You see, Jimmy Carter isn’t making headlines anymore by showing up for photo ops with the most recent Habitat for Humanity house. (Before you get all up in arms, please know I worked with Habitat for Humanity while in college. He should stick to that.)

Jimmy Carter hasn’t penned a new book on Israel ‘Apartheid’. (The New York Times didn’t give it a rave review but Osama Bin Laden seemed to endorse it. Ed Morrissey has a great follow-up question at HotAir.)

Jimmy Carter isn’t sharing a Presidential photo-op in the Oval Office and probably won’t for the next several years and this might be his way of begging for an invite.

No, Jimmy Carter, who makes us remember words like malaise, craves relevancy. I imagine many former Presidents, who never enjoyed a life outside politics, clamor for ways to enjoy the limelight of mindless followers. Maybe the desperation to be heard becomes unbearable when everyone recognizes you’re a windbag and doesn’t seek your advice or counsel like they used to.

Just like Obama’s health care speech to the joint sessions of Congress on Wednesday, Carter’s “malaise speech” of 1979 resulted in a temporary bump in the ratings. However, the ratings didn’t stick. As PBS accounts:

Perhaps appreciating the president’s astonishing frankness, the public rewarded him with higher approval ratings in the days that followed. But then, as historian Douglas Brinkley notes, “it boomeranged on him. The op-ed pieces started spinning out, ‘Why don’t you fix something? There’s nothing wrong with the American people. We’re a great people. Maybe the problem’s in the White House, maybe we need new leadership to guide us.’”

President Obama has just experienced his first boomerang reaction on one of his largest agenda items: government health care. According to Scott Rasmussen, prior to his speech Wednesday night, Obama’s health care plan had an approval rating of 44%. After the speech, it climbed to its highest peak of 51%. Then … boomerang … it’s down to 42%.

In order to combat these ratings, the House voted to censure Joe Wilson for blurting out, “You Lie!” during Obama’s speech Wednesday when he was caught, er, lying. (See my earlier post “A South Carolinian’s Response to Joe Wilson” for more on the subject.)

Just in case that ridiculous side show wasn’t enough to convince Americans that those in opposition to the current health care proposals have such little decorum when speaking up about their desire to (gasp!) live longer (if only we’d go silently), Jimmy Carter decides he’d like to enter the ring with the most incendiary remarks:
1) He says those opposed to Obama’s health care plan are racist.
2) He says people from the South are racist.
3) He says people all around the country are racist.
4) In short, everyone who disagrees with President Obama is racist.

“I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he’s African-American,” Carter told “NBC Nightly News.” “I live in the South, and I’ve seen the South come a long way, and I’ve seen the rest of the country that shares the South’s attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans.”

“That racism inclination still exists, and I think it’s bubbled up to the surface because of belief among many white people — not just in the South but around the country — that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It’s an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply,” Carter said.

Michael Steele, who is the first African-American to chair the Republican National Committee, denied Wednesday that race is fueling protests. “President Carter is flat-out wrong,” Steele said in a statement. “This isn’t about race. It is about policy.”

Jimmy Carter has just called our nation racist.

You dissent? You’re a racist!
You want to live longer by receiving medical treatment even after the age of 65? You’re a racist!
You’re concerned that after George W. Bush increased the deficit in 8 years that Obama has tripled it in a mere 8 months? You’re a racist!
You want your health care to be determined by your doctor? You’re a racist!
You gathered with fellow citizens in local towns throughout the country and in DC to express your outrage over DC corruption and massive spending? You’re a racist!

You think all life is precious, you’d defend anyone’s right to life or liberty, you vote for politicians not because of their skin color but because of their principles, you show no preference for one ethnicity over another … but if you oppose government health care, you’re a racist? Yeah, that’s certainly logical. Umm, no.

No, Jimmy. No, Obama. Americans are not racist because they disagree with you on policy. In fact, we see through racist claims for what they are – a final grasp to claim victory of an argument you are not winning. It’s like a 2nd grader who is thrown out at 2nd base during a casual game of kickball. He knows he’s lost the argument so he says, “You’re stupid!” He’s still out. But now he’s shown more of his character: a 2nd grade, prepubescent, immature, unsportsmanlike, temper-tantrum inability to play by the rules and suffer the consequences of not running fast enough.

