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2001
Sunday morning radio
program This Morning, hosted by Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation's Michael Enright
accepted U. S. former President Carter for
an interview concerning Canadian softwood
lumber issues. Carter was chosen for the
interview because he had recently written
a column for the New York Times criticizing
the Canadian philosophy concerning subsidization
of the lumber industry.
Enright, audibly irritated with Carter,
started telling the former President to
speed up his answers and then said, "I
think the question on everyone's mind is,
how did a washed-up peanut farmer from Hicksville
such as yourself get involved in such a
sophisticated bilateral trade argument?"
Carter, apparently stunned at first finally
shot back "Excuse me? A washed-up peanut
farmer? You're one to talk, sir. Didn't
you used to be on the air five times a week?"
The interview degenerated from there and
Carter finally hung up on Enright. The next
day the Globe and the Mail reported the
interview as fact on their front pages.
Comedian Ray Landry of Toronto had been
impersonating Carter's voice. Many calls
were received from irate listeners who didn't
find the prank funny. An editor for the
Globe said the encounter sounded real to
him and made no apologies for running the
story without checking out its authenticity
first.
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