James Carville Quotes

James Carville Quotes

And President Clinton was elected. You see, he was elected. And so, when you have the moral authority of an election, you ought to be able to control the federal judiciary. They don't have that.
I'll give you two bets to make - Hillary doesn't run for president in 2004 and Mary Matalin does not want or will not get Karen's job ... Because if she gets that job, she'll have to get a new husband.
What I'm suggesting is, stand for yourself, be for something and the hell with it. Because the hand-wringers and the editorialists and the sigh-and-pontificate crowd will be against you, whatever you do. But look, if Tom DeLay was a Democrat, we would control the House.
I mean, they're not bad people, but what I really care about is that a woman who cleans bedpans in a hospital has health insurance, or has a better life. Now if that's what I care about, I gotta be a Clinton person.
But one of Clinton's problems was, the interest groups don't care about the working poor. The Republicans don't care about the working poor -- they don't know any. The Op-Ed writers don't care about the working poor. The editorial writers don't care about the working poor. The talking heads don't care about the working poor.
Listen to what I am saying. Over 75 years, the amount the new tax cuts (those not yet in force) will cost exceeds the projected Social Security deficit. I don't know how I can say it any clearer.
The public in this poll and other polls shows an appetite, they want to address other problems. The danger is, if they see Democrats absent from this discussion, then they will assume the party is not really for something. The danger is not so much that you risk being against Bush. The danger is you run the risk of not being for something. That is the real danger. We are saying be positive, be for something ... And it is fine to be for something different than Bush is for.
... that’s exactly what happened in the ’80s. They have this tax cut and the coffers were just overflowing. Didn’t we run $3 trillion in debt that the Democrats had to come clean up? Using this war on terrorism as an excuse for these budget deficits I think is one of the most fraudulent things in American politics ...
No, sir. Let me tell you exactly this : President Bush got 68 percent more money than every Democrat in the Congress combined. And this ludicrous idea, “Oh, they both got it,” no, it was 73 to 27. If you lose the game 73 to 27, that is not a tie."
We’ll never raise as much money as Bush is going to raise and his corporate lobbyists, I can promise you, because he has paid them back in spades.
The Bush budget, with all the lies in it and wrapped in a flag, that is flag desecration.
I'm kind of unimpressed with the argument that an unelected president has the right to have people in the Cabinet who always agree with his philosophy. People rejected that philosophy at the polls.
They're just ultra-conservatives soaked in big oil money.
Everybody here is in massive denial that they have anything to do with politics.
It's almost like to be here, to be a Republican, is to deny you are a Republican.
A good Republican is one who doesn't want anybody to know it.
You know what Bush needs? A calculator!
In the Clinton administration we worried the president would open his zipper. In the Bush administration, they worry the president will open his mouth.
What in the name of God would have happened if the man who was investigating Gingrich [Independent Counsel James Cole] was representing the AFL-CIO and giving speeches to gay groups and environmental groups? It would be the end of days.
As with mosquitoes, horseflies and most bloodsucking parasites, Kenneth Starr was spawned in stagnant water.
We wanted to be sure that we got in the middle of everything and were capable of ... not just responding, but also of initiating the attacks.
I equate [a Clinton tirade] to an afternoon thunderstorm. There's a lot of thunder and lightning and then it's gone and the sun is shining again.

