Appearing on Monday's CBS Early Show, former President Jimmy Carter came up with his own version of history while remarking on Democratic chances in this year's midterm elections: "...when I was in office at this time, I had a 66% favorable rating and we had a very successful midterm election." In reality, Carter's approval stood at 49% in late October of 1978 and the Democrats lost seats in Congress.
Carter went on to blame Republican obstructionism for the Democrats' problems in 2010: "[Obama] is faced with an obstacle that I didn't have and that is almost complete polarization and absence of any cooperation from the Republican Party." The former president praised Obama: "He's gotten some very wonderful achievements so far." However, he lamented: "I don't think the Democrats are going to have a very good success in a couple of weeks."
Co-host Harry Smith earlier asked about the Middle East peace talks breaking down following the continuation of Israeli settlements. Carter replied: "Well, the key thing is for Israel to give up its ambition to occupy and control Palestine...they are still building Israeli homes in Palestine, against the wishes of the Palestinian people." Ironically, Carter was on to discuss his work for Habitat for Humanity just prior to condemning the construction of Israeli homes. He later called for "an assurance that Israel will get out of Palestine and let the Palestinians have their own viable and contiguous nation."
Here is a full transcript of the October 4 interview:
7:00AM ET TEASE:
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: Back on his feet. In his first interview since last week's hospital stay, former President Jimmy Carter tells us exclusively about his recent illness and gives his prescription for Democrats in next month's election.
7:30AM ET TEASE:
RODRIGUEZ: Also ahead this morning, former President Jimmy Carter, his first interview since getting out of the hospital last week. He joins us exclusively this morning to talk about that sudden illness and about what the 39th president has to say to President Obama and his fellow Democrats with the election just a couple of weeks away.
7:52AM ET TEASE:
HARRY SMITH: Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn have been active in Habitat for Humanity for more than 25 years now. And just out of the hospital, guess who's going back to work today? The former president. He's got his cap on. I'm sure he's got his carpenter's belt on, too. When he goes to these locations, he works. We'll talk to him about Habitat and a number of other issues in just a minute.
8:00AM ET TEASE:
SMITH: We told you last week that former President Jimmy Carter had been taken ill on a flight, was hospitalized for a couple of days. He's doing just fine now and in a moment he's going to speak with us exclusively, in his first interview since falling ill, about the hard work he does, 27 years now they've been working with Habitat for Humanity. And we'll also talk about some other issues, as well, on our agenda.
RODRIGUEZ: He's still so active and he just turned 86 years old.
SMITH: Birthday was Friday.
SMITH: Unbelievable.
8:10AM ET SEGMENT:
SMITH: Former President Carter had his 86th birthday on Friday, he's still a very busy man, he recently published another book, this one called 'White House Diary' Mr. Carter joins us exclusively for his first interview since a short stay in the hospital last week. He is at a Habitat for Humanity construction site in Washington, D.C. And Mr. President, happy birthday and good morning.
JIMMY CARTER: Well, thank you.
SMITH: First off, how are you feeling?
CARTER: Well, I feel fine. I only had one day of intensive hospital care and I've been out working ever since. So, it was just a brief bout with a virus.
SMITH: Alright. Let's talk about your work with Habitat for Humanity. This problem of homelessness and not having enough housing is no less significant than it was when you started your work with this group 27 years ago. Does it sometimes feel like you're trying to push a boulder up a mountain?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Carter's Passion; 27 Years With "Habitat for Humanity"]
CARTER: Well, we've gotten the United Nations to join in. And this is declared World Habitat Day. And that's the reason we started this new project in Washington. I'll be going from here to Annapolis and then to St. Paul and Minneapolis, and then down to Birmingham, Alabama this week. So, Habitat's building a new house for people every 24 minutes now somewhere in the world, so we're making a lot of progress but obviously want everybody to know that there are still many people that are homeless and many people that have insufficient homes.
SMITH: I wonder, with this housing crisis in the United States, there's so much stock on the market now, has that created an opportunity for Habitat?
CARTER: Yeah. In fact, this last year, we've shifted our emphasis from building new homes to taking homes that are empty or abandoned, refurbishing them, and moving families into them. So, this is a very cost-saving effect and we have increased that about five-fold over what Habitat's done in the past so we are rehabilitating communities now by putting empty homes back in use and filling them up with very eager families to have a good house.
SMITH: Okay, I remember being at a Habitat site with you in Houston ten years ago or so. It was 100 degrees outside.
CARTER: I remember.
SMITH: And you were still very active with a hammer and saw. Are you still handy?
CARTER: Absolutely. In fact, the rest of this week, I'll be building homes or repairing homes in six different cities. So we do this every year. This is our 27th year. Last year, we went to the Mekong River Delta area in Asia. We go one year in the United States, that's this year, and then one year overseas.
SMITH: I want to switch subjects here, lots to talk about with you this morning, including the Middle East peace process. It looks as if talks are going to break off now. The Palestinians have had an opportunity to meet after settlements rebuilding started again and they say, 'we're not going to talk as long as these settlements are going to be constructed.' Is there any way that you see to break forward to – to get through this stalemate?
CARTER: Well, the key thing is for Israel to give up its ambition to occupy and control Palestine and as long as they are still building Israeli homes in Palestine, against the wishes of the Palestinian people, that makes it very difficult for the Palestinians or the Arab world to comply with the desires of the United States, and that is to have peace. But, it's always better – and when you look at the Middle East – to have some hope and I don't think we could have any better interlocutor or mediator than Hillary Clinton, who's tough, competent, knowledgeable, intelligent, and I think very determined to be successful. So, if anybody can do it, I think Hillary Clinton can do it.
SMITH: Prime Minister Netanyahu had said to the Palestinians, 'even though this building has resumed, please stay with this process.' Is there any compelling argument that could be made to the Palestinians to continue on?
CARTER: Well, I think if there's an assurance that Israel will get out of Palestine and let the Palestinians have their own viable and contiguous nation, fine. But in addition to building the homes, Israel is insisting that they still remain occupying the Jordan River Valley and controlling Palestine from air and ocean and land, so that the Palestinians don't have any access to the outside world. So, this is a major obstacle to overcome and I hope that there'll be some flexibility on both sides to let the United States mediation prevail.
SMITH: I want to talk politics for a couple minutes here very quickly.
CARTER: Okay.
SMITH: Some people have said President Obama's several years in office now is somewhat resembling your time in office. If he were to call you and say, 'alright, in the next two years, this is what I've got to face, this is what I need to do,' what advice would you give him?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: State of the Dems; President Carter on What His Party Needs Now]
CARTER: Well, when I was in office at this time, I had a 66% favorable rating and we had a very successful midterm election. But, he is faced with an obstacle that I didn't have and that is almost complete polarization and absence of any cooperation from the Republican Party. I had very good bipartisan support. So, I think that he needs to concentrate in the next two years, I'm sure he will, anyway, on the economic system. He's gotten some very wonderful achievements so far, but what people are interested in is more jobs and I think he's going to do that and maybe after the election is over, I don't think the Democrats are going to have a very good success in a couple of weeks, but after that's over, he'll still be president for two years and I think he'll have a much more forceful presentation now than he's got, you know, a clearer picture of what the situation will be and I believe he'll be successful.
SMITH: Mr. President, we thank you so much for your time today. A lot of people around the world very much appreciative of your and Rosalynn's work with Habitat for Humanity. And don't work too hard this week.
CARTER: Well we have a very good time, a very exciting project for us and we are gratified to have this opportunity.
SMITH: Alright, thank you, Mr. President.
