A family tradition

I've always had a soft spot for Jimmy Carter. I think he was and is a good, decent man, far too good and decent for the Machiavellian edge that being the president required, which is why he did so badly at it. Now it looks like his son Jack will be running for the Senate seat currently held by John Ensign of Nevada.

I don't know much about Jack, but I like the little bit I got from this article.

"I'm more concerned than ever with the way that the country is headed," said Carter, 58.
Carter told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in Tuesday's editions that he's considering a challenge of Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., in 2006. He termed himself a social liberal with conservative Southern roots and a business background that taught him that "you pay for what you spend."

But the thing that really jumped out at me is this little breath of classiness in a crass political landscape:

Carter's name has previously been floated for political office in Nevada. An effort last year was made to recruit him to run against Republican Congressman Jon Porter. Carter said at the time that since he was new to the area, "I didn't think it would be polite."

After seeing Hillary Clinton move to New York and get elected to the Senate before the U-Haul was unpacked, it's good that at least one Southerner knows the value of not being a carpetbagger. That in itself makes me look forward to seeing more of this guy.