Carville fires back at Sanders for 'hack' slam: 'At least I'm not a communist'

[left-of-center2012]

James Carville fired back at Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for calling him "a political hack," calling the self-described democratic socialist "a communist." The back and forth follows a week in which Carville has repeatedly sounded the alarm about a potential Sanders matchup against President Trump in November, calling the scenario "the end of days" for the Democratic Party while referring to Sanders supporters as "a cult."

Sanders returned fire on Wednesday night during an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, arguing that "political hack" Carville represents the establishment his campaign is running against.

"James, in all due respect, is a political hack," Sanders said. "We are taking on Trump, the Republican establishment, Carville and the Democratic establishment. But at the end of the day, the grassroots movement that we are putting together -- of young people, of working people, of people of color -- want real change."

"Last night on CNN, Bernie Sanders called me a political hack,” Carville said. “That’s exactly who the f--- I am! I am a political hack! I am not an ideologue. I am not a purist. He thinks it’s a pejorative. I kinda like it! At least I’m not a communist.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/483054-carville-fires-back-at-sanders-for-hack-slam-at-least-im-not-a-communist

[stonecutter357]

1. K&R

[SharonClark]

2. I'm with Sanders on this one.

Carville is out of control.

[babylonsister]

34. Agreed. nt

[PassingFair]

42. He is

... a braying ass.

[Kid Berwyn]

70. Carville still work at UBS?

Under Phil Gramm, in the wealth management department.

https://financialservicesinc.ubs.com/revitalizingamerica/JamesCarville.html

[denem]

77. +1000

No Dem should go out of their way to give ammunition to the enemy.

[aikoaiko]

3. Bernie wins again.

[dware]

4. Good for James Carville.

Firing back at Bernie.

[denem]

79. There is a difference between firing back

and loading the enemy with ammuntion.

[Celerity]

5. I am so not a Sanders fangirl, but calling him a communist is insane nt

[pansypoo53219]

36. commie is a rite wing term for socialists. not good.

[denem]

81. 'not a Sander's fangirl'

My world has collapsed. If Cerlerity is not a Bernette, what is there left to believe in?

[Celerity]

92. lol at bernette

https://www.mybernette.com/sv-SE/Modeller.html

[BusyBeingBest]

6. Not cool.

Find something constructive to do, dude.

[Pachamama]

10. My money is on Carville...

The Ragin’ Cajun will hit back much harder than Sanders and his supporters and is really smart.

[Pachamama]

25. Carville a has been?

[Pachamama]

7. Picking a fight with the Ragin' Cajun?

Not a winning move....

[George II]

8. When is he going to drop that divisive "taking on....the Democratic establishment" stuff? If...

...(a HUGE if) he wins he's going to have to work with the "Democratic establishment" to get anything done.

[redqueen]

44. It would be the death of this party is they treated a president Sanders

the way republicans treated Obama.

[ehrnst]

52. Why do you think that the Democratic party would do that?

And why doesn't that go the other way for a President Sanders with the Democratic Party? He certainly has staffed his campaign with those who have a history of hostility for the Democratic party.

[Amimnoch]

65. Really. The complete lack of irony by them is astounding..

You WILL bow and kiss the ass of the great BS, but fuck if we have to in any way shape or form be respectful to the long established Democratic Party or its great leadership.

Fuck.. that.. noise..

[redqueen]

97. That was the implication in the post I replied to. nt

[ehrnst]

99. No it was not. (nt)

[redqueen]

100. Seemed that way to me.

[ehrnst]

101. Here is the post that you were replying to

When is he going to drop that divisive "taking on....the Democratic establishment" stuff? If...

...(a HUGE if) he wins he's going to have to work with the "Democratic establishment" to get anything done.

There is no mention of republicans or Obama.

[redqueen]

103. The part where it is implied that Dems in Congress won't work with him out of spite

Who else didn't work with a president for no good reason? Republicans, under Obama

[ehrnst]

104. Nope, not there. You're trying to insinuate via metaphor that Democratic leadership would be

like Republicans and that the treatment of Sanders by Democratic leadership would be "spiteful" like Republicans towards Obama.

And not to subtly.

Yes?

[redqueen]

105. Here's the post.

When is he going to drop that divisive "taking on....the Democratic establishment" stuff? If...
...(a HUGE if) he wins he's going to have to work with the "Democratic establishment" to get anything done.

