(Crossposted at Calitics)
Brian has a diary about the session Bill Clinton had with Superdelegates at the CDP convention, and his comments to Rachel Binah about Carville calling Bill Richardson Judas.
(I had a chance to meet Rachel this weekend, and she is a great person, and very sharp.)
Then there is the excellent Op-Ed by Bill Richardson on the issue of his endorsement of Obama, and James Carville's comments referring to Richardson as a Judas:
"Mr. Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic," Carville told the New York Times.
Carville, who usually appears on CNN as an analyst, today was an interviewee, telling Wolf Blizter that his quote "had its desired intent" -- i.e., depicting Richardson as disloyal to the Clinton brand that he once had been so firmly affixed to.
Where this story gets interesting is when Bill Clinton is quoted in the SF Chronicle today as saying:
"Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that," a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted.
Meaning, Bill Clinton is saying that Richardson told him that Richardson would never endorse Obama, I suppose that means Richardson would endorse Clinton or at least not endorse.
In any case, Bill Clinton is adamant in this quote that Richardson told him that he would never endorse Obama and probably would endorse Clinton.
Richardson in his Op-Ed, Loyalty to my Country, yesterday says:
And while I was truly torn for weeks about this decision, and seriously contemplated endorsing Sen. Clinton, I never told anyone, including President Clinton, that I would do so. Those who say I did are misinformed or worse.
Richardson says that those that say that Richardson would endorse Clinton are "misinformed"
There could be alot of word parsing here, but this sounds like there are inconsistencies in the business of was Richardson going to endorse Hillary Clinton or not, and did he tell Bill Clinton that he was going to endorse anyone, or did he just tell Bill Clinton he would never endorse Obama.
Bill Richardson, by virtue of this Op-Ed, could be saying that Bill Clinton is misinformed or worse.
Update 1: It was pointed out on the comments that there was an earlier diary on this topic by Belvedere Come Here Boy
First Amendment also had a diary on the topic of the Op-Ed,
however, the connection between the Op-Ed page and Bill Clinton's comments to Rachel Binah at the CDP convention was still not made, or I can't find it.
Update 2: Bill Richardson to be on CNN in the next hour to respond to Clinton.
Update 3: Bill Richardson on CNN:
"I never did," Richardson said. "I never saw [President Clinton] five times. I saw him when he watched the Super Bowl with me. We made it very clear to him that he shouldn't expect an endorsement after that meeting."
"I held back. I waited. I felt the campaign got nasty. I heard Senator Obama; he would talk to me continuously," Richardson said.
"The Clintons should get over this," he added.