As President Carter came out his meeting with Hamas, there were varying opinions about whether his visit had made significant diplomatic process. However, one thing was very clear. When asked, Jimmy Carter said that the administration had not warned him against meeting with Hamas. Then Condoleeza Rice said that he had been warned.
Rice said in Kuwait on Tuesday: "We counseled President Carter against going to the region and particularly against having contact with Hamas."
Today, Carter had an explanation for this discrepancy: Rice is lying.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday accused Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of not telling the truth about warnings she said her department gave Carter not to speak to Hamas before a Middle East trip.
No matter what you think of Carter's visit, there's one thing that indisputable. Jimmy Carter tells the truth, even when -- maybe even especially when -- it's politically dangerous.
On the other hand, Condoleezza Rice has a record of twisting the facts way, way, way past the breaking point. Her demonstrated integrity involves eight years of misdirections, misstatements, and outright lies.
"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," [a statement from the Carter Center] said.
Is there still anyone, anywhere this side of Bill O'Reilly who is silly enough to believe Rice over Carter?