during the debate over his landmark energy policy proposal, president jimmy carter failed to consult one of the most powerful senators, louisianaâs russell long, who would have a big say over whether the legislation moved through the upper chamber. this was classic carter. with a strong distaste for congressional politics, the president simply refused to do what most other presidents would consider routine, such as courting key senators. long became so irate with the president that when he was finally invited to a white house dinner, he stood up to ask a question and, before doing so, proceeded to sarcastically introduce himself: âiâm russell long, chairman of the senate finance committee.â
this interaction is a revealing moment in stuart e. eizenstatâs fascinating new history of carterâs presidency. the former peanut farmer from georgia was a president who, according to conventional wisdom, didnât care much for party politics; nonetheless, in eizenstatâs view, carterâs legacy on domestic and foreign policy has been vastly underappreciated. the author paints carter as a âbold and determinedâ leader who bravely attacked the challenges of his time. eizenstat goes so far as to argue that carter might very well be the most successful one-term president in american history.