James Carville on Gov. Richardson's Endorsement of Barack Obama

I just read that James Carville called New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama yesterday: "An act of betrayal." I guess when Carville isn't out offering his consulting services to right-wing political parties in Latin America or having deep philosophical discussions with his reactionary wife, Mary Matalin, an extreme right-wing ideologue who served as Dick Cheney's hatchet woman, or counting up all that cash he rakes in as a "strategist" and pundit, he casts himself in the role of a lord who determines what's best for the Democratic Party.

I always thought that the James Carville-Mary Matalin team represented everything that is wrong with American politics. The definitive Washington "power couple," one of them advises the Democrats about how they can better mimic the Republicans and hit up the same A-list of corporations for campaign donations, while the other one spews slander at anyone to the left of Joe Lieberman, pontificates on TV and radio, and advises Dick Cheney how best to fool the electorate so his long-term project of destroying everything we thought was good about America can continue.

Their pillow talk might sound something like this:

James: "How's Dick Cheney's project coming along honey?"
Mary: "Swimmingly, we're about to launch another war."
James: "Oh, that's wonderful sweetheart."
Mary: "How's the neutering of the Democratic Party going?"
James: "Oh, we just had a set back. That traitor Bill Richardson endorsed Obama."
Mary: "You poor baby, do you want a foot massage?"

The New York Times quotes Carville today: "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 if appropriate is ironic."

In Carville's analogy, Richardson is "Judas," which means Hillary Clinton is? (And Obama?)

Comments

[Walkonterra]

Statesmanship should top political gamesmanship every time. Thanks Gov. Richardson for stepping up and being a democratic party hero!

[mounthoodliberal]

It's the hypocrisy, stupid.

[AbbieXHoffman]

He better hope Clinton doesn't win or his career is over.

[yeswecancan]

Having suffered the insults of the Clinton faithful for some time, it's been very interesting to see the inflamed passions going after Gov. Richardson. Loyalty. All about loyalty, not judgment or character or leadership.... sort of reminds me of the current administration. Gov. Richardson, until 4 days ago, had a prime seat at the Clinton parade but he is reviled today as if he rose from the Republican "hate mongers." Bill Richardson gave notice a month ago to the Clinton's to tone down the negativity, that he believed it damaging to THE PARTY. Things have only gotten worse since then. It's a very brave move on his part to step out of the shadows when, as these posts demonstrate, it would have been a lot safer to let the blood continue to flow until Denver. There's no veep promise, no quid pro quo. But I guess that's the way the Clintons' think. Please, Super Delegates -- read this Post fact-checker article about Mrs. Clinton's inflated claims of her "dangerous" foray into the Balkans. If she'll lie about her credentials in such a blatant manner, why do her supporters believe any of the mud she's slinging at Obama? Come on Supers ... do your duty. Get behind the leader in votes, states and delegates.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/03/hillarys_balkan_adventures_par.html

[LoKeys]

what a fantastic assessment of these two. Matlin has always made me revile, and carvelle represents EVERYTHING that is wrong with the democratic party. Here here, well written.

[lukas24]

People, Governer Richardson would be NO WHERE if Hillary and Bill Clinton didn't help him with his political career!!!!!!

Governer Richardson ONLY supported OBAMA because he will get $450,000 to pay off his campaign debt! AND Governer Richardson hopes to be VP or at the very least a position in Obama's Cabinet !

Richardson didn't support Obama because he likes him! He didn't support Obama because of his so-called Race Speech (as Richardson made it clear who he supported before the Texas primary when he said that this the race should not go on after Texas If Hillary couldn't win enough delegates to overtake Obama).

RIchardson betrayed The Clintons!!! In Political relationships, loyalty is everything!!! ANd how valid his Richardson's LOYALTY will be to Obama over time!!!!! I question RICHARDSON!!!!!!

[HeadScratcher]

And where would HIllary be if she wasn't Mrs. Clinton?

Speaking of loyalty.....give Bill the award for cheating on his wife.

Richardson is allowed to be his own man. The Clintons got a boost out of their appointment of Richardson with the Latino community or they wouldn't have had him around.

He was a candidate for President AFTER Hillary announced. HIs own man with his own message.

They were seeking his endorsement as well.

