Oops: James Carville admits Hillary wanted to avoid congressional oversight
posted at 11:01 am on March 15, 2015 by Noah Rothman
In the moments where former Clinton advisor James Carville wasn’t completely unintelligible in his Sunday morning appearance on ABC’s This Week, he was actively undermining the effort to defend Hillary Clinton’s controversial email practices.
Due to her stubborn refusal to amend her 2016 campaign rollout schedule, the former secretary of state still lacks a press shop and, as a result, has had to rely on surrogates like Media Matters founder David Brock, former Clinton counsel Lanny Davis, and political advisor James Carville to defuse this scandal in the press. Thus far, they have utterly failed in their mission.
Brock’s cartoonish defense of Clinton consists of unconvincingly insisting that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s email flap was similar, even possibly worse, than the scandal engulfing the former secretary of state who likely handled American national secrets on unsecure email servers. Davis has taken to engaging in yelling matches with MSNBC anchors, an indication of the extent of the Clintons’ bunker mentality on this scandal. Before this weekend, Carville might have been the most consistently cogent member of Clinton’s cadre of apologists. He surrendered that claim to competency on Sunday. (hat tip to The Weekly Standard for this clip):
“What this is, is the latest in a continuation, and if you take it all and put it together, and you subtract 3.1415 from pi, you’re left with not very much,” Carville began, perhaps as a courtesy to the members of his viewing audience on hallucinogenic drugs.
“And that’s — at the end of the day, so the Republicans can’t pass a budget, alright, we got another investigation, just like we had the Whitewater, just like you go through the file-gate, you go through travel-gate, you go through seven or eight different congressional committees,” he continued. “And you wonder why the public is not following this? Because they know what it is.”
If you’ve been able to follow this thought process so far, you might be a political flack-in-waiting. For the vast majority of Americans who do not routinely decrypt hyperventilating Beltway insider, this is indecipherable.
But Carville went on to bury his former boss when he reached just a bit too far for a partisan smoke signal that would ignite the passions of liberal Democrats.
“I suspect she didn’t want Louie Gohmert rifling through her emails, which seems to me to be a kind of reasonable position for someone to take,” he said. “It amounts to — just like everything else before it, it amounts to nothing but a bunch of people flapping their jaws about nothing.”
Yes, rabidly liberal Democrats might agree that Clinton is right to try to avoid oversight from the congressional Republicans whom the American public determined should command the levers of legislative government, but that’s also an admission of illegality.
James Carville on @ThisWeekABC says he "suspects" @HillaryClinton used private email b/c she didn't want Hill oversight. Quite an admission
— Mark Halperin (@MarkHalperin) March 15, 2015
Carville went on to indict the press for manufacturing this scandal and focusing on it so doggedly. He accused the political press of a virulent anti-Clinton bias, an indication of the likely fact that he did not hear himself confess that Clinton’s behavior was perfectly scandalous.
Team Clinton is going to have to ask their surrogates to stop helping, and soon. At this rate, Clinton’s backers are going to help her right out of the race.
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Royalty does not answer to peasants.
ConstantineXI on March 15, 2015 at 11:05 AM
Might want to fix that?
bluegill on March 15, 2015 at 11:05 AM
But he loves pi!
Stoic Patriot on March 15, 2015 at 11:06 AM
I understood that perfectly, very clear.
Walter L. Newton on March 15, 2015 at 11:07 AM
Wow… It’s like that scene out of A Few Good Men.
“You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth! Of course she ordered the code red – It’s patently obvious she had to do it to stop being attacked by the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy”
Of course this time Rob Reiner and Aaron Sorkin would let the Colonel go because doing illegal things when you have a D after your name is good and proper.
Skywise on March 15, 2015 at 11:09 AM
It’s ridiculous to have him on unless his wife is there to tell him to shut up. Which is why I’m sure George has no intention of having her on. So we get a Jeb Bush mouthpiece. What was amusing was them showing a graphic nearly half of Republicans won’t vote for Jeb, and their reasoning was “people don’t know Bush, yet.” Uh, sure.
Marcus on March 15, 2015 at 11:11 AM
Carville should really think about limiting his appearances to the radio.
Flange on March 15, 2015 at 11:11 AM
SmakeHead strikes again!!
canopfor on March 15, 2015 at 11:11 AM
Le crap, thats SnakeHead,..not Sm…….!
canopfor on March 15, 2015 at 11:12 AM
Actually, you’re left with an unending series of numbers.
