Judy Woodruff: There Is a New Appreciation Today of What Jimmy Carter Was Able Accomplish as President

EXCERPT:

WOODRUFF: “At the time, we were consumed with the politics of the moment. The country was dealing with inflation, high price for gasoline, and then, of course, the last year of his presidency was consumed with the Iran hostage crisis. He was never able to get those hostages, American hostages, home until Ronald Reagan had just been -- had just taken office. And those were the things that consumed us then, but in the years since, there has clearly been a reappraisal, a reminder that the Camp David Accords, the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, which Jimmy Carter was determined was going to happen. It took him 13 days at Camp David, but he was the force behind that -- that peace agreement that lives to this day. The Panama Canal treaties, another enormous achievement during his presidency. The fact that he put human rights on the map, the appointment of Paul Volcker to be the chairman of the Federal Reserve, someone who, by the way, went on to raise interest rates to fight inflation, which hurt Jimmy Carter politically, but Carter did what he thought was right for the economy. So there -- there is a new appreciation today of -- of what he was able to -- excuse me -- accomplish as president, as well as the enormous achievements of his post-presidency.”