Bill Maher knows a thing or two about getting cancelled. His eclectic late-night talk show "Politically Incorrect" did not last long after the Sept. 11 attacks, at which point he sought asylum at HBO, where "fuck" is just another four-letter word.
Now a congressman wants his HBO show to go off the air as well.
After Spencer Bachus (R-AL) watched a rerun of "Real Time with Bill Maher" where he talked about the army's failed attempt to recruit enough new soldiers. The comment in question occured during Maher's signature sign-off comedy segment "New Rules." According to Maher's official site billmaher.com, the May 13 transcript says the following:
"The Army missed its recruiting goal by 42% last month. More people joined the Michael Jackson Fan Club. We've done picked all the low-lying Lynndie England fruit. And now we need warm bodies."
Bachus calls the remarks treasonous. He told the Associated Press:
"I think it borders on treason. In treason, one definition is to undermine the effort or national security of our country."
Article comments
1 - DrPat
Link to the Congressman's remark, too, please?
2 - Temple Stark
Man, don''t these people have actual work to do? Fuck.
3 - sydney
I propose bombarding the senator with hate mail. A link to his office contact would be nice.
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
Story now complete with full congressman remarkage.
5 - HW Saxton
If the congressmans really that freakin'
concerned maybe he should send some of
his fighting age sons or nephews off to
Iraq and Afghanistan.
6 - Shark
Man, these folks are really lowering the bar for the "traitor" designation.
And will someone PLEASE send this LINK to the whack-job congressman!
(Just for the record, Shark was 3 months and many levels of blasphemy ahead of Maher.)
xxoo,
A patriotic "traitor"
7 - Shark
New logo suggestion for Blogcritics;
BLOCRITICS: Funnier AND more traitorous than Bill Maher!
8 - Nancy
Kind of appalling that a congressman has obviously never read the Constitution or Bill of Rights? Mmmm...maybe he ought to move to Communist China or some other dictatorship where free speech is not allowed - unless it's his, of course.
Why do we Southerners keep electing these ignorant yahoos to represent us? I sure as hell wouldn't want such an illiterate neanderthal representing me in any aspect. It's downright embarrassing.
9 - Shark
Nancy: "...maybe he ought to move to Communist China or some other dictatorship where free speech is not allowed..."
Hey, Nanc, he might not HAVE TO MOVE; the day is young!
10 - Shark
PS: I find it incredibly ironic that due to current political complaints in the US, ('cutlure war', 'activist judges', censorship, 'gay marriage, 'traitors'etc.) -- it's perfectly within context to tell Right-Wing Pricks:
LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT.
~ahahahah~
There's something sweet and refreshing about that.
11 - Joe
Long Live Bill Maher!!!!
12 - Dj Biscuit
Sign the petition calling for Congressman Bachus's resignation below. He OBVIOUSLY hates your freedoms!
here
If interested, you can read Maher's full quote here:
http://www.hbo.com/billmaher/new_rules/
13 - dee
I happen to enjoy Bill Maher. I do not agree with all he says but the guy is ballsy. He says what many think.
Since when is it treason for a stand up comedian to say what he thinks? We pay for Hbo and since we are paying for it, we should decide what or who we want to watch on there, not some nutty politician.
14 - beth
If congressman Bacchus is not amused by maher's comments...don't watch the show. He should be concerned with those who mar our armed forces by commiting acts of inhumanity like Lyndie-England did....that is the true travesty
15 - PoopyCaca
Congressman Bachus, meet the First Amendment, First Amendment, Congressman Bachus.
16 - Nancy
I would disrespectfully suggest to congress that they institute a 'minimum education qualification' that specifically requires would-be/wanna-be congressmaggots to have a basic 5th-grade familiarity with the tenets of the US Constitution et al before they could put in for election, but it would never pass up there. Too many have too much to lose.
17 - jt
Wether you pay a monthly bill for your tv programming or not, some in this country of 'free speech' and 'land of the free', wish nothing more than to controll any and all tv content that you and I receive. It is the 'evangelical christian way'. If their bible doesn't condone it, it must go.......home of the free and land of the brave aside.
18 - Eric Olsen
whether - "contingent upon ..."
weather - "shit in the air"
19 - JR
Wether - "contingent upon the shit in the air"?
20 - Eric Olsen
nice JR!
21 - CARTMAN
Fuck Bill Maher.. I'm going home..
22 - danny bodnaduce
this is amercian politics at work. they are more concerned with a comedians words than they are with americas true problems ie healthcare, fuel prices, mortgage crises, terrorism etc.
23 - Jet in Columbus
Um; Danny? You did happen to glance on the date this article was written... didn't you?
24 - njn
Bill Maher should stick to comedy.Who annointed him as a moral leader.Liberals can bash someone with impunity,smirk at the unwashed masses who don't buy their line.His arrogance is pitiful,as well as his haterd towards America where he makes his millions