Carter, Mondale break post-White House longevity mark

<p>Since leaving the White House in 1981, Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale have set the standard for public service after holding the nation's highest offices.</p><p>On Tuesday, they set the record for longevity as well _ passing John Adams and Thomas Jefferson as the longest-living post-White House president and vice president in U.S. history. The Democrats had lived 25 years, 123 days since leaving office.</p><p>That's a day longer than Adams and Jefferson, who both famously died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.</p><p>More important than their longevity, observers say, is the legacy of productivity the pair have crafted in their post-White House days.</p><p>"The modern presidents seem to be living longer," said Jay Hakes, director of the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta. "The question of what they're going to do when they leave office assumes a lot more importance now than it may have in the past and (Carter and Mondale) have really sort of set the pace for very active and productive lives after leaving the White House."</p><p>Carter, 81, and wife Rosalynn founded The Carter Center in 1982. He has traveled extensively since then working on peace, democracy and health initiatives worldwide, winning the Nobel Prize for his efforts in 2002.</p><p>Carter's other pursuits have included volunteering annually with Georgia-based Habitat for Humanity, writing more than 20 books and hobbies that include painting and woodworking.</p><p>Mondale, 78, was the Democratic nominee for president in 1984. He was appointed ambassador to Japan by President Clinton in 1993 and served as Clinton's special envoy on the Asian financial crisis and economic reforms in Indonesia five years later.</p><p>He currently is senior counsel at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, a Minneapolis-based law firm, where he specializes in issues involving Asian finance and government.</p><p>"He comes into the office nearly every day," said Larry Splett, a spokesman for the firm. "He remains very active and engaged."</p><p>Mondale was traveling overseas and unable to be reached on Tuesday, Splett said.</p><p>Carter, meanwhile, was hosting a Carter Center forum of human rights workers from around the world. In opening remarks Tuesday at the Human Rights Defenders Policy Forum, Carter didn't mention the milestone.</p><p>In a 2004 interview with the Associated Press, he said he decided early on to use the clout from his presidency in the years that followed.</p><p>"I have been blessed by graduating from the White House at an early age," he said at the time. "Enough so that I could use the prestige and fame and experience from being president of the greatest nation in the world to have access to leaders and understand the problems that they face."</p><p>Carter was 52 and Mondale was 48 when they took office in 1976. Carter was defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x1cdc4c8)</p><p>HASH(0x1cdc570)</p>