Jimmy Carter On Winning Back Congress

Former President Jimmy Carter was on Larry King Live last night and talked extensively about foreign policy, terrorism, the Iraq war and also had a few words on the outcome of the congressional elections this November:

KING: How do you think your party is going to do in the elections House and Senate?

CARTERS: I don't know. I think the political prognosticators around the nation, political analysts in Washington and otherwise, think that we have a very good chance of getting one or more majorities in the House and Senate.

Five of the elections in the Senate are now leaning toward Democrats. One more election is required. As a matter of fact, my own son Jack is running in Nevada, which John Kerry lost by less than two percent in 2004. A recent poll showed that Jack is within three points of tying his opponent, an incumbent Senator.

And I think the trend of support for Democrats in general, in general terms has been very strongly favorable. That's counterbalanced obviously by the fact that many people who say that "I prefer Democrats" say "I'm still in favor of my Republican incumbent."

That's part of politics but I think it's up for grabs. But it will be close election and will be very good for the country in my opinion if there can be a division of authority and power, political power in Washington.

I think that would almost make mandatory a much more harmonious treatment of very controversial issues like health care and immigration and foreign policy between the White House and the Congress if the president had to deal with some Democrats in a majority in one of the houses and vice versa. So, I think it will be a matter of bringing our country together on a bipartisan basis rather than a further division of our country.

You can read the whole transcript here and watch a part of the interview (which focuses on foreign affairs) here.

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