Unending. Like the Clinton scandals…
JohnGalt23 on March 15, 2015 at 11:12 AM
Seriously, Townhall, get an editor for Noah, or at least send him to school for an English class or two.
rbj on March 15, 2015 at 11:13 AM
If I were going on national television, I think I’d make sure my denture adhesive was working properly.
Other than that, is anybody else impressed that James Carville knew yesterday was Pi Day?
Dolce Far Niente on March 15, 2015 at 11:13 AM
He cooked himself with this interview.
SC.Charlie on March 15, 2015 at 11:16 AM
This separate email, is about Democrat CY*ss!!
canopfor on March 15, 2015 at 11:16 AM
What an idiot! If Hillary was honest and forthcoming from the beginning about everything that went on during her tenure as SecState, there would have been no need for Gohmert “rifling through her emails” unless you’re paranoid and a conspiracy theorist. And yeah, complain about how it’s unfair to be responsible to a guy who keeps you in line. That’s smart.
Aizen on March 15, 2015 at 11:17 AM
He had is cute talking point when he referred to pi. I get it, the man is water carrier for the Clintons. Always has been, always will be.
SC.Charlie on March 15, 2015 at 11:18 AM
LOL, seriously? These people are insane.
Aizen on March 15, 2015 at 11:19 AM
SkyWise…..i “strenuously object” to your use of movie qoutes :-D
elvis lives on March 15, 2015 at 11:22 AM
Pi is so yesterday.
Emperor Norton on March 15, 2015 at 11:22 AM
James Carville makes my skin crawl.
If he were a Republican he’d be routinely depicted in entertainment media as an evil, monster-like vampire creature. But since he’s a Democrat he is referred to as the feisty, quirky and lovable ol’ “ragin’ Cajun.”
Barf.
bluegill on March 15, 2015 at 11:23 AM
Fixed…
JohnGalt23 on March 15, 2015 at 11:25 AM
NeoNeoCon, on the Hopey/HilRod Insurgentcy within
the Donkey Camp:
==================
March 13th, 2015
Blood feud?
Commenter “J.J.” suggests an interesting read—this article from June 2014 about Ed Klein’s book entitled Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. the Obamas.
**************
But according to Klein, the following phone call ensued not too long after:
[Obama told Bill that] he wasn’t prepared to turn over his campaign’s digital operations, data mining, and social media juggernaut to the Clintons. Instead, he said he was going to fold that operation into Organization for Action, his second-term political pressure group. Hillary would have to build her own data and analytics system. Bill listened, said, ‘Okay,’ and let it go at that.
‘Then Obama said it was too early to make a decision about 2016 and who he was going to support of the Democratic Party nomination. He wasn’t prepared to back Hillary now. He was keeping his options open. He was reneging on his promise.
‘Bill’s blood began to boil. He was speechless with rage.
‘Then Obama mentioned Benghazi in kind of a vague, confusing way that led Bill to believe that the White House was going to dump political and legal blame for the mess on Hillary.
This conversation (reported by Klein as having been between Bill and Chelsea at a party), has a harmonic vibration with more recent developments:
“‘[The 2016 primary battle is] going to be a dogfight,’ replied Bill, who had already begun assembling opposition research on Biden. “I’m absolutely convinced that the Obamas have no intention of supporting your mother. It could be that they’ll get behind [John] Kerry or Biden. But, you know, we’re smarter than Biden and the rest of them. If Old Joe comes at us, we’ll clean the floor with him.”
…”Recently, I’ve heard a different scenario from state committeemen about the Obama’s preference in ’16,” Bill continued. ‘They say he’s looking around for a candidate who’s just like him. Someone relatively unknown. Someone with a fresh face. He’s convinced himself that he’s been a brilliant president, and he wants to clone himself–to find his Mini-Me. He’s hunting for someone to succeed him, and he believes the American people don’t want to vote for someone who’s been around for a long time. He thinks that your mother and I are what he calls ‘so twentieth century.’ He’s looking for another Barack Obama.’”
neoneocon.com/2015/03/13/blood-feud/
canopfor on March 15, 2015 at 8:39 AM
canopfor on March 15, 2015 at 11:25 AM
heh!
bernzright777 on March 15, 2015 at 11:26 AM
Skeletor slips up and tells the truth.
polly2150 on March 15, 2015 at 11:27 AM
Ummm, if the GOP could establish the complete value of pi, then they’d be able to calculate the budget? :)
Wethal on March 15, 2015 at 11:29 AM
Well, Pi day was anyways…
oscarwilde on March 15, 2015 at 11:30 AM
Dude is creepy as hell, get some spraycan hair from QVC or something because the snake look is nightmarish.
