Former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, breaking with both tradition and good taste, is criticizing a sitting Commander in Chief while the country is at war and with our troops in the field. This aids our enemy and demoralizes our soldiers. This is not a surprising development. You see, Jimmy Carter is a Democrat. Breaking traditions, bashing the military and blaming America first is what Democrats do…when they aren't busy raising taxes. Like I said, this is not a surprise. It is however despicable. Jimmy Carter has about as much credibility in dealing with terrorism as France has with victory in battle. I seem to recall an event where state sponsored terrorists in Iran attacked, overran and took hostages at our embassy in Tehran. Our people were blindfolded, brutalized, threatened and paraded before the cameras.

Then Commander in Chief Jimmy Carter was at a loss to know what to do. He sat on his hands in the White House allowing a third rate dictatorship to hold our people in captivity for 444 days. He also mounted a rescue effort that left 9 Americans dead in the Iranian desert because the plan and the preparation was poorly executed by an administration that had been busily dismantling our military for years. He wasn't a leader. He was a placeholder who held office until a leader showed up to take the reigns of government.

Jimmy Carter also joins Yasser Arafat in being a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel committee gave this award to former President Carter thinking they would embarrass George W. Bush. Unfortunately, all they managed to do was cheapen the Peace Prize and turn Nobel's legacy into a tool for left wing political posturing. When you are given an award, not for your own merit but in an attempt to make a political statement, such an award is meaningless.

Former President Carter was a failed administrator of the public trust. He entered into his presidency as I began my adult life. I clearly remember the years 1977-1981. I got laid off from my $4.00 per hour job. Unemployment steadily rose to top 10%. Inflation went to 14%. The interest rate on my first home mortgage was 17.5% and I was lucky to get in so low. The news media coined the phrase "misery index" to describe Jimmy's economy. Mr. Carter went on nation television and whined that America couldn't shake the current "malaise." It was humiliating to have this man represent our country on the world stage. He changed me permanently from a liberal Democrat into a conservative Republican.

Now we have this ex-peanut farmer telling a real President and Commander in Chief what a bad job he's doing managing the war on terrorism. Thank God Jimmy Carter wasn't President on September 11th, 2001. Jimmy would have surrendered the nation to the Al Qaeda, turned our military over to the United Nations, and apologized to the hijackers. Then he would have hidden in the White House and cried about how horrible everything was…just like he did in 1980.

Jimmy Carter needs to do what most ex-Presidents have done throughout our history. Go home and shut up. Show up for reunions, cut some ribbons and support the man who now holds the office in time of crisis. Anything other than that reflects poorly on his legacy…such as it is.