Reuters’ Absurd Double Standard Concerning White House's Response to Carter

May 21st, 2007 1:56 PM

By now you’ve probably heard about former President Jimmy Carter’s absurd comments to the BBC regarding President George W. Bush’s foreign policy being the worst in American history.

You may even have seen Carter on the “Today” show Monday morning saying that his statements were “maybe careless or misinterpreted” (video available here).

However, did you read the following absurd double standard crafted by Reuters about the White House’s response (emphasis added):

Carter has been an outspoken critic of Bush, but the White House has largely refrained from attacking him in return. Sunday's sharp response marks a departure from the deference that sitting presidents traditionally have shown their predecessors.

Well, how about the deference that former presidents traditionally have shown for sitting presidents? Isn’t Carter’s continual lambasting of Bush a departure from that?

Obviously, the folks at Reuters must not be aware of that tradition.