THE W-SHAPED HOLE:

Jeb Bush, James Carville stay close to party lines during UNLV debate (Delen Goldberg, Jan. 31, 2011, Las Vegas Sun)

Not surprisingly, Carville largely defended the Democratic agenda — namely health care reform and government support — while Bush promoted the typically Republican ideals of deficit reduction and less government intervention.

Even so, Bush broke from party lines to admonish Republicans for failing to come up with a better health care solution, and Carville appeared to entertain the idea of tax cuts as one prong of a larger plan to re-stimulate the economy. [...]

The biggest chuckle of the night came during a discussion of pension funds. Audience members couldn't contain themselves as Carville — unprompted — mentioned that public employees earn lower salaries than private workers. Loud jeers erupted in the auditorium.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks during a Barrick Lecture Series with political strategist James Carville at UNLV Monday, January 31, 2011. Jon Ralston moderated the discussion.

Carville looked slightly confused until Ralston explained that local firefighters have come under attack recently for their salaries and apparent abuse of sick time.

The event ended with questions from the audience. One Bush supporter asked if the former governor's family ties would hurt him during a bid for the White House. [...]

[W]hile stressing that he has no presidential ambitions (yet), he added: "If I ran for office, I would be a proud younger brother of George W. Bush and a proud son of George H.W. Bush."