On July 28, nationally syndicated right-wing radio host Neal Boortz appeared on CNN's Live From... and falsely claimed: "[U]p until this convention, they [Democrats] wouldn't let Jimmy Carter in the same state as the Democratic National Convention."

Carter not only attended the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, but he was the subject of a special tribute honoring his life and political career. In his convention speech, then-President Bill Clinton also honored former President Carter for his efforts to protect and expand international human rights: "[I]n the great tradition of Jimmy Carter, who is here tonight, we are the leading force for human rights around the world."

Appearing on the August 14, 2000, broadcast of the PBS program The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Carter told senior correspondent Ray Suarez, “I've been to every convention since I left the White House except '96, and this time I was asked, urged, by [Democratic presidential candidate] Al Gore to come make a major speech at the convention; I really didn't want to do that. The Carter Center's [Carter's human rights organization] work is now so totally non-partisan, multi-partisan, that I didn't want to make a major talk."

Boortz's false claim regarding former President Carter is the most recent in a string of caustic remarks he has made about Democrats. As Media Matters for America previously noted, the Atlanta-based radio talk show host and author of The Terrible Truth About Liberals (Longstreet Press/National Book Network,1998) stated on the July 23 Neal Boortz Show that he could “not make up his mind” which group posed a “greater threat” to the United States: Osama bin Laden and other Islamic terrorists or supporters of Senator John Kerry (D-MA). On July 21, he called former member of the U.S. House of Representatives (and current candidate) Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) “the cutest little Islamic jihadist in Congress.” And on July 1, he revived the false rumor of Kerry's alleged affair with journalist Alexandra Polier.