What is the reason that Bernie would have to worry about not getting anything done, with respect to his comments about the establishment?

[George II]

107. For one thing, he won't get a lick of support from republicans, and why would "Establishment...

....Democrats" be willing to work with him? He's been insulting them (US!) for decades.

[redqueen]

108. For the public good, perhaps?

Failing to do that out of spite?

I certainly hope that doesn't happen.

[George II]

111. As I said earlier, it's a moot argument.

[ehrnst]

113. Yes, it is. (nt)

[ehrnst]

112. You have dim view of the Democratic leadership, if you think that's possible.

However, a lack of interpersonal skills often leads someone accomplishing less than what could be.

As we've seen.



On the other hand, as we've seen with Speaker Pelosi, when you have the personality, skill and the respect of your peers, you can sometimes do what others think is impossible. (see also, the ACA)

[redqueen]

116. I wasn't the one who implied that would happen so maybe direct those rolling eyes you love to use

elsewhere.

[ehrnst]

118. No, you bent over backwards to imply that Democratic leadership would treat

a President Sanders in the same way that the GOP treated Obama, and you are still doing it despite being corrected by the poster that you claimed did it first.

Nice try, but no one is buying it.

[redqueen]

121. No, I inferred it, after George implied it.

It's cute how you think you speak for so many though.

And all your little emojis are cute, too.

[ehrnst]

119. No, you bent over backwards to imply that Democratic leadership would treat

a President Sanders in the same way that the GOP treated Obama, and you are still doing it despite being corrected by the poster that you claimed did it first.

Nice try, but no one is buying it.

[George II]

106. Why don't you just directly address what I said. If someone bashed you relentlessly for 30+ years...

...how receptive would you be to helping him?

It wouldn't be the death of this party, but it's all moot.

[redqueen]

110. Why are you framing it as helping Bernie? Are Bernie's plans designed to help him, or Americans? nt

[Gothmog]

9. Yeah for James Carville

[Autumn]

11. " communist"?

[Cal Carpenter]

16. I know, it's like the commie version of Godwin's Law

This is up there with Chris Mathews fantasizing about the commies executing him in Central Park while Bernie watches in glee.

[Autumn]

21. The Ragin has spent way too much time with republicans. Of course he married one so...

[redqueen]

45. Maybe that explains his use of this tired right-wing smear

but it doesn't excuse it. At all.

[Butterflylady]

63. She's an independent now!!!!

[Autumn]

64. How nice, just till a non crazy republican comes along I'm sure.

[ehrnst]

114. Lol.

Ragin has done more for this party and its goals than any non-Democrat has.

[Zolorp]

31. 1980. Vermont Statewide Ballot. Sanders was an elector for the SWP Presidential Candidate.

The Socialist Workers Party, in their own literature, touted themselves as a Troskyist Communist Party. They were originally a part of what would later be named the Communist Party USA until they split off over the split between Trotsky and Stalin in 1928

Sanders was on the ballot as a member of a Communist party.

Carville is right. And it will be pounded throughout the GE if we are stupid enough to nominate that man.

[Cal Carpenter]

35. Real commies know that Trotskyists betrayed the revolution

So he wasn't even a real commie.

Plus, he's a millionaire so I thought that meant he couldn't even be a Socialist

[Zolorp]

37. Former Communist

HE is a Former Communist.

And REAL Communists know Stalin was really fascist in practice and Trotksy was the only leader that spoke to true Communist doctrine of the state owning the means of production to keep it in the name of the workers.

[Cal Carpenter]

38. Oh my god I was making a joke

I'm seriously not getting into an argument about the history of revolutionary Communism and the convoluted
fracturing of the various commie and socialist parties in the 20th century.

[Zolorp]

39. And you can't tell a counter joke?

[Cal Carpenter]

41. Apparently not n/t

[Hassin Bin Sober]

48. At least he his former. You should let Carville know.

[ehrnst]

57. Bernie uses sure like waving his MLK march, and college arrest as progressive cred

and that was before he ran on the Liberty Union Party ticket.

So, anything he did or said after that is in play as not being "too long ago" to be relevant concerning his stances.

[OnDoutside]

58. In Europe today, most like Bernie would be Trotskyist and run

away from being labelled communist. They love changing their party names to less scary names like People before Profit, the Worker's Party, Solidarity etc, but make no mistake about the ideology.

