and so that is why he's accepted this one.

He's accepted it because he has far more grace/humility and better manners than most folks in this country, including the man who extended the invitation and the one who started this thread. Sorry, just calling it like I see it.

[Lord Jim]

Jimmy Carter is a bitter old bastard who has spent nearly the past 40 years nursing resentment at what he feels is not getting his "just due" for his disastrous tenure as President. (He is so delusional about himself, he sincerely believes he did a splendid job.)

Thin skinned and egotistical, he's also consumed with bitterness about every perceived slight he has received since leaving the Presidency. From his anger back in the early 90s at Bill Clinton when Clinton invited Nixon to be the first former President to spend the night at the White House instead of him, to just a few months ago at the press conference he held to talk about his cancer where he couldn't resist taking a swipe at Kerry for not calling The Great Man From Plains to consult on foreign policy. (Which would be a little like calling the creator of the Yugo for advice on car design.)

His deep resentment at not getting the credit and appreciation that in his delusional mind he believes is his just portion, leads him to hungrily seek out any opportunity to get to stand close enough to the lime got get some of it to shine on him. He never misses an opportunity.

Sorry, just calling it like I see it.

[Econoline]

Hmmmm...."a bitter old bastard who has spent nearly the past 40 years nursing resentment"???

Carter was a one-term President defeated by Saint Ronnie and 4 years later Carter's VP was also defeated by the same GOP religious icon--and yet *YOU* see fit to continually belittle the man for no apparent reason other than the fact that he's still alive?

So just who is the "bitter old bastard" now? Heh heh...project, much?



Sorry, just calling it like I see it.

[BoSoxGal]

Sorry LJ, I like you and have grown to admire you more in recent time for your ethical stand on Trump - but I agree with Econo on this one.

Every time you have the chance you bash President Carter in the most terrible of terms; I don't see it's justified. I've read a few of his excellent books (have you read any?), have seen him interviewed numerous times, studied his presidency and post-presidency in a political science seminar at Georgetown U and I have never seen anything like a 'bitter old bastard', etc. that you allege. I would argue that he has set the most excellent example for a post-presidency available in modern times. I get that you are a staunch Reaganite and perhaps that shapes your view of Carter, but I do think your view is unnecessarily limited and unfair.

[RayThom]

They got the Rockettes too, but some of the individual Rockettes are balking at participating.

I understand Drumpf is looking forward to strolling into their dressing room to greet them all. He's a powerful guy, I'm sure they'd let him do whatever he wants.

[Bicycle Bill]

Just thought I'd mention that Carter not only won the vote in the Electoral College, he also won the majority of the votes in the popular election too.
Too bad Drumpf can't make that same statement without adding his own variation of 'alt-truth' ("...I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally")

-"BB"-

[rubato]

Carter gets invited to all of those Nobel laureate things.

And he eliminated guinea worm from all of Asia and most of Africa. There were 3.5 million cases when he began and only 22 in 2015.

He tells the truth and it is bitter for you to hear it.


Yrs,
Rubato

[dales]

Here ya go, Jim and Merry Christmas

Can Jimmy Carter Win Jimmy Carter Bitter Old Man Award?

Posted by GayPatriotWest at 6:44 pm - May 27, 2008.
Filed under: American Embarrassments,American Self-Hatred,Annoying Celebrities,Anti-Americanism Abroad,Anti-Western Attitudes,Post 9-11 America


Dear Gay Patriot readers:

As you may recall, just about one year ago, we awarded Dan Rather the first James Earl Carter Bitter Old Man Award, an honor bestowed on those “men over 70 who, in their dotage, by the very bitterness of their manner, follow in the footsteps of the nation’s worst president.”

In several statements in the past few days, Carter has demonstrated the very bitterness which defines the award. Having long since forgotten the tradition of U.S. presidents never criticizing their successors while abroad, this unhappy octogenarian faulted the incumbent administration for drafting a Middle East policy which has become “one of the greatest human rights crimes on Earth” as he suggests the current president is a “war criminal.” And even after being rejected overwhelmingly by the American people, he has tried to engage in diplomacy on behalf of the United States.

And we haven’t even gotten to his criticism of the Administration’s Iraq policy, offering such criticisms Memorial Day weekend.

Just moments ago, I received an e-mail from a reader, alerting me to a post highlighting the former president’s follies. But, he wasn’t referencing the comments I made above. This time, Carter was musing about Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb:


I’m not sure that is going to happen, but if it does, what do we do? They are rational people like all of us in this room. Do they want to commit suicide? I would guess not. So what we have to do is talk with them now and say to them we want to be their friends . . .

Um, Jimmy, do you recall what happened in those dark days when you were president and the Iranian mullahs violated international law and took our allowed our diplomats to be taken hostage? Do you want to be friends with those people?

Calling them rational!?!?!? Guessing that they don’t want to commit suicide!?!?!? Have you been paying any attention to Islamofascism over the past quarter-century or so? These are not rational people. They believe in committing suicide to advance their goals. Not just believe in it, practice and promote it — and train for it.

So, the question is, is this an example of Jimmy’s bitterness? Or just his stupidity or his support of anything which opposes the interests of the country he once led?

If stupidity, then we probably can’t offer him his own award. If bitterness, then the question is, should he be awarded an eponymous honor?

Please use the comments section to share your thoughts.

Sincerely,

B. Daniel Blatt

[RayThom]

Carter is only former president to RSVP for Trump's inauguration

At age 92 I feel ol' Jimmy is very happy being seen almost anywhere. Regardless, I think his motivation for kissing up to The Donald -- "nobody throws presidential inaugurations better than me, believe me. It will be the most unbelievable event in human history, ever" -- may be more nefarious and cunning than we give him credit for.

I think Mr. Peanut may somehow be anticipating a major medical event or episode to befall him at the festivities thus denying the Great Pumpkin his magical moment of coronation splendor. Picture it -- one past president goes out permanently, and the new president who's coming in with an agenda to be permanent is left playing second fiddle on the Capitol building's balcony. Oh, the humanity!

No matter how this branding ceremony plays out I'm sure to be watching. If only to find out what isn't happening. I wonder if Melania or any of his ex-wives will be there?

[Bicycle Bill]

... James Earl Carter Bitter Old Man Award, an honor bestowed on those “men over 70 who, in their dotage, by the very bitterness of their manner, follow in the footsteps of the nation’s worst president.”

I guess that next year, then, they will have to rename it the Dumb'old Jerkoff Trump Award.

-"BB"-

[rubato]

Carter is attending out of respect for the office and as a witness to history.

The claim that he is a bitter old man is a complete fabrication by the party who adore and elected the prince of lies, TRUMP.

There is no evidence for it.


His accomplishments and his palmaires are greater than any president since FDR. There is no president who has been as sincerely religious or as willing to be self-critical. He has no lack of admirers.

Those who speak ill are the mean resentful people who know that the talley of his life makes them look shamefully small and petty.

yrs,
Rubato

[Lord Jim]

His accomplishments and his palmaires are greater than any president since FDR.

Sometimes, one is confronted with a level of stupidity so deep and profound, its difficult to know where to go...

[Big RR]

Well Jim, if you want to nit-pick, I admit I would put LBJ's accomplishments ahead of Carter's (pushing through the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and his Great Society programs are pretty much unrivaled since the 40s), but that's no reason to get so upset.

[Big RR]

But back to the OP, I do think that previous presidents should attend the inauguration of any elected US president unless they have a compelling reason not to attend. IMHO, the presence of past presidents makes an important symbolic statement about the orderly transfer of power, even it is to a president you would rather not see it transfer to.