Former U.S. President, Jimmy Carter image:11356:0::0

Carter's criticism included Bush's environmental policies (or non-environmental policies) and its "quite disturbing" faith-based initiative funding.

Carter told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette:

"I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history. The overt reversal of America's basic values as expressed by previous administrations, including those of George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon and others, has been the most disturbing to me."

I agree with Jimmy Carter. Even though he made the mistake of supporting the Shah of Iran (not realizing, I believe, the extent of his regime's human rights violations), he is my favorite president. Carter was the first president I was old enough to vote for. Reagan won, and things have been going downhill from there. I felt a radical shift in my culture, and the image of the United States abroad has never been the same.

Carter, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, also criticized the Iraq war:

"We now have endorsed the concept of pre-emptive war where we go to war with another nation militarily, even though our own security is not directly threatened, if we want to change the regime there or if we fear that some time in the future our security might be endangered. But that's a radical departure from all previous administration policies.

Carter also criticized Bush for having "zero peace talks" in Israel. He said the Bush White House has "abandoned or directly refuted" every negotiated nuclear arms agreement.

Furthermore, Carter blasted the White House's faith-based and community initiatives:

The policy from the White House has been to allocate funds to religious institutions, even those that channel those funds exclusively to their own particular group of believers in a particular religion. As a traditional Baptist, I've always believed in separation of church and state and honored that premise when I was president, and so have all other presidents, I might say, except this one.

Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian and Carter biographer at Tulane University, said Carter's remarks were unprecedented:

This is the most forceful denunciation President Carter has ever made about an American president.

Carter also criticized Tony Blair, saying:

And I think the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world.

As far as I'm concerned, Carter speaks the truth. I applaud his courage in stating precisely and clearly what is wrong with the Bush administration and what it has meant to the world. People have been so afraid, so reluctant to really speak out against the Bush regime, and free speech in this country is at an all-time low. Carter has devoted his life to working for peace and justice. I think we should listen to him.

I have allowed Carter to speak for himself in this piece because I believe his words have great importance and must be heard.

I believe he would agree with me in looking forward to a day when we have more choices, and our president does not necessarily have to be a straight, white, Christian male.