Max Cleland: “Henry David Thoreau once said ``If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the…”

“Henry David Thoreau once said ``If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.'' I rise before my colleagues today to reflect on the successes of one of our nation's great leaders and to pay tribute on the occasion of his 75th birthday, President Jimmy Carter. James Earl Carter, Jr. was born October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. Peanut farming, talk of politics, and devotion to the Baptist faith were mainstays of his upbringing. Upon graduation in 1946 from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, he married Rosalynn Smith. The Carters have three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), and a daughter, Amy Lynn. After seven years' service as a naval officer, Jimmy Carter returned to Plains. In 1962 he entered state politics, and eight years later he was elected Governor of Georgia. Among the new young southern governors, he attracted attention by emphasizing the environment, efficiency in government, and the removal of racial barriers.”