'We Need to Heal'

I don't how to explain it. Zell has been not just an acquaintance, but a friend of mine, since 1962. We were in the Georgia Senate together the four years I went there ... When Zell ran for governor, his first term, he was a very moderate governor on matters concerning environment, matters concerning the race issue and social issues of all kinds ... When he got back into office, his second term was just like black and white. He moved more strongly to the conservative side on almost every issue, including getting passed "two strikes and you're out," abolishing athletic opportunities for prisoners, and changing the environmental laws and things of that kind. I'm not saying this in a critical or derogatory fashion but in an analytical fashion. What his motivations are I don't know. I hope that in the future, personally at least, Zell and I can be reconciled.

The country has grown more overtly religious since you ran for office, and so have our politics. Is that good for democracy?

No, I don't think so. I tried the best I could all the way through [my] campaign and when I was in office--although I am a religious person--never [to make] it into a ploy. In fact, I objected to that very strongly. I was brought up believing in a very rigid separation of church [and state], but now there's been a melding of an extraordinary degree between the Republican Party and the more conservative Christians. And this is not only an anomaly, but I think is contrary to the best interests of our democratic principles.

The peace that you negotiated between Israel and Egypt endures today. Do you have any advice for the next president in dealing with that part of the world?

My advice is to reverse completely the present Washington policy. Every president since Israel was founded as a nation--since Harry Truman--has tried to work out a rapprochement between Israel and her neighbors, whichever one was most threatening to Israel and most antagonistic. When I was president, the only [military] threat to Israel was Egypt, so I negotiated the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. And George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton tried to negotiate some rational accommodation between the two sides. Until George Bush Jr. came into office: he has completely abandoned that and now there is no vestige of effort being made at all to reach an accommodation between Israel and her neighbors as far as I know. I think that's a tragedy. So my advice, no matter who is president next term, is to rejuvenate the American position of being an honest broker, protecting the safety, honesty and integrity of Israel, but also protecting the rights and justice for Israel's neighbors.

Election Day is tomorrow. Are you optimistic as you look ahead to the next four years?