In all the many media interviews with Bob Woodward about his book, State of Denial, they were almost exclusively focused on the supposed mistakes of the Bush administration. The pundits almost unanimously concluded that Woodward's book would therefore be harmful to the Republicans going into this November's elections. However, overlooked by them is a section of the Woodward book that is now causing a firestorm in the Leftwing blogosphere against perhaps the most important Democrat political operative of them all, James Carville. M.J. Rosenberg in "The Coffeehouse" blog asks, "Did Carville Tip Bush Off to Kerry Strategy (Woodward)"?
I just came across a troubling incident that Bob Woodward reports in his new book. Very troubling.
On page 344, Woodward describes the doings at the White House in the early morning hours of Wednesday, the day after the '04 election.
Apparently, Kerry had decided not to concede. There were 250,000 outstanding ballots in Ohio.
So Kerry decides to fight. In fact, he considers going to Ohio to camp out with his voters until there is a recount. This is the last thing the White House needs, especially after Florida 2000.
So what happened?
James Carville gets on the phone with his wife, Mary Matalin, who is at the White House with Bush.
"Carville told her he had some inside news. The Kerry campaign was going to challenge the provisional ballots in Ohio -- perhaps up to 250,000 of them. 'I don't agree with it, Carville said. I'm just telling you that's what they're talking about.'
"Matalin went to Cheney to report...You better tell the President Cheney told her."
Matalin does, advising Bush that "somebody in authority needed to get in touch with J. Kenneth Blackwell, the Republican Secretary of State in Ohio who would be in charge of any challenge to the provisional votes." An SOS goes out to Blackwell.
The rest is history.
Does something about this story stink to high heaven!
Although none in the media seems to have asked Woodward about this so far, the Leftwing blogosphere in now in frenzy over the possibilty in their minds that Carville cost them the 2004 election. This does not bode well for Hillary Clinton since Carville is closely associated with her and might even manage her 2008 presidential campaign.
So did Carville betray Kerry in 2004 or is perhaps the Bob Woodward book (gasp) inaccurate? So far the MSM is too interested in Woodward's criticisms of the Bush administration to bother asking about the section of State of Denial that now has the far Left in an uproar. Will they also question James Carville or John Kerry to confirm the accuracy of the Woodward allegation? Don't hold your breath waiting.
You can read a sampling of the Leftwing Blogosphere outrage over this at the Democratic Underground and the Daily Kos in the DUmmie FUnnies.