Jimmy Carter was elected president of the United States in 1977. Before moving into the White House, Mrs Carter was anxious to discover whether the chef there could cook the kind of meals the Carters enjoyed at home in the South. "Yes, madam," the chef replied. "We have been fixing that kind of food for the servants for a long time."
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Because of the serious rise in inflation and his own vacillations, Carter was unable to carry out the ambitious social reforms he had promised in his campaign manifesto. In the spring of 1979, he was asked whether his young daughter, Amy, ever boasted about her father's presidential status. Mindful of the heavy criticism his administration was attracting, he replied, "No, she probably apologizes."
一九七七年，吉米·卡特當選美國總統。他太太遷入白宮之前，頗為擔心，問主廚會不會煑他們在南部家鄉愛吃的菜。主廚回答說：「會啊，我們多年來為白宮僕人煑的，就是這種菜。」
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卡特的競選宣言，勾劃出社會改革大計，但由於通脹嚴重，加上他猶豫不決，改革承諾未能實現。一九七九年春天，有人問卡特：他的幼女愛米會不會以父親當總統為誇。卡特自知其政績備受抨擊，回答說：「不會，但應會為父親當總統道歉。」*
*在新中國，「我爸是李剛（保定市北市區公安分局副局長）」已經可以橫行了，道歉云乎哉。