The Mirror

James Carville Sort Of Apologizes To Grover Norquist For Calling Him ‘Pond Scum’

Betsy Rothstein Gossip blogger
Font Size:

Democratic strategist and pundit James Carville likes to keep things spicy.

In a letter to the editor published Louisiana State University’s student newspaper The Daily Reveille, earlier in the week, Carville expressed irritation over the governor and many members of the legislature pledging allegiance to a “Washington operator” known as Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

The pledge says under no circumstances can taxes be raised — which Carville says is bringing harm to LSU.

Carville described three things readers need to know about Norquist, none of which were nice.

1. He’s an “anti-tax fanatic” whose “shady ties” linked him to Jack Abramoff.

2. He’s the “human equivalent to pond scum.”

3. “Our elected officials have allowed him to become the most powerful person in our state. Proposed legislation is routinely sent to him by the Governor to seek his approval. Trust me its true.”

Carville called the governor and legislature “buffoons.”

But he didn’t stop there.

“This reminds me of two over-sexed teenagers dry humping in a backseat of car parked behind a levee wondering how far they can go while maintaining their purity or virginity,” he wrote. “…While they’re humping, our university burns.”

On Thursday, Carville issued a non-apology to Norquist.

“After prayer and deep reflection and consultation with my spiritual and ethical mentors I am forced to take a step I rarely approach in my public life and that is to apologize to — pond scum,” he wrote.

See the full letter and the “apology” here.