James Carville Pictures
Left Quotes 1
Left Quotes 2

James Carville Quotes
	And President Clinton was elected. You see, he was elected. And so, when you have the moral authority of an election, you ought to be able to control the federal judiciary. They don't have that. I'll give you two bets to make - Hillary doesn't run for president in 2004 and Mary Matalin does not want or will not get Karen's job ... Because if she gets that job, she'll have to get a new husband. What I'm suggesting is, stand for yourself, be for something and the hell with it. Because the hand-wringers and the editorialists and the sigh-and-pontificate crowd will be against you, whatever you do. But look, if Tom DeLay was a Democrat, we would control the House. I mean, they're not bad people, but what I really care about is that a woman who cleans bedpans in a hospital has health insurance, or has a better life. Now if that's what I care about, I gotta be a Clinton person. But one of Clinton's problems was, the interest groups don't care about the working poor. The Republicans don't care about the working poor -- they don't know any. The Op-Ed writers don't care about the working poor. The editorial writers don't care about the working poor. The talking heads don't care about the working poor. Listen to what I am saying. Over 75 years, the amount the new tax cuts (those not yet in force) will cost exceeds the projected Social Security deficit. I don't know how I can say it any clearer. The public in this poll and other polls shows an appetite, they want to address other problems. The danger is, if they see Democrats absent from this discussion, then they will assume the party is not really for something. The danger is not so much that you risk being against Bush. The danger is you run the risk of not being for something. That is the real danger. We are saying be positive, be for something ... And it is fine to be for something different than Bush is for. ... that’s exactly what happened in the ’80s. They have this tax cut and the coffers were just overflowing. Didn’t we run $3 trillion in debt that the Democrats had to come clean up? Using this war on terrorism as an excuse for these budget deficits I think is one of the most fraudulent things in American politics ... No, sir. Let me tell you exactly this : President Bush got 68 percent more money than every Democrat in the Congress combined. And this ludicrous idea, “Oh, they both got it,” no, it was 73 to 27. If you lose the game 73 to 27, that is not a tie." We’ll never raise as much money as Bush is going to raise and his corporate lobbyists, I can promise you, because he has paid them back in spades. The Bush budget, with all the lies in it and wrapped in a flag, that is flag desecration. I'm kind of unimpressed with the argument that an unelected president has the right to have people in the Cabinet who always agree with his philosophy. People rejected that philosophy at the polls. They're just ultra-conservatives soaked in big oil money. Everybody here is in massive denial that they have anything to do with politics. It's almost like to be here, to be a Republican, is to deny you are a Republican. A good Republican is one who doesn't want anybody to know it. You know what Bush needs? A calculator! In the Clinton administration we worried the president would open his zipper. In the Bush administration, they worry the president will open his mouth. What in the name of God would have happened if the man who was investigating Gingrich [Independent Counsel James Cole] was representing the AFL-CIO and giving speeches to gay groups and environmental groups? It would be the end of days. As with mosquitoes, horseflies and most bloodsucking parasites, Kenneth Starr was spawned in stagnant water. We wanted to be sure that we got in the middle of everything and were capable of ... not just responding, but also of initiating the attacks. I equate [a Clinton tirade] to an afternoon thunderstorm. There's a lot of thunder and lightning and then it's gone and the sun is shining again. James Carville Pictures Left Quotes 1 Left Quotes 2

'A Whitewater Farewell, at Last'
The Washington Post
Tuesday, March 26, 2002
"A Whitewater Farewell, at Last" [editorial, March 22] said Robert Ray's "angry denunciation" of President Clinton for his criticism of the Kenneth Starr investigation was justified, but it conveniently forgot to remind readers that it was Mr. Starr's written opinion for the the D.C. Circuit Court that in 1987 overturned a million-dollar libel verdict against The Post.
Apparently, we are to believe that the ruling on behalf of The Post has nothing to do with the newspaper's eagerness to agree that it is somehow unfitting for President Clinton and his allies to question the motivations behind an investigation conducted by a cigarette lawyer and completed by a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.
Though loyalty is a wonderful virtue, it should have its limits -- especially when it collides with other ethical obligations. The Post's fawning editorial treatment of Mr. Starr over the years is a disgrace.
I am able to look back on my role in the Whitewater "non-scandal" with pride and a deep sense of conviction that I did right by my country, right by my conscience and right by my president.
The Post's editorial writers, looking back over the same period, can give themselves credit for only one thing -- repaying a debt of gratitude to Ken Starr for letting them off the hook.
JAMES CARVILLE
Alexandria