Wednesday, October 20, 2010

the last book I ever read: Jimmy Carter's White House Diary (part two)


the second set of excerpts from Jimmy Carter's White House Diary.

SPOILER ALERT!!! we're getting closer to 1980.

on a side note, today I surprisingly and uncharacteristically gave up, returned a book to the library that I was barely halfway finished reading.
the subject matter was right up my alley and it wasn't the worst book or even the most disappointing book I've ever read, but it just wasn't good enough to finish.
a sign of maturity?
probably not.
a new found ability to properly prioritize?
I'm not feeling Door Number Two either, Carroll Merrill.
or the churlishness that has become so much a part of my personality that there's a good chance I owe Mr. and Mrs. Churl some royalty money?
ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.


November 18, 1978
“We had a crisis in Guyana with Congressman Leo Ryan and five other Americans being murdered by a religious sect headed by Reverend Jones, from California. Several hundred of his followers committed suicide at his urging. We helped evacuate the dead and wounded.”

June 12, 1979
“I announced a new health insurance program with Jim Corman, Charlie Rangel, Harley Staggers, Russell Long, Abe Ribicoff, Gaylord Nelson, all of whom vowed to support the proposal. Kennedy, continuing his irresponsible and abusive attitude, immediately condemned our health plan. He couldn’t get five votes for his, and I told Stu and Joe Califano to fight it out with him through the public news media. It’s really time to do something about health care, catastrophic illness, the problem of the poor not having health care at all, also prevention for children, prenatal to the one-year age level. This kind of coverage is lacking in our country, and it’s needed.”

February 3, 1980
“One [CIA] agent whom we had sent into Iran with a false German passport was questioned by customs because instead of using a full middle name, we used the initial ‘H.’ Apparently the Germans never use a middle initial. When questioned about it, the agent very quickly said, ‘I’m ashamed of my middle name, which is Hitler.’ The Iranian said, ‘Well, under those circumstances, I can understand why your passport is different from all the others in Germany.”

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