[Celerity]

67. here in the Nordics, the Bernie of 2020, his entire platform included,would be vanilla, bog standard

middle of the road social democratic. Actual socialist parties would go bonkers if he tried to claim their turf. In the majority of the core EU it would as well. Here in the Nordics a Manchin or Sinema would be in the middle to the rightish side of of the centre right mainstream parties, and someone like Collin Peterson or Henry Cuellar would be hard right.

A Trumpian Rethuglican would be dodging hate crime charges. A group of MAGATS, if they went full white nationalist ranting like they normally do, would have a thousand or more people up in the faces HARD, it would get really ugly fast.

[Champion Jack]

12. That's 1950's boogeyman bullshit

ask anyone under 40 if they're worried about communism...

[Mr.Bill]

19. Ask anybody under 25

if they're going to get off their ass and vote. One's I've tried to encourage seem to be more likely to agree to a root canal.

[showblue22]

30. Elections are always close.

I'm 33 and this stuff scares me when I listen to old youtube videos of Bernie. Maybe most democrats don't care but only takes a few to lose the election. Also, already many democrats have said they will vote for him but are plugging their nose to the polls. Bernie needs HIS base who loves him a lot to pull him through and the numbers out of NH are not impressive.

[Zolorp]

32. Since he ran as an elector for a presidential candidate nominee of a Communist Party

Carville definitely has a point.

[UniteFightBack]

14. "We are taking on Trump, the Republican establishment, Carville and the Democratic establishment

My real problem is his constant berating of the 'Democratic establishment' that he has CHOSE to caucus with.
That HE is part of...these fucking buzz bullshit words.

I'VE FUCKING HAD IT ...almost ANYBODY BUT..........

[Autumn]

23. Vote Blue No Matter Who

[R B Garr]

72. It's too bad Sanders didn't require that of his own staff.

It’s well-known now how some voted third party.

This is yet another reason Sanders will have a hard time being a uniter.

[Autumn]

73. No one is responsible for another person's vote. There are elected members of our own party

who vote for the other team. Bloomberg, endorsed and voted for Bush. Manchin who says today he will probably endorse Trump. Bernie's staff aren't elected Democratic officials and for the most part they are younger.
There have been third party candidates in almost every election that I remember, if it's now that big a problem Dems should ask why and figure out a solution before the next election. It's been established that most young liberal voters don't identify as Dems and they are up for grabs. Our Dem leadership and the Democratic candidates should go after them.

Vote Blue No Matter Who!

[R B Garr]

74. Sorry, but your own examples contradict your excoriation

to other posters, presumably because it will now benefit Sanders. Sanders wasn’t running as a third party, so your examples are meaningless.

Sanders has staffers who voted third party, that is proven, so he will not be much of a uniter.

[Autumn]

78. You skipped over elected Democrats supporting and electing Republicans.

No surprise there.

[R B Garr]

83. Actually, your false equivalencies are what is no surprise

Comparing one politician from a red state with someone who has admitted to a takeover of our Democratic party is a real stretch. That's why it's important that we look to Sanders campaign to see why he has tolerated those staffers who voted third party. That's very telling, but it will be hard to tell voters "Vote Blue No Matter Who" when they didn't follow their own advice.

[Autumn]

86. I follow my own advice. So now on to the next. Elected Dems supporting Pukes and voting for them

no big deal, but someone who supports and works to get Bernie elected voted for "not a Dem". Hair on fire

Done

[R B Garr]

87. One man from a red state who has not smeared other Democrats to gain an advantage

and is not running to take over our party is a false equivalence, but I realize it's all you have so you have to run with that.

Having staffers who are openly hostile to the Democratic party, yet want to chastise others into Vote Blue No Matter Who when it suits their candidate is the problem. The message is hypocrisy.

[Autumn]

93. Bloomberg spent $3M backing Snyder

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/12/bloomberg-snyder-reelection/18915445/
Washington – — Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg donated $3 million to Gov. Rick Snyder’s re-election campaign — the most he contributed to any candidate as part of a $40 million effort.

The billionaire majority owner of the media conglomerate Bloomberg LP, backed five Republican winners including Snyder, though many Democrats he backed lost. Bloomberg also backed U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, who won his race for U.S. Senate.

