Carville: Richardson 'properly branded' as Judas (Raw Story)

[Bucky]

Must be seen to be believed

Carville: Richardson 'properly branded' as Judas
David Edwards and Muriel Kane - Tuesday March 25, 2008

When former presidential candidate Bill Richardson threw his support behind Barack Obama last week, some in the Clinton camp were deeply affronted. The New Mexico governor served in President Clinton's cabinet in the 1990's and had been intensively wooed by the Clinton campaign.

Clinton advisor James Carville even called Richardson's support of Obama "an act of betrayal" and told the New York Times, "Mr. Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate."

On Monday, Carville refused to apologize for his words, telling CNN, "I wanted to use a very strong metaphor to make my point. ... I doubt if Governor Richardson and I will be particularly close in the future."

Questions about his statements continued to follow Carville when he appeared the next day with ABC's Diane Sawyer, who wanted to know, "Is this morning the time to take that back?"

"A cattle rancher in eastern New Mexico or an advertising executive on the East Side of Manhattan would agree that proper branding is important," Carville replied harshly. "I wanted to be sure that Richardson's act was branded properly."

"But Judas?" asked Sawyer. "What are you saying? ... Are you saying that he made a deal of some kind when you talk about 30 shekels?"

"I thought this one was special and it needed to be properly branded," Carville repeated, pointing out that he hasn't condemned other friends of his who now support Obama.

Carville only gets classier with age.

[MADem]

1. Yep, he's also said he was quoted accurately, and in context.

I like Jim Carville. He's loyal. More so than some, certainly.

[gateley]

7. But if the stories about the 2004 election are true,

then his loyalties don't lie with the Democratic Party, only with the Clintons.

[MADem]

19. I'm not swayed by vague insinuations of "stories." NT

[gateley]

25. They're often true, though.

Regardless, I think he showed a strong loyalty to Clinton in his statement about Richardson, but didn't seem concerned as to how it might affect the party in general.

Although I agree loyalty is a very important trait, we've got a White House to take back. We need the unity right now.

[MADem]

27. And false, too. Both candidates have been victimized by "stories."

I think Richardson, if he really wanted to "help" Obama, would have come out before TX. Hell, before CA, NV, NM. After all, PA and NC aren't Latino strongholds. And he's no help in Puerto Rico--at all. That Mexican culture doesn't translate, in fact, it's rather Shia-Sunni. And most people in Puerto Rico have at least a few relatives in NYC, Clinton's home state.

The fact that he didn't come out when it might have mattered, to me, makes his move at this later stage seem more like "looking out for Billy R."

I'd be interested to know if he made the promise before the Rev. Wright situation reached critical mass. I kind of think he did, actually. I don't know that, it is just a guess--what makes me think it is the case, is that "I am very loyal to the Clintons" comment he made. That remark probably caused a little "WTF?" in the Obama camp. If that's loyalty, who needs it? It can cut more than one way, I'm sure they're figuring...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/23/richardson/?iref=mpstoryview

[gateley]

28. You always have to wonder

at the motivation behind a politician's endorsement. We'll never know.

[fascisthunter]

16. Loyal My Ass... he's a DLC Sellout

a Republican mole....

[MADem]

18. Well, my mileage varies. NT

[stellanoir]

2. Mr Sleeping with the enemy

http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=1654

good point and touche

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Can't wait for this shit to be over

really...

By the way, because of this crap, say hi to President McCain

And it is BOTH before I hear it from any partisans

[Ashy Larry]

4. I think it would be better to just ignore him.

[Radical Activist]

5. But he was OK with Richardson running against Hillary?

Why is that? Did he always think Richardson's candidacy was a joke? Was Richardson supposed to be helping Hillary with some kind of back room deal? What gives?

[Warpy]

6. The Clinton camp, Carville included

would be far better served by letting the endorsement of a governor from a state with only 5 electoral votes go than by continuing to spit nails in the press.

I know they considered him to be a DLC loyalist but, as I've been pointing out for the last couple of years, Richardson has long since thrown that particular rule book away as unworkable.

They're only pumping up the importance of one minor defection, making themselves look petty.

It's just another example of a tone deaf campaign team.

[hatrack]

8. "I doubt if Gov. Richardson and I will be particularly close in the future."

Gee, Jimbo, I bet he's just shedding hot tears at the thought of not spending time with you and your lovely wife at the next Scooter Libby benefit dinner you throw at your little pied a terre in Georgetown.

:puke:

[ashling]

9. His picture is striking

Looks more like Matlin every day.:puke:

[IA_Seth]

10. There was a joke on Leno the other night...

Something about Bill being Jonas.. swallowed by a whale...

What on earth could he have meant?

[stray cat]

11. I used to kind of like Carville - but loyalty doesn't trump integrity and personal responsibility

The republican party gave Bush their mindless loyalty and led the US straight off an international and economic cliff. I'm sick of mindless loyalty - I want intelligent, thoughtful, curious, competent leaders with integrity. I'm tired of politics who are nothing more than cheerleaders.

[movonne]

17. I have not liked him since he married that witch of a wife ==Chaney's

right hand...

[Dogmudgeon]

12. Not my own approach, certainly.

But James felt strongly about it and said so.

Bill Richardson felt strongly that he had to jettison the Clintons and cleave unto Barack Obama -- and that action has been defended, strongly, in spite of the fact that a lot of people hold loyalty as a value. Loyalty demands at least discretion when you disagree with your friends.

And Richardson's gratuitous attacks on Clinton's staffers didn't help. They were out of character. I think that the whole episode was, but we can fight over that detail in another thread.

Still, "Judas" -- ? That's hyperbole, and it isn't necessary. But it's a straight-up mistake, and we know where it comes from, not a kinda-sorta thing.

Obama himself speaks frequently that we need a new mindset that is not bound by politically dancing around the truth. All right, then, Carville thought what Richardson did was reprehensible and said so unambiguously. In the future, Carville may decide he was wrong and seek Richardson's forgiveness -- or not. But it's all right there without affected "nuance".

Let Carville take his lumps and/or applause as he may. His approach has a few advantages over both Hillary's and Obama's careful verbal balancing acts.

--p!

[spanone]

13. james, james...what does mr richardson owe anyone?

[wryter2000]

14. Yeah. right

I remember when he declared Howard Dean a "failure of Rumsfeldian proportions" right after we'd taken both houses of Congress. Carville can kiss all of my fat patootie.

And I'm with the person who said in this thread that both sides out to cut the crap.

[Solly Mack]

15. this from the man married to Mary Matalin

Wonder what he calls her for her actions.



LMAO

[devilgrrl]

20. That must mean that Carville should be branded as 'Mata Hari' or 'Tokyo Rose'

What a joker.

[Individualist]

21. Carville is a typical DLC asshole.

[Uncle Joe]

22. Yes, but if you put a wig on him, he has a certain Mary Magdalene, I mean Mary Matalin look. n/t

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

23. how many shekels did bill clinton offer richardson?

[anitar1]

24. I heard him called SnakeHead by someone. I like that name n/t

[CreekDog]

26. Back to my refrain: How does this help Hillary get the nomination?

I'm stumped. :eyes: