Peace, They Say: Bush congratulates Carter

We’ve had the great good fortune of hosting National Review’s Jay Nodlinger in our home over the past two nights. He came to town to talk about his new book, Peace, They Say, a history of the Nobel Peace Prize. It is a brilliant, thought-provoking, enraging, inspirational, fascinating, moving book. Jay’s presentation on the book at the Center of the American Experiment lunch yesterday was a great hit.

This morning I asked Jay to tell the vignette from the book in which he recounts the reaction of George W. Bush to the 2002 award of the prize to Jimmy Carter, an award the peace prize committee used to “kick Bush in the leg.” Coming across this little story as I was reading the book, I found it to provide a sidelong glance at the magnanimity of President Bush. In the cinéma vérité video below (less than a minute), Jay briefly relates the vignette.

First thing in the morning, Bush called Carter to congratulate him. Bush told him, Jay relates, “this prize is …” Please check it out.

JOHN adds: It was a really fun event. Nordlinger’s talk was much like his writing–smart, balanced, funny, fair. The crowd was good and contributed to a lively Q and A. This was the second event that Power Line has co-sponsored with the Center of the American Experiment, and I am sure there will be more.

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