Beltway Snark

Jimmy Carter insists that neither Condi nor anyone in the State Department raised a fuss about him going to Israel to speak with Hamas:

“President Carter has the greatest respect for … Rice and believes her to be a truthful person. However, perhaps inadvertently, she is continuing to make a statement that is not true,” a statement issued by the Carter center in Atlanta said on Wednesday.

“No one in the State Department or any other department of the U.S. government ever asked him (Carter) to refrain from his recent visit to the Middle East or even suggested that he not meet with Syrian President (Bashar) Assad or leaders of Hamas,” it said.

It said Carter attempted to call Rice before making the trip and a deputy returned his call since Rice was in Europe.

“They had a very pleasant discussion for about 15 minutes, during which he never made any of the negative or cautionary comments described above. He never talked to anyone else,” the statement said.

Yeah, I’m sure everyone was cool with your little trip to Israel Jimmy. Perhaps you forgot to mention the Hamas part in your “pleasant discussion”?