we shared nachos, dude; how could you?

James Carville caused a stir the other day by comparing Bill Richardson's endorsement of Obama to Judas's betrayal of Jesus Christ. If that seems a bit strong, well, that's because it is. Yes, Gov. Richardson held a couple of jobs in the Clinton administration. But presumably he did those jobs reasonably well, and that, surely, is payback enough? Also, that was Bill, this is Hillary. Does fealty to one demand fealty to the other? If so, how are we to separate them in any other regard?

But the silliness of the whole thing became most apparent when Carville (under questioning from the fantastically named Wolf Blitzer) scrabbled around for charges to justify his intemperate language and came up with the fact that Richardson invited Bill Clinton to his Super Bowl party:

BLITZER: But why was it such a betrayal? Because he makes the point, look, I ran against Hillary Clinton.

CARVILLE: Again, I think the world of Senator Kennedy, have never said one thing, or Senator Kerry, or...

BLITZER: So why is Richardson different?

CARVILLE: Because I think that there was -- that he served in the cabinet in two different positions. I think that he invited President Clinton to come to his Super Bowl party.

(I should add that Clinton's official spokesman has had the good sense to sound embarrassed by Carville, who isn't a full-time Clintonista)