I perked up watching Charles Krauthammer’s take on the racism charges last night on Special Report with Bret Baier. National Review has the transcript. Here it is in part, and as usual, I nod my head in total agreement.

You know, the accusation of racism is a sign of desperation by people who know they are losing the national debate, and they want to hurl the ultimate charge in American politics.

This is dealing from the bottom of the deck, and I agree that it is a disgusting tactic. It’s done as a way to end debate. The minute you call somebody a racist, the debate is over. You don’t continue.

Accusations of racism are the last refuge of the liberal scoundrel.

(As for Maureen Dowd, imagining a word [“boy”] that wasn’t said): Well, in my previous profession, I saw a lot of people who heard words that weren’t said. They were called patients. Many of them were actually helped with medication.

The reason she won’t be — and others who are hurling the [racism] accusation — is because it is a deliberate attempt to change the subject and discredit the opposition with an unprovable — and unproven — ad hominem.

That, dear Jimmy, and for that matter, Maureen Dowd, is why no one is listening to you. They might hear you, but they aren’t listening. There is a difference.

UPDATE: According to Jake Tapper of ABC News, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says President Obama does not agree with Jimmy Carter that opposition is rooted in racism. Obama could put these ridiculous racism charges to rest by giving a speech on how ridiculous it is. You have to wonder why he isn’t. It’s not as if he has an aversion to TV cameras.

Despite the fact that bills have been written, amendments have been voted on and alternative bills have been penned by Republicans (though not acknowledged they exist by Democrats), Obama now says he wants to have this speech so he can talk about what he wants in a plan. That’s a little late, is it not? Could it possibly be an effort to increase his ratings or those of the health care proposals?

Here we have a President who is a day late and a dollar short (well, at least a trillion dollars short). He has been talking for weeks about “his health care plan” but the truth of the matter is, he doesn’t have a health care plan. Three House committees have a plan. The Senate is working on a plan behind closed doors. There is talk about a trigger that sets government-run health care in motion but Barack Obama does not have a health care plan. That’s why he wasn’t referring to one in his speech. Notice that?

Nothing Obama says has found its way to a written bill.

• He is lying when he says people who like their current health care plan can keep it.
• He is lying when he says he will not sign it if it adds one dime to our national deficit. (How quickly he forgets the CBO.)
• He is lying when he says the uninsured total 47 million. Oh, wait. Tonight, he changed that to 30 million. It’s a step in the right direction but he’s still over by about 16 million.
• He is lying when he said Medicare will not be cut.

You don’t want to take my word for it? Even the Obama-drooling Associated Press covered Obama’s non-truths by calling them oversimplifications and omissions. For a list of Obama’s words versus the facts, check out Gateway Pundit’s page. (I send you there because the AP might doctor their post later.)

Sarah Palin has already weighed in on her Facebook Page:

Our objections to the Democrats’ health care proposals are not mere “bickering” or “games.” They are not an attempt to “score short term political points.” And it’s hard to listen to the President lecture us not to use “scare tactics” when in the next breath he says that “more will die” if his proposals do not pass.

In his speech the President directly responded to concerns I’ve raised about unelected bureaucrats being given power to make decisions affecting life or death health care matters. He called these concerns “bogus,” “irresponsible,” and “a lie” — so much for civility. After all the name-calling, though, what he did not do is respond to the arguments we’ve made, arguments even some of his own supporters have agreed have merit.

I know he’s lying. The AP knows he’s lying. Joe Wilson knows he’s lying. Joe Wilson (R-SC) called Obama out on it. Here is Joe in his own words, err, word.

Some have said Representative Joe Wilson betrayed the decorum that the congressional chamber requires. You could say the same of Obama who said he was coming after those who distorted “the plan” although as President, he does have the floor. You could say Nancy Pelosi betrayed the decorum of her position as Speaker of the House by saying those attending town halls were wearing swastikas (they weren’t). You could say Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer (House Majority Leader) betrayed the decorum of their positions by calling government-run health care protesters un-American. You could say this Administration betrays the decorum of its role when asking the American people to forward emails and conversations that seem “fishy” to flag@whitehouse.gov.