Have any of the media talking heads asked Cobra Boy one simple question: Regardless of motive, did Killary break the law?
Bishop on March 15, 2015 at 11:30 AM
If this gets any juicier, I’m gonna have to buy out all the popcorn at the local Costco.
Aizen on March 15, 2015 at 11:32 AM
James Carville looks like the vampire Nosferatu.
bluegill on March 15, 2015 at 11:32 AM
He did say it was “legal” — but in Clintoonland, we know what they consider to be “legal”…
Aizen on March 15, 2015 at 11:33 AM
If you subtract 3.1415 from pie, you still have most of pie left.
Dan_NV on March 15, 2015 at 11:33 AM
Carville is right.
The scandals revolving around the Clinton’s are endless.
They are endless because the Clinton’s are serial criminals.
The Clinton’s have made it clear that they believe the laws that govern everyone else don’t apply to them.
They believe this specifically because they have, by and large, been able to get away with scurrilous behavior and breaking the law for decades and been handsomely rewarded for it by those who share their ideology and criminal mentality.
To say that the Clinton’s are elitists who are possessed of a deep seated sense of entitlement only paints half the picture.
The other half of that picture is the malevolence for all who dare to disagree with them or try to expose them, and it is now barely concealed by that shopworn affable ‘good ol’ boy’ smile Bill Clinton drops across it like a veil when they sense they’ve gone too far… even for their staunchest adherents.
thatsafactjack on March 15, 2015 at 11:34 AM
Why is David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, on a panel about politics? That’s ridiculous. Why not the editor of Vogue? She lives in New York, too. At least Vogue once had a picture of Hillary on its cover.
Emperor Norton on March 15, 2015 at 11:36 AM
He may play a nut on TV but he’s crazy like a fox. This is classic Clinton messaging, they know that reasonable people will be disturbed by her actions and so he’s coming right out and admitting it was to circumvent the law but blaming it on those horrible, prying Republicans. A LOT of people will buy that hook line and sinker and give her a pass on it.
“Because Republicans” has bailed the Clintons out of a lot of legal and ethical issues. The question is will the Left/Media bail them out of it again this time or are they really pining for someone more liberal and so will hang her out to dry if a better option comes along.
jnelchef on March 15, 2015 at 11:39 AM
More along this line re David Brock, Sidney Blumenthal, Geraldo Rivera, and others, by Jonah Goldberg. Click for the LOLZ
RushBaby on March 15, 2015 at 11:42 AM
Of course. Obama and Hillary …birds of a feather.
CW on March 15, 2015 at 11:44 AM
davidk on March 15, 2015 at 11:48 AM
The Democrat avalanche against Hillary seems to be total. Look at the destructive piece by Maureen Dowd, who basically hits all of the points that conservatives have been making against Hillary.
She ends the piece with trademark fawning over Obama, but apart from that, it could have been written by any conservative critic. Ending a hit-piece on Clinton with a kiss to Obama lines it up pretty well: the democrat powers that be want to bury Hillary.
Thanks to canopfor article, above, we can see that Obama is really seeking a candidate that could have been the son he never had – in other words, an unknown operative of color without achievements but full of promise. Van Jones springs to mind. Cory Booker, another. Surprisingly, I think he’s ruling out Warren as being too well-known (and probably too white).
virgo on March 15, 2015 at 11:50 AM
Is is my imagination, or does James Carville look more and more like Nosferatu every day. He’s starting to give Henry Waxman a run for his money.
RebeccaH on March 15, 2015 at 11:52 AM
Mmmmm. Pi: http://cdn.themetapicture.com/media/funny-Pi-number-quote.jpg
davidk on March 15, 2015 at 11:52 AM
Oops!!
Former Navy SEAL blasts Hillary Clinton for ‘disgusting’ Bosnia sniper fire tale
By Douglas Ernst – The Washington Times – Thursday, March 12, 2015
*******************************************************************
Former Navy SEAL and NRA News contributor Dom Raso released a video on Wednesday skewering former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the time she claimed to have dodged sniper fire in Tuzla, Bosnia, in 1996.
“I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base. But it was a moment of great pride for me,” Mrs. Clinton said in 2008.
(More…)
============
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmClWHVU82g
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/12/dom-raso-former-navy-seal-blasts-hillary-clinton-f/
canopfor on March 13, 2015 at 1:20 PM
canopfor on March 15, 2015 at 11:52 AM
But if you add Pi to the bill: http://cdn.themetapicture.com/media/funny-waiter-tip-pi-math.jpg
davidk on March 15, 2015 at 11:55 AM
canopfor on March 15, 2015 at 11:25 AM
If this gets any juicier, I’m gonna have to buy out all the popcorn at the local Costco.
