If I were a public figure and a CNN political analyst suggested I wore diapers with prostitutes...

[NNN0LHI]

...I would be out the next day standing next to my lawyer calling that man and CNN liars as my lawyer was preparing to sue CNN for slander and libel.

If it wasn't true that is.

If it was true you would never see me again in public.

Don



http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0707/11/sitroom.01.html

JAMES CARVILLE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right.

<snip>BLITZER: Let's talk about your fellow Louisianian David Vitter. How much of a problem does he have in Louisiana right now?

CARVILLE: First, Louisiana is profoundly depressed. We have had this thing with Jefferson.

BLITZER: Economically, you're...

(CROSSTALK)

CARVILLE: Well, no, just about what's happened in our state. We had Katrina. And Jefferson had the $90,000 in the (INAUDIBLE) and Vitter with the prostitute. Usually, it's the Democrat with the prostitute and the Republican with the money.

In Louisiana, we kind of got it backwards. But I think, in Louisiana, peoples's attitude is, this is exactly what the state doesn't need. We feel like our image has been sort of tarnished. This is another blow to the state. And I think people in the state are -- are -- are pretty peeved at -- at politicians in general right now.

BLITZER: What do you think?

ARMEY: Well, you know, Armey's axiom is, you can't stand on principle with feet of clay.

And David Vitter has made it a matter of his principle in seeking the office, and while in office: I'm a righteous man, for the family.

I think this is a difficult time for him. I would be hard- pressed to expect him to survive politically. David Vitter cannot use a "So what?" defense, as Bill Clinton could, because, in fact, he pretended to be something quite different than Bill Clinton did.

And Armey's axiom is, the greater the pretension, the greater the hypocrisy. The next step is, the greater the hypocrisy, the greater the political...

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: But what does he say? That he asked his wife for forgiveness. They have gone to marriage counseling.

CARVILLE: Right.

BLITZER: He's now moved beyond that. He admits he -- he sinned.

CARVILLE: Look, to me, I forgive -- I mean, I completely forgive him, but he's -- it's the people of Louisiana he's got to go to. And people in Louisiana are going to say, that's great. I'm just saying, but -- but we don't need to be embarrassed anymore. We don't need to have $90,000 in the freezer. We don't need somebody like getting a prostitute to wear -- getting him to wear a diaper or whatever the story is.