[foreffectivegovernment]

People who have been supporters of the Clintons are being strong-armed and bribed behind the scenes by those who want to have the First Black President.

This has nothing to do with who the best candidate will be in the general election.

Black Power is really the issue and has been exposed by the Reverend Wright affair.

The Republican Party will not let this happen and we should not fall into the trap again.

[AlphaDoc]

>Black Power is really the issue<

Oh, brother! LOL! Paranoid much?

[letuckerchicago]

How ignorant. Black Power? Black people are just trying to stay alive, hold onto their jobs by their fingernails, keep their children and families together in these terrible times - just like everybody else. As Americans start researching and reading for themselves, they are starting to realize that there is no "Wright affair" - as a listen to actual sermons, vs the ridiculously sliced and edited soundbites quickly reveal. The attempt to marginalize and discredit a Black candidate has more to do with keeping normal Americans - you know, the ones who have to go to work and make a living - from electing a candidate who will best represent their interests. It is no coincidence that so manay former Clinton allies have joined the Obama campaign. Keep your race baiting to yourself and watch Obama become President and make the country better - for you too!

[ddlrid]

another paleocon hath spoken!!

[wickedzeus]

If all else fails just frame an issue in terms of black or right..

[sd4peace]

The Black Power movement is strong-arming Clinton supporters. This is a new one. Did this new Black Power movement begin last year? I'm confused because Senator Obama is the very first 1st Black (even though he's as white as he is black, we'll call him black so we don't confuse those with small minds) Presidential candidate with a serious shot of winning. It must be a new movement, because the old one never really gained the political influence to determine our president.

You are hilarious!

[lukas24]

Ok, this Wright stuff is disturbing, very. But the bigger problem I have for Mr. Obama is his pattern of saying one thing and then distancing himself from those words when the opposite is revealed at a later date. That is called "spin", people. We have a need and right to know Senator Obama from every angle and what he believes when he talks of equality and a "vision" for America.

To say that Clinton +/or Obama is at fault for the direction the Democratic campaign has headed, is ludicrous and short-sighted. America is a melting pot of races, genders, culture, etc. and we each have a personal interest in seeing "ourselves" in our President. With that connection comes passion and emotional investment. However, it also must be tempered with information about the candidates (good and bad, without negative "label" attached to said information) so that we can make informed choices, rather than only emotionally-driven ones. To Americans: try to take off the blinders of opinion polls, media spin, mud and excitement. That person is Senator Clinton. She has worked hard and diligently for all Americans, and spent years building strong relationships because she has a passionate vision of what America can be, not just because she's running for President. Vetted, intelligent, tested and hardworking.

Senator Clinton is the right choice for me in '08

[AlphaDoc]

>Vetted, intelligent, tested and hardworking.<

She may be intelligent and working hard to get elected, but vetted? Her fabrications are being revealed at every turn, such as her supposed race through a hail of gunfire when she visited Bosnia. And tested? When called upon to make the gravest choice of our time, her vote to authorize Bush to use force in Iraq earned her a failing grade.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/how-will-hillarys-bosnia_b_92844.html

[lgmurphy]

But tell me how you feel about her position on Nafta and her purported history relative to NAFTA as she campaigned in Ohio where thousands had lost their jobs because of NAFTA. They voted for her because they believed her and now it is revealed she did in fact support it wholeheartedly, and urged others to as well.

[Wildcatdiva]

BS, BS, BS!!! If you want to excuse her lies and treachery and her husband's years of adultery, fine. For heavens sake, she’s such a liar and delusional. MG, she bare face lied about a minuscule piece of history just to make herself sound more important. Didn’t she know that film and people who traveled with her still existed? Is she such a sociopath that she believes no one would follow up because she’s the great Clinton?

Bill Clinton held a prayer breakfast for forgiveness yet he casts a stone at his wife's opponent? What’s up with that, all of you good Christians? It's so easy to overlook eight years of personal crap which impacted America gravely...it's nice to have a selective memory about the horrid past of his shenanigans and the all important elephant in the room that he and her campaign are throwing out there religiously…where few wants to really deal with, America’s original sin, RACE!!!!!

