James Carville

Irony Alert! Clinton Spinners Carville and Stephanopoulos Slam Schwarzenegger's 'Risky' Personal Life
By Scott Whitlock | May 17, 2011 | 11:37 AM EDT

With a supreme lack of irony or self-awareness, former Clinton operatives George Stephanopoulos and James Carville on Tuesday chided the "amazing" revelation that Arnold Schwarzenegger had an affair and a love child.

Appearing on Good Morning America, Carville said of the former California governor: "...He put himself out here, knowing there was all this scrutiny on his personal life. That was a really risky thing he did in even getting into politics, knowing this."

Stephanopoulos agreed with his War Room pal, enthusing, "It is pretty amazing. That's a good point." Carville, of course, repeatedly defended Bill Clinton against "scrutiny" of his adulterous affairs and once said of accuser Paula Jones: "Drag $100 bills through trailer parks, there's no telling what you'll find."

[See video below. MP3 audio here.]

Newsweek Features Carville Mea Culpa: 'My Timing Was Off' With Prediction of Dem Dominance
By Scott Whitlock | March 17, 2011 | 9:57 AM EDT

According to James Carville, his timing was simply a "little off" with a 2009 prediction that Democrats would rule for 40 years. The political operative and frequent guest on ABC appeared in the revamped Newsweek magazine to offer an apology for the inaccurate assertion.

The first-person piece in the March 21 issue included an admission that the title of his book, 40 More Years: How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation, was designed for the sake of publicity.

He admitted, "I know a bit about selling books, and you need a good title—a catchy concoction with a little Cajun spice, something that will make folks stop in the aisles, turn away from the Grisham novels and the latest crazy diet fad, and pick up your masterpiece."

Colbert Makes Fun of CNN: Velshi a 'Bond Villain,' Parker a 'Left-Handed Liberal'
By Matthew Balan | November 4, 2010 | 6:01 PM EDT

On Wednesday's Colbert Report, Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert made light of CNN's crowded Election Night "Best Political Team on Television," labeling anchor

40 Years of Dem Dominance? George Stephanopoulos Fails to Quiz Carville on his Poor Prediction
By Scott Whitlock | November 4, 2010 | 12:18 PM EDT

James Carville on Thursday appeared on Good Morning America to discuss Tuesday's Republican landslide, but faced no questions about his erroneous prediction that Democrats would enjoy 40 years of dominance.

On May 4, 2009, Carville stopped by GMA to tout 40 More Years: How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation, his book on the subject. An ABC Graphic hyped, "Democrats 1932-1968, Republicans 1968-2008, Democrats 2008-2048?"

In light of massive GOP victories, Stephanopoulos also could have questioned his friend about a quip from the 2009 appearance: "...These tea baggers, they turned everybody off. There were a bunch of like 75-year-old cranky white guys mad at everything. It just couldn't have been a better event for the Democratic Party. I hope they come back and tea bag some more."

[Video after the jump.]

James Carville's Dem Domination Prediction Only Off by 38 Years
By Doug Ernst | November 4, 2010 | 10:56 AM EDT

Not long ago James Carville released 40 More Years: How Democrats will Rule the Next Generation.   Even in the wake of the 2008 election cycle it was a bold prediction, one that got him promotional spots on Good Morning America:

James Carville Contests View Anger At Obama Is Racist
By Noel Sheppard | October 23, 2010 | 12:05 PM EDT

For well over a year, the media have been unashamedly claiming the anti-Obama sentiments sweeping the nation are all because the President is black.

According to Howard Kurtz, former Clinton adviser James Carville told Saturday's Innovators Summit in New Orleans that this is all nonsense:

Harsh Attacks Against Christine O'Donnell Continue on ABC: Carville Slams 'Deadbeat' Nominee
By Scott Whitlock | September 16, 2010 | 12:23 PM EDT

For the second day in a row, Good Morning America featured degrading descriptions of Delaware senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell. Democratic strategist James Carville appeared on Thursday's show and fumed about the Republican's past financial problems: "Christine O'Donnell doesn't believe in spending, particularly her own money, because, she's a deadbeat. She doesn't pay her loans back."

Wednesday's GMA included host George Stephanopoulos reading quotes against the "mentally unhinged" "liar." The show on Thursday showcased an extended conversation on masturbation and remarks O'Donnell made about the subject in 1996.

Stephanopoulos played a clip and then Carville joked, "And she equated masturbation to adultery. And, boy, if that's the case, the Iranians would be stoning a lot of people in this country."

ABC's Stephanopoulos Highlights Obama Blaming Media For Muslim Myth
By Matthew Balan | August 30, 2010 | 3:28 PM EDT
George Stephanopoulos, ABC Anchor; & Democratic Strategist James Carville | NewsBusters.orgOn Monday's Good Morning America, ABC's George Stephanopoulos played up how President Obama "blamed many in the media for perpetuating...myths" such as he was born outside the United States, isn't a Christian, and/or is a Muslim. "You can't blame the President for wanting this to go away."

