Communication students land James Carville as speaker

James Carville, considered by many as the country's best known and most colorful political consultant, will be at UB on Friday, May 16, as the featured speaker for the Department of Communication Recognition Ceremony at 4:30 p.m. in Slee Hall on the North Campus.

Carville will be at UB because of the determination of graduating seniors majoring in communication to have a nationally recognized speaker for their ceremony.

Landing the "Rajun Cajun" for the program were Matthew Pillar, president of the Communication Undergraduate Student Association, and Jamie Kurzeja, coordinator of the recognition ceremony. Also instrumental in the effort was Gerald M. Goldhaber, associate professor of communication and owner of Goldhaber Research Associates.

While the program is not open to the public-Carville is expected to attract a large crowd of communication students and faculty and students' family members and friends that will nearly fill Slee-there will be a limited number of tickets available on a first-come basis. Requests for tickets are being taken by Kurzeja at 645-2141, ext. 105.

Carville's work as a campaign manager dates back to when he was in high school and canvassed for a car dealer running for the Louisiana State Legislature.

He entered Louisiana State University in 1962 and, as his biographical sketch notes with the comment "not to put a spin on it", "Šflunked out four years later." He subsequently returned to Louisiana State-after two years in the Marine Corps that his resumé says was "to assuage his Catholic guilt"-and later earned a law degree from LSU.

Carville's biggest win: Clinton election

Carville teamed up in 1989 with Paul Begala to form the Carville & Begala political consulting firm, which lists Bill Clinton's election to the presidency in 1992 as its biggest win.

He is married to Mary Matalin, deputy campaign manager of George Bush's unsuccessful re-election bid in 1992 and with whom he co-authored the best-selling political memoir, "All's Fair: Love, War and Running for President."

He has served as an advisor on several gubernatorial and Senate campaigns-not all of them successful-and has been a political advisor to Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis.

His second book, "We're Right, They're Wrong, A Handbook for Spirited Progressives," is a no-nonsense guide to the "real meaning and consequences" of the current Republican agenda and hit No. 1 on The New York Times' best-seller list in March.

In his latest venture, Carville has formed the Education and Information Project, which according to him, is conducting "an education campaign to inform the American people about the partisan activities" of Whitewater investigator Kenneth Starr and to provide Bill Clinton with a "vigorous defense that the President deserves."