Hillary Clinton has a long sordid history; she lied and maneuvered for power and fame. She wasn’t being noble staying with Bill, she always knew about her husband’s infidelities. She stuck around for selfish political reasons. She has put more “S” in the game and has sanctioned every dirty trick in the book. You need to take the blinders off and read some friend. It's out there. But of course, you'll excuse it because it doesn't fit your neat package of utopian lies. Her candidacy as a Senator was possible only because her husband cheated on her and the same goes for this candidacy for President. She's no more vetted than Obama. Everything has yet to come out, (why is she fighting so hard to keep things under wraps, btw where’s those tax returns, Huh?) She’s no better than any other politician is. That includes Obama. Just because I may support him doesn't mean I think he walks on water...all of his supporters aren't delusional in the least. Sometimes it’s startling to see how dense people are just because they want to win. It’s Hillary supporters that need a reality check! Your choice is yours but IMO your reasoning is BS!!!

[WebDeb]

We each have a right to support whom we choose, agreed. But, I for one, am not anxious to experience another 4 years of the failed republican policies and blunders that have destroyed our credibility as a nation. We are on our knees. Divisiveness can do nothing but take us farther down. We need to heal, to become cohesive and stand together.

Yes, the democratic campaign has taken quite a negative turn. Republicans are taking advantage, and sending out their forces to vote for the candidate they are not afraid of. That candidate is Hillary Clinton. I am sorry to inform you, but she is losing.

And, it isn't an issue of Michigan and Florida. All of the candidates agreed not to campaign there, and it was the DNC who stripped them of their delegates for violating the party rules. Unfortunate but true.

Hillary's lies are being taken apart one by one, from her Ireland Peace Treaty negotiations to her travels with Sinbad to a USO event where they did not land under "sniper fire". Her position on NAFTA has been a fabrication for this election. 16 years is not so long ago for some of us. I know she is tired, but her "win at all cost" tactics are divisive. We are wounded and bleeding and she is continuing to bloody the playing field even more. If she will dare to say that her party's opponent, John McCain, will be a better commander in chief than her democratic opponent, they NO ONE IS SAFE. Especially the American people. I know she has worked hard and I supported her early, but after these episodes of "only Hillary counts", I am done with her.

Like it or not, Americans will vote for the candidate they believe will pull us together as a nation and help to heal us. Hillary vs McCain= President McCain.

Republicans are afraid of Obama. They are working very hard to make sure he is not running against their candidate in the general election. And, people are falling for it hook, line and sinker.
And, surprisingly (or not) Hillary has jumped aboard their band wagon, deceived into thinking they really like her (duh?).

Will we all sit in front of our television sets in disbelief AGAIN in November? Saying to ourselves, "How could that many American's have been fooled AGAIN"?! I certainly hope not.

Please listen carefully . . . . If she cared at all about this nation the way she says she does; if she cared about the success of the democratic party; if she cared about bring home the troops as she says she does; providing healthcare; strenthening the economy -------she would have bowed out by now, because she has no hope of winning the nomination. She is paving the way for another republican to be seated in the oval office where none of the things she claims to be concerned about will be considered nor accomplished.

You can speak of media spin, opinion polls and the years she spent building strong relationships. I would dare say all candidates have done that very thing. And, as her recent white house papers, and comments have indicated, she is not completely vetted. No doubt she is intelligent and hard working. So am I but that doesn't make me presidential material. She is lying. She is misrepresenting her own achievements, and placing blame for her losses where it obviously does not belong, along with her husband. That is deceitful and self serving. If we take off the blinders, as you say and look only at the facts it is simply clear that she doesn't care if a democrat wins. She only cares that Hillary wins.

Is it that far fetched of an idea that there is actually a candidate that can lead the people better than she? A leader, people. That is what we are seeking. She is a worker bee. So am I. But that does not define a leader. We need a leader who can inspire, call together, delegate, reach across the isle, and extend goodwill. You cannot dismiss hope. That is what our country was founded on.


My demographic? This 53 year old, hard working, Midwest, blue collar, white woman voted for and is supporting Obama in '08.

[IslandGyal]

Senator Clinton has embellished (and I am being kind) her resume for the highest position in the country. I am not going to believe anything she has to say, as I don't believe anything Bush has to say. To me Clinton=republican, sorry. We want a democratic nominee, not a plant.

