The state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter has begun with services in Washington, D.C. and his hometown of Plains, Georgia. The ceremonies celebrating Carter in D.C. will include a departure ceremony at the Capitol, the National Funeral Service at Washington National Cathedral and a final departure from Joint Base Andrews.

Jimmy Carter was not your stereotypical politician. He was a deeply religious man and more of a moral leader than a political one. I had the good fortune to interview him on three occasions and to join him at the White House to cover the final days of negotiations to get