On August 10, CNN Crossfire co-host James Carville reported and denounced comments made by Jerome R. Corsi, PhD, co-author of the forthcoming Regnery book Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry -- comments first exposed by Media Matters for America on August 6. After first doubting Carville's source (Media Matters for America), co-host Robert Novak -- who recently defended Corsi and his Unfit co-author, John E. O'Neill -- failed to condemn Corsi's comments and swiftly changed the subject.

From the August 10 edition of CNN's Crossfire:

CARVILLE: [Senator] John Kerry, Tim Russert, Chris Matthews, Katie Couric, CBS, NBC are all communists. Senator Hillary Clinton is a lesbian fat hog with fake hair. Al and Tipper Gore are terrorists who are part of the Taliban. The pope is senile. And pedophilia is fine with him as long as it's not reported in the liberal press. If you think all this sounds nutty, well, it is.

According to the organization Media Matters for America, all this has been written by Jerome Corsi. Why do we care what Jerome Corsi says? Well, we don't. But as co-author of the book Unfit for Command about John Kerry and his service in Vietnam, some people are making the mistake of taking him seriously. In the world of putrid right-wing pond scum, Corsi is one of the biggest bottom-feeders of them all.

[applause]

NOVAK: Well, in the first place I don't know whether your source is correct in saying that.

CARVILLE: The AP has got it. Of course it's correct. He's acknowledged it.

NOVAK: And, secondly, I just notice, whenever a criticism is made of anybody like your pal Clinton...

[crosstalk]

NOVAK: First of all, let me talk and...

CARVILLE: Go ahead.

NOVAK: And wait a minute. Just be quiet for a minute.

CARVILLE: Go ahead.

NOVAK: Whenever a criticism is made, all you do is attack the person who makes it, instead of answering the very meticulously researched reports on John Kerry in that book.

[applause]

CARVILLE: You think the pope is senile?

[bell ringing]

CARVILLE: Do you think -- do you think -- do you think that Clinton is a fat hog? Do you think that Tim Russert is a communist? I mean, come on.

[crosstalk]

CARVILLE: This guy

[crosstalk]

CARVILLE: He wrote a book.

NOVAK: I'm talking about John Kerry. [President] George W. Bush has been under attack all year for declaring an end to major combat in Iraq.