Biden: ‘Jimmy Carter Lived a Life Measured Not by Words But By His Deeds’

EXCERPT:

BIDEN: "You know, this is a sad day, but it brings back an incredible amount of good memories. Today, America and the world, in my view, lost a remarkable leader. He was a statesman, a humanitarian. And Jill and I lost a dear friend. I‘ve been hanging out with Jimmy Carter for over 50 years, it dawned on me and I had countless conversations with him over those years, and I always would be proud to say that that — he used to kid me about it, that I was the first national figure to endorse him in 1976, when he ran for president. There was an overwhelming reason for it: his character. What I find extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people all around the world, all over the world, feel they lost a friend, as well, even though they never met him. And that‘s because Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words, but by his deeds. Just look at his life, his life‘s work. He worked to eradicate disease, not just at home, but around the world. He forged peace, advanced civil rights, human rights, promoted free and fair elections around the world. He built housing for the homeless with his own hands, and his compassion and moral clarity lifted people up and changed lives and saved lives all over the globe. Jimmy Carter was just as courageous in his battle against cancer as he was in everything in his life. Cancer was a common bond between our two families, as of many other families.”