Carville's Free Pass

Commentator Bob Novak's been rightly condemned for his intemperate behavior on CNN last week, using a profane word on non-premium cable and storming off the set in the middle of a segment.
Mr. Novak was likely perturbed by forthcoming questions about his role in the CIA leak case in that interview. But watch footage in the segment and you'll see obscene behavior of another sort coming from the other commentator on the set that day, James Carville, aka the Ragin' Cajun.
Carville behaved like a boor by interrupting Novak in the middle of a point about a Senate race in Florida, and when Novak protested, Carville essentially challenged his manhood, insisting that Novak had to "show these right-wingers some kind of backbone, you know, the Wall Street Journal editorial page is watching you show them you're tough."
Novak should have brushed it off, but it was a cheap shot by Carville and lowered the discourse substantially, paving the way for Novak's expression of frustration. He deserves some credit: another man might have retorted with a similarly personal attack.
Sunday pundits had a field day making fun of Novak, who was given a time-out by CNN, which suspended him from its programs. But the network would have done well to send both these men to their rooms until they learn better behavior. Why let Carville off the hook for being a cheap-shot instigator?