海角大神

First this week it was Leon Panetta, former secretary of Defense. Now it鈥檚 former President Jimmy Carter who鈥檚 bashing President Obama鈥檚 approach to the Islamic State takeover of territory in Syria and Iraq.

In an interview with the Fort Worth Star Telegram at a local Habitat for Humanity building site, Mr. Carter said exactly what Mr. Obama鈥檚 doing in the Middle East.

鈥淚t changes from time to time,鈥� Carter told the Star Telegram. 鈥淚 noticed that two of his secretaries of Defense, after they got out of office, were very critical of the lack of positive action on the part of the president.鈥�

Carter鈥檚 referring there to Mr. Panetta and his predecessor, Robert Gates. Both men have published books critical of some aspects of Obama鈥檚 decision-making, particularly the president鈥檚 reluctance to support moderate rebel factions in the Syrian civil war.

Carter echoed their main point.

鈥淲e waited too long,鈥� Carter told Star Telegram writer Jim Jones. 鈥淲e let the Islamic State built up its money, capability, and strength and weapons while it was still in Syria. Then when [it] moved into Iraq, the Sunni Muslims didn鈥檛 object to their being there and about a third of the territory in Iraq was abandoned.鈥�

The nation鈥檚 39^th chief executive also took a swipe at the administration鈥檚 reliance on covert drone strikes, noting that four of the militants killed by drones were American citizens. That鈥檚 unconstitutional, Carter said.

Carter鈥檚 critique of Obama鈥檚 foreign policy isn鈥檛 ground-breaking, per se. Lots of people, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have expressed frustration that Obama didn鈥檛 move quicker to back some factions in the anti-Assad fight in an effort to keep IS from growing in power.

But the fact that it鈥檚 Jimmy Carter saying these things has drawn lots of attention on Wednesday. Carter鈥檚 critics said much the same thing back in the day. Why didn鈥檛 he move faster to confront Iran during the hostage crisis? Why didn鈥檛 he order a more robust rescue operation? Jibes like that.

Thus there鈥檚 a lot of 鈥渨hoa, when Jimmy Carter is criticizing your foreign policy, you鈥檙e in trouble鈥� sentiment on social media. It鈥檚 like Bill Buckner criticizing your fielding ability, apparently.

Right-leaning commentators were particularly brutal.

鈥淲hen it gets to pnt that Carter is attacking u, u鈥檝e pretty much hit rock bottom,鈥� , a former John McCain campaign official and CNN contributor.

All this might be causing Obama to sit in the Oval Office grumbling about piling on by people who he thought were on his side. Gates, sure, he鈥檚 a Republican. But Panetta? Jimmy Carter?

If given the chance, Obama might point out to Carter that earlier this month he (Carter) defended himself on the Iran issue by saying he could have won reelection by wiping Tehran off the map but instead exercised prudent restraint. Eventually the US hostages came home safe.

So the current president might tell the former one that maybe action for the sake of action isn鈥檛 always the right answer, is it?

Also, Obama may wish he could take back that greeting he sent out on Oct. 1, the day Carter turned 90.

鈥淲ishing President Jimmy Carter a very happy birthday,鈥� from the official Democratic account, over a picture that shows the two men, formally dressed, deep in some sort of serious conversation.