James Carville and Tucker Carlson may not see eye-to-eye on many issues, but they both agree that Democrats need to form a stronger agenda on the nation's issues.

10:18 AM EST on Wednesday, February 22, 2006

BY SCOTT MAYEROWITZ
Journal State House Bureau

PROVIDENCE -- If Democrats want to take back Washington they must come up with a clear plan that the average American can understand.

Journal photo / Connie Grosch

Tucker Carlson, autographing boxing gloves last night for Rhode Island College spokeswoman Jane Fusco that will be auctioned off for RICs Athletic Department, graduated from St.Georges School in Middletown and says, "I genuinely love Rhode Island."

That was the message -- tucked inside lots of humor -- last night as political pundits James Carville and Tucker Carlson spoke at Rhode Island College.

Carlson said elections aren't won by being a better guy. You need to stand for something.

Attacking your opponent doesn't work, he said.

Take President Bush.

You can't say "he's diabolical" and "he's a moron," Carlson said.

People believe the president's honest, Carlson said, because of the way he talks.

It's like "watching a drunk man cross an icy street. Actually, like a drunk friend. 'You can do it. Come on.' " Carlson said. "If he can barely speak, he must be telling the truth."

Democrats must get over Mr. Bush and formulate a policy on what they want to do, he said.

Democrats "are lame" on national security, something they need to appear competent in to attract centrist voters.

"I'm not going to vote for you, if voting for you means I'm going to die," Carlson said.

This all came from a man who described himself as so far to the right of Republicans that he's "close to moving to Idaho and stockpiling my own food."

For his part, longtime Democratic strategist Carville also criticized the Democrats.

Congress is facing one of the biggest scandals in history, he said, but regarding the Democrats "nobody knows what you're going to do."

Again, there is no message.

"As much as the administration screws up everything they touch, Democrats can't seem to get political footing," said Carville, who is best known for his role in crafting President Clinton's win in 1992.

The party has a reform plan but, he said, "nobody has the foggiest idea what's in it."

The two men spoke for 20 minutes each and then took questions from the crowd which filled most of the 974 seats in the Roberts Hall auditorium.

The college spent $50,500 to bring Carville and Carlson to campus, according to RIC spokeswoman Jane Fusco.

Carlson started the night explaining how customarily speakers pander to the audience and how if he was in Kansas City or Anchorage he would say how happy he was to be there.

Journal photo / Connie Grosch

James Carville says nobody has the "foggiest idea" of Democrats' reform plan.

"Yet for once, I'm not kidding. I genuinely love Rhode Island," he said.

Carlson graduated from St. George's School in Middletown.

"I had dreams after graduating from college of moving here, working at The Providence Journal, living on the East Side and having lunch at the Capital Grille," Carlson said.

In fact, his third child was not only conceived in the state, but named Hope in its honor.

Carville is also no stranger to Rhode Island.

He said it's great to be in a "state where your politicians think so much of you they make your license plates."

In September, he spoke at the Aurora Civic Association and at Brown University, raising $75,000 for Hurricane Katrina victims, including Carville's $10,000 speaking fee from Brown.

Aurora is the only club in the nation that he's a member of, Carville said last night. Providence Municipal Court Judge Frank Caprio, who is also chairman of the Board of Governors for Higher Education, sponsored Carville's membership. Caprio and his sons, state Sen. Frank T. Caprio, D-Providence, and Rep. David A. Caprio, D-Narragansett, were in the front row last night.

Carville has also spoken before Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island and he and his wife, Republican consultant Mary Matalin, have also spoken locally at a gathering of the Northeast Human Resources Association, Business Expo 2000 and graduation at New England Institute of Technology.

After the speech, Carlson broadcast his MSNBC show, The Situation with Tucker Carlson, from the house of RIC president John Nazarian. Both men used to work together on CNN's Crossfire, which Carville still co-hosts.

By the way, both men said they crafted their speeches only minutes before taking the stage.

"I literally have no idea. I promise," Carlson said when asked prior what he was going to talk about. "It's fear that gets you going."

smayerow@projo.com / (401) 277-7513