Carville, Matalin to speak on campus

In what could be an explosive evening, husband-and-wife political tandem James Carville and Mary Matalin will speak their minds at Harrison Auditorium Friday night. According to College junior and Connaissance Vice Chairperson Carlye Pollack, Carville and Matalin are being paid $26,500 to appear. Carville, a partner in the political consulting firm of Carville & Begala and the mastermind of Bill Clinton's victorious 1992 presidential campaign, is a leading Democratic strategist. He also engineered Harris Wofford's surprise 1991 Senate victory over former U.S. Attorney General and former Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh. Matalin, co-host of CNBC's Equal Time, was the combative deputy campaign manager of former President George Bush's failed re-election campaign. According to College senior Jesus Guerrero, Connaissance chairperson, both Matalin and Carville will speak to the audience from separate podiums. There will then be a question and answer session. The topics will range from Carville and Matalin's co-authored book, All's Fair: Love, War and Running for President, to the Republicans' smashing victory in the 1994 midterm congressional elections. The event follows Connaissance's tradition of bringing prominent men and women to the University. Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch and Harvard University Professor Cornel West have been recent speakers. Hunter S. Thompson, author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, has also spoken recently. Pollack and Guerrero said they are both very excited about this week's program. "There was a strong response for Carville and Matalin to come given their availability and the presidential elections that are coming up," Pollack said. "We're really excited and we hope that the community at Penn will benefit from it." "We chose Carville and Matalin because they are popular right now," Guerrero said. "With their book and the Republican victory, it would be interesting to see their views on the new Congress, especially given that they are such important people." The event will begin at 7 p.m. It will run between an hour and an hour and a half. "We're going to keep them as long as they will stay," Pollack said. The forum, sponsored by Connaissance, is free to students.