[wickedzeus]

"To me Clinton=republican"

It is rhetoric like this that makes me cringe.. although one can disagree with senator clinton on many issues, calling her a republican goes too far, especially when the platforms of both democratic presidential candidates are almost identical.

This is primary season folks... Obama and Clinton are resorting to the most petty of actual policy differences to attract voters. Wait for the national campaign to see two candidates that will differ immensely on almost every single issue. I understand the passion of supporters of either candidate, but I think it's important that we remain objective and understand that ultimately both Hillary and Barack are on the same side.

[auramac]

Reading these comments and dialogues on a continuous basis has convinced me that our politicians and government truly are reflections of the constituents: close-minded, partisan, nasty, far-sighted, simple-minded, war-like, divisive, and fearful. We get what we deserve. We achieve what we expect.

[ryan1016]

So true, I'm starting to believe all is lost. I used to have such hope and optimism in the Democratic party, but it's clear it's not what I thought it to be. To see such venom spewed at the Clintons, who have done so much for this party and endured so much, is often too much to take. You'd think the Obama people are talking about George W. Bush for crying out loud - this is a Democrat, not some right wing nut job with an agenda to destroy the environment and invade oil rich countries. It seems like every post I read is yelled rather than discussed. I think the problem lies in the fact that Obama people have few concrete reasons to support their candidate and, therefore, must find reasons not to support the other. If all you can do is repeat the words "change" and "hope" over and over without citing to anything concrete, I'd say you should start doing some real soul-searching to discover the true reason for your support of Obama.

[Lisette]

"I always thought that the James Carville-Mary Matalin team represented everything that is WRONG with American politics. "

This says it all perfectly!

[MysticMichael]

' The New York Times quotes Carville today: "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 if appropriate is ironic."

In Carville's analogy, Richardson is "Judas," which means Hillary Clinton is? (And Obama?)'

Don't overthink this. It's just the sour-grapes mutterings of yet another Clinton weasel-for-hire...

[tevis]

Traitor to the Clintons?

I'd wear that moniker like a badge of pride.

[Zentomato]

The Clintons negative attacks, their negative smears, their use of divisive rhetoric to achieve their goals, I repeat THEIR GOALS, without regard to what effect they have on the Democratic Party for the generals election, is just unfathomable. Time after time they show that it all is just about them and their ambitions. I say this as a former fan and voter for Bill Clinton.

[TN]

Govenor Richardson said in a nutshell, he is greatful for the opportunity that the clintons gave him. He repayed the favor by serving well. The appointments he received were not so he could owe them something in the future, like bush appointments are. He was appointed because he was the best person for the job, period. He served his country well in those positions, that in turn made the clintons and our country, not only look better but be better. He said he felt bad and it was a difficult phone call for him to make, (I can only imagine) but he felt he had to support , openly, the candidate he thought would be best for America. He is a true statesman and if others could live up to these ideals we would be a lot better off.

[ShannonHiggins]

Is this the same James Carville that didn't mind betraying the Democratic Party on behalf of the Clintons when they had him sabotage Kerry, paving the way for Ms. Inevitable, who as it turns out, isn't. They deserve one another and the flames they hopefully go down in.

[myskylark]

Where do you get this phony line that Carville sabotaged John Kerry? You just copied a page right out of Joseph Goebbels.

When the Kerry campaign was self-destructing, Carville and Bergala offered to help and they were turned down.

You need some medication if you really believe the garbage you spew.

[Honza]

When this ole WW2 combat vet was out at sea in the Pacific in action for many months, some menbers of the crew started to alter their appearence,, as in odd beards, errings, shaved heads. We refered to them as going Asiatic, seeing bill Richardson endorsing Obama in disguise made me use my remote. Another thought, Obama and the Gov got more air time than Bush's speeches. Fair Media BUll Shit.

[Texas60]

To Honza:
Another thought, Obama and the Gov got more air time than Bush's speeches. Fair Media BUll Shit.

Why would the Media want to show a President who can't speak a grammatically correct sentence and has no idea of the price of gas?

Maybe the Press is aware that other countries view our MEDIA and might change THEIR opinion of our INTELLECT!!