James Carville
Lineup for May 7, 2008
Leon Neyfakh wonders who'll replace departing Random House CEO Peter Olson. "Regardless of whom Bertelsmann CEO Hartmut Ostrowski and his 15-person supervisory board appoint to replace Mr. Olson, it is all but certain that Random House will undergo some radical changes." Plus: James Frey. read more »
Another Shot at Penn
At an event in New York this morning former Bill Clinton aide Paul Begala sharply criticized Mark Penn. One attendee who I spoke with today added that Begala, employing a Cajun accent, also quoted a swipe taken by Jim Carville at the now former chief strategist.
'How come the guy who calls himself chief strategist doesn't have a strategy?' said Begala, channeling Carville, according to the attendee.
Clinton Campaign Unimpressed by Apology Over 'Blue Dress' Comment
Howard Wolfson said at the end of today's extra-long conference call (approximately 70 minutes) that he didn't think much of Obama's Iowa co-chair, Gordon Fischer, apologizing for a criticism of Bill Clinton that raised the specter of Monica Lewinsky.
"That's all well and good," said Wolfson. "In my opinion the remarks of Gordon Fisher are very much in keeping with the campaign Senator Obama is running. So I don't know why he would apologize."
And after three attempts by AOL reporter Tommy Christopher, Wolfson said that James Carville should speak for himself about whether he regrets comparing Bill Richardson to Judas, but, added, "If I had said it, I would apologize."
The Carville-Matalin Joke Is on Us
For the love of God, please stop enabling them. read more »
CNN to Disclose Carville's Hillary Ties
This came out over the weekend but our team of Googling monkeys must somehow have missed it...
Last week, CNN provoked a firestorm of blogospheric outrage when its post-debate analysis featured James Carville, without disclosing that Mr. Carville -- who helped elect Bill Clinton president -- is now actively supporting Hillary.
Now, Jon Klein says his network will do better in the future. "He's not on the Hillary payroll, but he's on the Hillary bandwagon, and that should be disclosed as much as we can," Mr. Klein told The Times. "I wasn’t comfortable with it myself as I watched it." read more »
Blast From the Past: Carville, Rather Chew Fat About 2000
On Sunday night, James Carville, who touts himself, perhaps accurately, as the best-known political consultant in the country, sat down with Dan Rather at the 92nd St Y to discuss the 2008 presidential election.
But he was at his most passionate, by far, when talking instead about the 2000 campaign, and denouncing the way it was covered by the country’s two leading national newspapers.
The New York Times’ coverage of that race “was borderline criminal—and The Washington Post’s was worse,” said Mr. Carville, joining a growing list of commentators who have argued lately that the media was overly focused on superficial issues, and exaggerated Al Gore’s flaws while giving a pass to George W. Bush. read more »
Elsewhere: Bloomberg's Big Chance
Attention Mike Bloomberg and Kevin Sheekey: James Carville says there is a "real, real" chance for a third-party movement in the 2008 election.
A conservative GOP Iowa operative working for George Pataki's PAC has quit.
Bill Hammond said that despite the political context swirling around Alan Hevesi, "it's hard to argue with the story that chart" in his most recent audit.
In a recent CNN poll, former Senator John Edwards was the first second-choice among Democrats for the party's nomination.
Greg Sargent feels that John McCain gets the benefit of the doubt from reporters who should "know better."
The Bull Moose blogger is now Joe Lieberman's spokesman.
Nancy Pelosi closes (and locks) the door on the talk about reinstating the draft that was being advanced by Charlie Rangel.
New York's local judicial system may get a major overhaul.
And above is the festive cover of The Nation, which has a distinctly Observer-y feel. read more »
-- Azi PaybarahWonkette on Clanton
And Wonkette, who's in charge of these things, wasn't feeling particularly kind today: read more »
"[W]e can't say if the political consulting skills he learned at the foot of James Carville are working for Ferrer, the Carville-esque self-promotional skills sure are. The article focuses heavily on the "boyish" Clanton's accent and his affection (or is that "affectation") for Southern sodie pop Dr. Pepper. It ends with him quoting Dale Earnhardt. Thank God they ended the interview before Clanton jumped down a turn and picked a bale of cotton.
"Also, somewhere, David Brooks is crying."Washington on the Hudson
And they sound pretty pleased about it.
According to a press release, issued this afternoon by the Ferrer campaign, Mr. Clanton not only "played a critical role" in helping develop the Kerry's camp's notoriously sluggish (oops, we meant lightening-fast) rapid response operation, but he's also "run campaigns" with those grand pooh-bahs of Washington insiderdom James Carville and Paul Begala (who was also, apparently, Mr. Clanton's professor at the University of Texas once upon a time.)
The press release continues: "In 2002, Clanton managed the Alex Sanders for U.S. Senate campaign in South Carolina. And during the 2000 presidential campaign for Al Gore, Clanton ran the communications operation in Michigan for the Democratic Coordinated Campaign." read more »
The Ferrer camp's big Beltway hire comes, of course, as the Bloomberg campaign continues to buy up every spare political operative in New York City who hasn't been nailed down. And even some who have.
So welcome to New York, Mr. Clanton. We'll see you at Mayrose.
