“corporate shills, Jesus freaks and gun nuts.”

[mia]

Friday night on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” host Bill Maher and panel discussed the chaotic state of the Republican Party. The division that is most immediately apparent is the line between the tea party, far-right caucus and the old guard establishment Republicans. Maher and Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) said that the real division in the party is multifold, an amalgamation of “corporate shills, Jesus freaks and gun nuts.”

...MSNBC reporter Suzy Khimm that there is a division on the right between the “grassroots” tea party and Wall Street bankers.

“I see it a little differently,” said Grayson. “I think there’s three Republican parties. There’s the corporate shills, there’s the religious fanatics and then there are the ‘freedom’ fiends, the one that want to make sure that you have the right to sleep under a bridge.”

“So, Jesus freaks, generic obese suburbanites, and let me add the super-rich,” added Maher. “That’s the Republican Party, isn’t it?”

[NorthCarolina]

1. Grayson, spot on as usual. K&R nt

[90-percent]

2. good ole Alan!

"They think that the biggest problem in America today is that rich people don't have enough money."

It's also nice to see Alan pallin' round with Carl Reiner.

-90% Jimmy

[adieu]

3. Actually, most billionaires

are all right with higher taxes. It's just a few rogue greedy pricks. The Romneys, the Kochs, the Adelsons and some others from Goldman Sachs. The rich who earned their money by creation, those who innovated, generally have no problems with taxation. They were poor when they started and saw the help they got. Those who earn their money by playing the zero-sum game of transferring wealth from one party to another (and possibly siphoning off some during the process) don't see wealth creation. They see wealth redistribution and are against any redistribution against their favor.

[Metro135]

5. Absolutely

This is one reason so many people in the entertainment field who are worth hundreds of millions of dollars are confirmed Democrats. Most of them came from nothing. On Maher's show last night, Carl Reiner spoke up about how government programs helped him to become an actor and writer. The Tea Party shill on the panel along with Reiner just sat and stared at him.

[truebluegreen]

6. I'd love it if you were right, but if that were the case,

where are they? Other than Warren Buffet and George Soros, who are these billionaires who are fine with higher taxes?

[adieu]

9. Ok, maybe not "billionaires"

but certainly a large number of very wealthy people. Bill Gates does not mind a higher tax. Nick Hanauer (sp?) definitely supports a higher tax. I think a number of those in high tech, living in Silicon Valley are in support, even though their CPAs do their darndest to find tax savings for them (frankly, I doubt any of those super wealthy can do their own taxes, and just signs off on their CPA's work). I can only think of Peter Thiel in Silicon Valley who is very much against government getting more money. Thiel is much more libertarian than most others, and he's primarily a VC rather than an innovator. Innovators, those who go from rags to riches are more akin to JK Rowling in their attitude towards taxes. Rowling, of course, is a british citizen, but has to pay her share of british taxes, which is substantially more than what she would pay here in the US.

[Left Coast2020]

4. Since Senator Warren Won't run for WH

Its my dream to see Rep. Grayson do it instead.

You just have to believe he has the support to make a run.

[NorthCarolina]

8. He'd get my support, that's for damn sure. nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. We can't raise taxes on the rich because Saint Ronney will be knocked off his throne in heaven.

[The Wizard]

10. Not heaven

Golob or Remulak or Tralfamadore

[pam4water]

11. Did any heads at Faux New explode yet?