Aizen on March 15, 2015 at 11:32 AM
Aizen: Lol, wait till the knives come out:)
canopfor on March 15, 2015 at 11:56 AM
Good one. Very good one.
davidk on March 15, 2015 at 11:58 AM
That shouldn’t take long.
davidk on March 15, 2015 at 12:01 PM
You mean the knives aren’t already out? ;)
In Hillary’s case though it would probably be a hatchet or a machete.
Aizen on March 15, 2015 at 12:01 PM
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/60208/original.jpg
davidk on March 15, 2015 at 12:04 PM
Kudos to Jonah Goldberg. That was one of his more clever efforts.
onlineanalyst on March 15, 2015 at 12:09 PM
Thank you, Mr. Carville, for indicating that Hillary had plans to violate the law before she even took office.
ajacksonian on March 15, 2015 at 12:10 PM
I’m sure Valarie Jarrett has even more tid-bits to feed to the press.
And all this time the Clinton’s thought that helping Obama in 2012 would guarantee his help in 2016.
Looks like Obama wasn’t the only one toking.
GarandFan on March 15, 2015 at 12:10 PM
Carville’s syphilis has entered Late Stage.
Younggod on March 15, 2015 at 12:10 PM
In other words, he’s looking for a Traaaayvon candidate.
Wethal on March 15, 2015 at 12:12 PM
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/03/14/ny-post-valerie-jarrett-leaked-hillarys-private-email-use-to-press/
davidk on March 15, 2015 at 12:17 PM
Sure you do, Walter.
But then, you’re in Colorado…and yer stoned.
Solaratov on March 15, 2015 at 12:20 PM
How can anyone take anything this guy says seriously?
It’s like watching Lucifer himself speak.
Clink on March 15, 2015 at 12:21 PM
Carville expounding on the multitude of previous scandals to enlighten the less informed younger voters wasn’t exactly helpful either. LOL
“This is just one of many many prior scandals that Hillary has survived in the past due to congressional investigators’ lack of resolution.”
Oxymoron on March 15, 2015 at 12:22 PM
X=Orange.
Pass the popcorn, please.
RovesChins on March 15, 2015 at 12:23 PM
I guess Hillary can be thankful that Carville stopped short of saying that Hillary likes pi(e).
BuckeyeSam on March 15, 2015 at 12:24 PM
Not the first time Serpenthead has mentioned Gohmert. Me thinks Louie
Gohmert has rent free space in his cranial cavity.
RoyalFlush on March 15, 2015 at 12:27 PM
Republicans like Valerie Jarrett? She’s not a Republican!
Emperor Norton on March 15, 2015 at 12:27 PM
There is a concensus among science class failures that Pi is exactly 2.
BobMbx on March 15, 2015 at 12:30 PM
Gollum without the charm and good looks.
GrumpyOldFart on March 15, 2015 at 12:30 PM
I guess Nixon didn’t want Hillary Clinton listening to his tapes, so Nixon’s in the clear now.
Buddahpundit on March 15, 2015 at 12:33 PM
LOL :)
Walter L. Newton on March 15, 2015 at 12:34 PM
Uh, wouldn’t anyone who helped or took part in that scheme be part of a conspiracy to avoid legally required Congressional oversight?
And wouldn’t that be a crime?
Lance Corvette on March 15, 2015 at 12:36 PM
The feds rarely give up an investigation without getting some kind of admission of guilt just to get them to leave you alone… unless you’d prefer spending your entire life savings over 10 years defending yourself in federal court, of course.
For normal people, being innocent is merely “helpful”.
Hillary? No charges!
Tard on March 15, 2015 at 12:49 PM
http://www.bizpacreview.com/2015/03/14/check-the-date-math-nerds-celebrate-once-in-a-century-event-with-flair-186886
davidk on March 15, 2015 at 1:08 PM
Ides is so today :)
Schadenfreude on March 15, 2015 at 1:08 PM
I’m sorry Creationists but Carville proves definitively that humans evolved from lower life forms.
celtic warrior on March 15, 2015 at 1:14 PM
Well, it looks like Carville learned a new word yesterday. Here’s something else you should learn Carville. Like you, it’s irrational.
Red Creed on March 15, 2015 at 1:16 PM
Precisely! You get it. This was a classic Clinton line of defense for an indefensible and highly unethical action. Carville succinctly admitted the “truth” but in a way that tries to make her actions sound reasonable under the circumstances.