Stephanopoulos raised the President's remarks about "these kind of myths," as he put it, near the end of a panel discussion with Democratic strategist James Carville and Charles Schwab chief investment strategist Liz Ann Sonders eight minutes into the 7 am Eastern hour. He noted how "a third of Americans believe- question whether he is Christian- a fifth now believe he's Muslim" before playing a clip of Mr. Obama from his recent interview with NBC's Brian Williams, where the Democrat gave a light reply to Williams's statement referencing these poll numbers: "Mr. President, you're an American-born Christian, and yet, increasing and now significant numbers of American in polls...are claiming you are neither." The President answered, in part, "I would say that I can't spend all my time with my birth certificate plastered on my forehead."
Is CNN Perpetuating the 'Obama is Muslim' Meme? Chyron: 'W.H.: Pres. Obama Isn’t Muslim'
By Jeff Poor | August 19, 2010 | 7:04 PM EDT

Every time the question about President Barack Obama's faith is brought up, the wizards of smart in the mainstream media get up in arms about "right-wingers" or "tea partiers" perpetuating those allegations. But is it possible that by devoting so much attention to these issues of Obama's faith and his citizenship, the media are creating the very feeding frenzy they're appalled by?

On CNN's Aug. 19 "The Situation Room," host Wolf Blitzer led his program off with at what first glance is a startling chyron: "W.H.: Pres. Obama Isn't Muslim". That graphic was in response to a recent Pew Research Center poll that found 18 percent of respondents thought Obama was Muslim.

Later in the program, Blitzer went to his panel - CNN political analyst James Carville and Washington Times columnist and Heritage Foundation fellow Tony Blankley. Initially Carville said he didn't have a clear explanation.

Video with partial transcript and commentary below fold

ABC's George Stephanopoulos Touts Negative Poll Numbers for GOP, Spins for Obama
By Scott Whitlock | July 13, 2010 | 1:05 PM EDT

Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday spun a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, emphasizing problems for the Republican Party over dour news for Barack Obama. The co-host ignored a finding that likely voters want the GOP to take control of Congress by a margin of 56 to 41.

He did, however, repeat the lower number of registered voters who prefer the Republicans, 51 percent. Stephanopoulos quizzed former McCain strategist Nicolle Wallace and Democrat James Carville on problems for the GOP: "[Voters] don't necessarily want Republicans...On the economy, voters, 42 to 34 still trust Democrats over Republicans on the economy."

ABC: Stephanopoulos and Carville Hope Obama Can 'Hit Reset Button' on Oil Spill, 'Contain Political Damage'
By Kyle Drennen | June 14, 2010 | 12:23 PM EDT
George Stephanopoulos and James Carville, ABC On Monday's Good Morning America on ABC, co-host George Stephanopoulos discussed President Obama's response to the Gulf oil spill with Democratic strategist James Carville: "Probably no one has been tougher than you on this White House on this response. The President now going back for his forth trip. He's ratcheted up the rhetoric over the weekend. Is this what you've been waiting for?"

Stephanopoulos was referring to Carville's criticism of Obama on the May 26 broadcast: "And it just looks like he's not involved in this!...We're about to die down here!" During his Monday appearance, the on-screen headline read: "Carville Demands Justice; Gulf 'Abused and Neglected'"

However, on Monday, Carville struck a more complimentary tone toward the President, remarking that Tuesday's prime time Oval Office address on the spill could allow Obama "to hit the reset button." Near the end of the segment, Stephanopoulos, a former Democratic strategist himself, asked Carville: "...put on your strategist hat here, has the President contained the political damage?" Carville reiterated: "I think he can hit this reset button tomorrow night. I think he can not contain the political damage, I think he can eliminate the damage. I actually think done properly, there's political value in this, I think that he can help himself a great deal."
Fareed Zakaria Defends Obama's Oil Spill Response: 'What Does the Media Want the President to Do?'
By Noel Sheppard | June 13, 2010 | 11:36 AM EDT

Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria on Sunday worked overtime trying to defend Barack Obama's pathetic response to the Gulf Coast oil spill while chastising his colleagues in the media for having the nerve to criticize the president.

In the opening segment of his "Fareed Zakaria GPS" aired on CNN, Zakaria asked, "Have we all gone crazy?" 

He continued, "In dealing with the serious problem involving technical breakdown, engineering malfunctions, environmental fallout, regulatory mishaps, the media has decided to hone in on one central issue above all others: presidential emotion."

 

With a chyron at the bottom of the screen asking, "What does the media want the President to do," Zakaria told viewers, "The truth is that what's happening in the Gulf is a terrible tragedy, but there is very little the federal government can do in the short-term to actually stop the spill" (video follows with partial transcript and commentary):