Bloomberg told Politico Snyder is “an extremely competent guy who took on the unions to get Detroit and Michigan going in the right direction. And he was re-elected despite being attacked by the unions.”

Snyder signed “Right to Work” legislation in December 2012 following an unsuccessful bid by unions to enshrine collective bargaining rights in the state constitution. Unions also worked aggressively to try to defeat Snyder in his re-election bid.

What you think of Bernie's staffers is of no interest to me. I support Bernie, I'm not voting for his staff in the primary, they aren't running.

[R B Garr]

94. This is more hypocrisy. Sanders argued the party should

be open to Independents like himself, and now Bloomberg is beating him at his own game. You can’t have it both ways just because someone else who switched parties is now a threat to you.

[Autumn]

95. I'm amazed at the disdain and disregard for Independents and young liberal people who don't

identify with the Dem party but like the ideas of the Dem party. If you think Democrat can win with only Democrats I wish you luck.

[R B Garr]

96. This makes no sense considering Independents

also mean ex-Republicans, which you don’t like if they threaten Sanders candidacy, like Bloomberg is doing.

[showblue22]

15. Bernie HIMSELF was a fan of communism for years

There are many videos so.. This is a fair attack.

[Indepatriot]

17. Someone needs a basic civics course

But he's got the whole Trump routine down pat!

[UniteFightBack]

26. Who has the whole dump routine down pat....Sanders. Nice to see some objectivity. nt

[yaesu]

20. carville is old news, pffft. nt

[OliverQ]

22. Carville is clueless

And Sanders is not a communist by any stretch of the imagination. Carville is the same guy who threw a temper tantrum in 2018 as the results first started coming in claiming Dems were failures because it looked like we were going to get destroyed, and then we had the best win in 50 years.

Nothing Carville says should be listened to.

[UniteFightBack]

27. Since there is video to back it up it will be used widely. Pukes are DYING to run against Sanders

and with very good reason. So let's not nominate the person with the biggest and heaviest baggage, it would be plain foolish.

[OliverQ]

40. Uh, the person with the heaviest baggage would be your candidate.

Democrats wanted Republicans to run Trump in 2016 because we thought he'd be the easiest to beat too. How did that work out?

[ehrnst]

56. Actually, no.

The baggage against Sanders has never been unpacked by the GOP, and they are chomping at the bit to do so with Sanders as the nominee.

[OliverQ]

59. I don't know if you noticed but my candidate is the same as yours...

[ehrnst]

61. Mea culpa - fixed that.

Someone I had just responded to had that candidate selection.

And the GOP wanted to oust Trump from the nomination, but Pence refused to step as the POTUS nom to save the ticket.

Also, Democrats did not foresee Russia, Julian Assange and the FBI getting involved to steal the election for Trump...

[Zolorp]

33. He was an elector for the SWP presidential candidate in 1980, statewide Vermont Ballot.

The Socialist Workers Party touted itself as a Troskytist Communist Party in it's own literature and there was Bernie Sanders listed on the ballot as an elector with that party name attached.

[redqueen]

47. There are more than a few pundits whose track record

should have made them irrelevant by now

[ehrnst]

55. I feel that way about David Sirota. (nt)

[Devil Child]

24. No thank you Mr. Carville, I'll take the so called "communist" over you any day of the week

[CanonRay]

28. And that comment is all you need to know about Carville

[czarjak]

29. Defeat Donald Period

[redqueen]

43. Nice right wing smear from carville.

Not hard at all to pick a side on this one.

[Gore1FL]

46. Red Scare tactics... awesome.

They got Reagan elected, I guess.

[David__77]

49. Ok. He says he's a hack- sounds like they agree.

Sounds like a basis for affinity.

[Jose Garcia]

50. Someone had to say it

[True Blue American]

51. Do not mess with Carville!

James is a long time attack dog. Make him mad at your own risk!

I bet Clinton is laughing at that one.

[snowybirdie]

53. With this story

about the fued between Carville and Sanders, I'm reminded of two old farts screaming at each other over a backyard fence about property lines! Zip it gentlemen!

[True Blue American]

60. :)

[eilen]

122. I think it is only fair to meet each

"neo-liberal" with a "communist" LOL

[apcalc]

54. "The hill" is not our friend. I consider. them a right wing site

They love to report and encourage dissent , owned by wingers.

[left-of-center2012]

68. "a right wing site" - "owned by wingers" -- WRONG

AllSides rates ‘The Hill’ bias as Center.