Anyone with half a grain of sense (or more) understood that Hillary deliberately and secretly set up her co-mingling email system on a private server in order to maintain complete and ongoing control of her ongoing “insider” record as Sec’y of State from the prying eyes of her critics — left or right — including after she resigned and moved on.
Trochilus on March 15, 2015 at 1:17 PM
What obama won’t destroy in Hillary, Bill will finish off.
But, Warren, Patrick, Booker or Castro, all commies, to follow.
Schadenfreude on March 15, 2015 at 1:18 PM
D-war
Schadenfreude on March 15, 2015 at 1:18 PM
Damn, Skeletor is back> Jeeze Louise, Hilly gettin’ the band back together!
mojo on March 15, 2015 at 1:27 PM
“we never had any sexual relationship…. a diversion created by the Republican party… .” Echoes from the past:
davidk on March 15, 2015 at 1:33 PM
Carville you are such a phony. How the heck does Mary Matalin deal with your bull? Seriously, what does she find attractive about you?
islandman78 on March 15, 2015 at 1:39 PM
I think the way to get Hillary! is to compare her actions to Nixon’s on a bunch of ads. Nixon was missing 18 minutes of tape but Hillary was missing 4 years worth of emails. Surely a case can be made to the Gruberized voters.
Another idea would be bringing up Hillary!’s total lack of ethics while on the Watergate panel. Make a comparison between her and Tricky Dicky and make it hurt! The womain is a snake and we should be able to show her for what she really is. Start the ads and get that theme into the voters’ subconscious so it is always there.
Ogabe on March 15, 2015 at 1:42 PM
I’m laying off Hillary for now …I want this trainwreck to run …All she has going for her is “Woman” and Monica Lewinsky together with her ripping apart a rape VICTIM to further her career while a public defender, will take that “woman” and “war on women” so called assets off the table REAL QUICK
dio55 on March 15, 2015 at 1:42 PM
Separated at birth–James Carville and Dr Sivana, the mad scientist and rival of Captain Marvel.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Sivana
MaiDee on March 15, 2015 at 2:04 PM
A Young Manager for Clinton Juggles Data and Old Baggage
lol! While the “Old Baggage” was being investigated for White Water, this guy was a freshman in high school.
Now he gets to try to sell the “Old Baggage” as “fresh, forward-looking candidate.”
They’ll need an industrial crane, too, to lift that “Old Baggage” off the beach along with that campaign.
thatsafactjack on March 15, 2015 at 2:35 PM
No crap Sherlock and you are supposed to be one of the smart liberals. The only smart thing he ever did was marry a conservative woman. Apparently it has not helped the bonehead.
crosshugger on March 15, 2015 at 2:47 PM
Thanks for that link, davidk.
Interesting.
thatsafactjack on March 15, 2015 at 2:53 PM
How true. After his role as Gollum, everything else is anticlimactic.
PersonFromPorlock on March 15, 2015 at 2:58 PM
As the 1st American to get a penis transplant, why did he have the surgeons place it on his shoulders…
hillsoftx on March 15, 2015 at 3:22 PM
Looks like exactly the opposite. A clear case of devolution. Or devaluation. Er, something. Anyway, where are we going and what are we doing in this hand basket?
de rigueur on March 15, 2015 at 4:17 PM
I have to agree with Carville, when it comes to the Republicans Leadership, there is none and that is where the problem is. Hillary wants to work around Congress and she’ll get away with it. Why? Because she’s dealing with Republicans. This is, indeed, the stupid party. They have freshmen Senators drafting letters and getting signatures, sending them off the Iran. They have people investigating and coming up with dirt and they refuse to indict or subpoena.
It’s time for a 3rd party and the time is now, not later.
bflat879 on March 15, 2015 at 7:59 PM
Carville outfoxed himself this time…
snoozinglion on March 16, 2015 at 5:59 AM
I loved it when snakehead kept repeating all the old Clintoon scandals. I can hear her now, Jim, you’re not helping.
I almost fell off the couch yesterday when Ron Fournier who has made a living off covering the Clintoons told the interviewer that Killary was a warm and caring person. The last time I remember an example of that was watching her meet the flag covered caskets coming back from Benghazi.
Kissmygrits on March 16, 2015 at 8:29 AM
Baloney! We should be so lucky. The MSM will do whatever it takes to help her to the finish line.
NTropy on March 16, 2015 at 10:46 AM
Did you really expect him to say she wanted to avoid PalVal Jarrett oversight? Especially since hanger-onner Sidney Blumenthal is personna non grata at the White House….how else could she communicate with him?
OCULUS on March 16, 2015 at 11:28 AM