James Carville apologizes for calling Grover Norquist "pond scum." Well kinda.

So a couple of days ago James Carville wrote a letter to the editor of The Daily Reveille, the Louisiana State university's student newspaper.

Here is what he wrote: 

The news from the Governor’s office and the State Legislature has attained a level of buffoonery and comedy before unseen; in a state with a long history of both. Our beloved university is being systematically dismantled and as a result of our Governor and a significant portion of our Legislature (twenty-six) pledging allegiance to a Washington lobbyist with the long history of shady dealings. Your future earnings and the quality of your education is being adversely affected by the fact that a pledge was signed to a Washington operator by the name of Grover Norquist that under no conditions could taxes be raised. 

Three things you need to know about Grover Norquist: 

1-The anti-tax fanatic founded Americans for Tax Reform in 1985 and his shady dealings was linked by a congressional committee to Jack Abramoff. 

 2-Norquist was described by fellow conservative, Tucker Carlson, as a, “cash-addled, morally malleable lobbyist.” Norquist is the human equivalent of pond scum. He was a fellow traveler of pond scumite Abramoff and according to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Norquist’s organization served as a “conduit” for funds from Abramoff’s clients and conservative lobbying campaigns. 

 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. 

Now for the comedy part, the Governor and Legislature constantly refer to how can they maintain their purity, or as it is sometimes referred to, their “tax virginity.” You have to be kidding me. 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. We are literally at the mercy of buffoons and comedians. While they’re humping, our university burns. Our only recourse is to stand up and fight for ourselves. Geaux Tigers. 

James Carville 
Political consultant, political science professor of practice 
Tulane University

Apparently after writing that Carville received quite a lot of blowback from outraged conservatives over the fact that he called Grover Norquist "pond scum."

This was his response:

"Since the publication of my Letter to the Editor yesterday, I have received a considerable amount of comments on my comparison of Grover Norquist to pond scum. As someone who has spent so much time in the public square, I understand how words and characterizations can be hurtful and unfair to those involved in the comparisons. 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."

I am not always in agreement with Carville, but considering the damage that Norquist has done to this country due to his ridiculous "no raising taxes" pledge,  I agree that pond scum should be angered at the comparison.