"The paper was founded in 1994 by Democratic power broker and New York businessman Jerry Finkelstein and Martin Tolchin, a former correspondent for The New York Times. The paper is owned by the founder's son James A. Finkelstein, who serves as its chairman."

A 'center media bias rating' means a source does not predictably show opinions favoring either end of the political spectrum — conservative or liberal.
Either they don't show much bias at all, or its bias leans to the left and right equally at different times.
It may also mean the outlet does a good job of portraying both sides equally.

AllSides finds that ‘The Hill’ publishes editorials that may have a strong left bias or a right bias,
therefore making for a balanced editorial page.

Another media bias rating site, Media Bias/Fact Check, rates The Hill as Least Biased.
Sources that Media Bias/Fact Check rates as Least Biased "have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes).
The reporting is factual and usually sourced."

https://www.allsides.com/news-source/hill-media-bias

[apcalc]

117. Right /center bias

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mediabiasfactcheck.com/the-hill/%3famp

And I still consider them more to the right.

[d_b]

62. damn right I'm a political hack

At least I’m not running sham elections in Bolivia for murderers!

Right, Jimmy?

[Amimnoch]

66. Fuck yeah! Carville is a LONG time champion of ours! K&R

LOVE the Ragin Cajun!!

[LanternWaste]

69. A political hack and a career politician trade barbs. Film at eleven.

Or maybe, "A political hack and a career politician walk into a bar..."

[R B Garr]

71. Go Carville! It's about time the constant smears of

Democrats gets treated in kind!

[denem]

82. trump is the enemy

However passionate our disputes , you do not load the enemy with ammunition.

[R B Garr]

84. Sanders is the one who should be following that advice.

We have Trump because of that very reason.

[denem]

85. Sanders may be the nominee.

If beating trump is the only thing that matters, and it is, then say it again 'you do not load the enemy with ammunition'.

[R B Garr]

88. Then it's on Sanders to retract all his attacks on Democrats.

He can go first. I’ve been waiting for his introspection about what part he played in why we have Trump, mostly memorialized in the Mueller report.

[denem]

90. trump is the enemy

not just the enemy of democrats, an enemy of the Republic - a betrayal of the sacrifices the patriots made in the Revolutionary War, of everything the Founding Fathers stood for.
.
If we compromise on aiding trump, we are bankrupt.

I will and do oppose Sanders' nomination up to but not including giving aid and succor to trump.

[R B Garr]

91. So Democrats are not the enemy. Sanders needs to follow

that advice. That is just as important. It’s been 5 years. Carville is right in speaking up about it.

[kabelle]

75. let's all get along in peace and Harmony

Please.

[cilla4progress]

76. not

helpful

[brutus smith]

80. carville is a political hack. Nothing more to see here.

[TDale313]

89. Anyone else highly suspect

That Carville would actually prefer to see a Trump second term than see a President Sanders? Just sayin’

Also, whatever his faults? Bernie is not a Communist. Whereas Carville? Yeah, kinda is a hack.

[iwannaknow]

98. I'm disappointed Carville would say something like this. Perhaps his Repub wife got to him.

[ehrnst]

102. Why do you think that?

[iwannaknow]

115. Calling those who disagree with you "communist" is the most right wing of right wing smears

I would expect that, maybe, of his wife on a particularly bad day, but certainly not from her husband, a life long Democrat. There are many people who don't know the difference between democratic socialism and communism, but Carville is not one of them. For that reason, it's a cynical ploy at best.

[Blue_Tires]

109. I hate St. Bern more than anyone and even I think this is too far

God, this primary has been utter shit

[radius777]

120. Ragin Cajun is correct - Dems have been too soft

on Sanders, fearing the wrath of his supporters, when Dems should've taken off the gloves a long time ago.

The media likes to portray Sanders (a senator from a small white state, with few accomplishments, few realistic proposals, a radical past, etc) as this cuddly, hip revolutionary, when no PoC/woman/etc would get such a pass.

But know this, if Sanders is the nominee the GOP/Trump would have no such fear of doing a full exam on Sanders - and his numbers would collapse the way Dukakis' (who was +17 ahead of Bush before the GOP went to work on him) did.

[Gothmog]

123. JAMES Carville was great tonight on the debate

Link to tweet

?s=20