I watched the video again. There were resounding boos coming from the Republicans and I thought there would be more boos. Perhaps Joe Wilson thought there would be, too, placing his “Lie!” in harmony with the booing. Was it the right time and place? Probably not. At this point in Obama’s takeover Presidency, do I care? Absolutely not.

You tell me. Do you prefer the guy who tells it the way he wants you to see it or the guy who tells it the way it is? You may not like his approach, but I refuse to tell the man to apologize. Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Carol Fowler (yes, the ridiculous Carol Fowler) can all take a hike. I’m originally from South Carolina. We like to spar but more than that, when we see an injustice, we speak out and intervene. I’ll never forget my first week working in Massachusetts. A man in line at Dunkin’ Donuts asked his son what kind of doughnut he wanted. The son replied, “Ummm” at which point the man turned to his son and reamed him out in front of everyone, including the son’s friend, because the young boy needed more than 1 second to choose a doughnut. This man was yelling and out of control. How can the boy make a decision with a dad that is embarrassingly raking him over the coals? I stepped in and asked the man to lower his voice. He turned to me and said, “It’s none of your business.” I responded in my Dixie Carter/Julia Sugarbaker pronounce-the-fool-out-of-words-when-angry accent, “Sir, the volume of your voice has made it everyone’s business. I suggest you treat your son with a little more dignity. You are in in a public venue.” People started clapping. I was proud. Then I wondered what in the world I had done and if I was going to arrive at work unscathed. Yes, we South Carolinians may stick our foot in our mouth every once in awhile but I’d rather do that than sit idly by with all the decorum in the world while our health care system is turned to mush. Not on my watch. No way, no how, no sir.

Ace of Spades covers it like this:

Personally, I think it was a bad idea but quite frankly I was taken aback by how many outright lies Obama was spewing tonight. Combine that with the number of insulting partisan attacks (even for him), I can’t blame Wilson too much for not being able to take it any more.

I’d suggest anyone terribly offended by Wilson’s spontaneous outburst take a second and consider how despicable it is for Obama to continue to attack the previous administration and distort its record. Is that appropriate behavior for a President speaking to a joint session of Congress?

You want respect? Try giving it occasionally.

Consider this from Obama’s speech.

Some of people’s concerns have grown out of bogus claims spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost. The best example is the claim, made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens. Such a charge would be laughable if it weren’t so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple.

So Obama calls Palin a liar (not by name but everyone knows who he’s talking about) but we are supposed to get our panties in a bunch because Wilson yelled it out? At least Wilson had the guts to do it to in the same room.

Joe Wilson told more truths in his one word than Obama did in all of his. That makes him a real truther. (Insider’s Note: Whenever referring to whack jobs who think 9/11 is an inside job, I use quotations around the word “truther” because it’s too much of an oxymoron to take seriously.)

Hot Air has the update that reminds me that when a member of the GOP finds his or her spine, it doesn’t last for long. Joe Wilson has since apologized.

“This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the President’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility.”

I know the Congressional thing to do was to apologize. The South Carolinian thing to do would be to say, “You’re daggum right I spoke up. We were all booing him and I thought there would be continued boos to drown me out but there weren’t. I know it came across as disrespectful to some but saying illegal immigrants aren’t covered when they are in the bills that are written is disrespectful to every American. Once President Obama apologies for lying to the American people, I’ll apologize for calling him out on it during the Speech.” Now that is a non-apology apology I could gladly endorse.

UPDATE: Joe Wilson, a former immigration attorney, makes it clear that he is for LEGAL immigration and would like to take Obama up on a civil discourse on not including ILLEGAL immigrants in the health care bill. We’ll won’t hold our breath on that conversation occurring. Here’s the full clip, but I stopped it after they asked him who he liked in the Clemson-Georgia Tech Game tonight. He didn’t answer so I’ll field it. Clemson, of course.

UPDATE II: It is very satisfying to know that I’m on the same wavelength as Michelle Malkin and Rush Limbaugh.