Saw Bill Maher at a book signing this evening...

[NYCGirl]

He took questions from the audience, and the first one was "What is your favorite George W. Bush moment?"

Maher thought for a beat, and then answered, "There hasn't been one yet. He's still in office."

He was great!

:smoke: <------ in honor of Bill Maher

[madeline_con]

1. Is it just my perception....

or has he gone a little Right lately?

[NYCGirl]

2. It's your perception. He's been absolutely brutal on the administration.

Check out his HBO special, "I'm Swiss." Nothing at all right about it.

[madeline_con]

5. He keeps saying maybe DUH-bya's right ...

about this or that periodically on his HBO show. (?)

[NYCGirl]

7. Actually, what he said was that IF "democracy" (with a small d)

springs up in the Middle East it'll be out of sheer dumb luck, since that bunch in the WH have absolutely no idea what they're doing. And IF (a REAL BIG if) that happened, it'd be a good thing. I can't disagree with that. I don't think he'd ever said that all the crap would be totally justified.

[madeline_con]

8. I've heard him say....

"What if Bush is right?" and he was sincere, and wasn't setting up a joke.

[NYCGirl]

10. Yeah, what if? That's not saying he is. It's just a hypothetical question.

I don't see anything wrong in it.

[madeline_con]

12. He was defending him....

the audience would start to "BOO", and he'd justify it with further explanation. He had Ann Coluter on one night, and gave Richard Belzer a hard time for laying into her.

I'm not knocking Maher. He just seemed to support SOME of DUH-bya's nonsensefor a while.

His latest HBO special, "I'm Swiss" was back to his old self, though. But I'm keeping an eye on him.

[TomClash]

14. And why do you think Maher was "a little right lately?"

Pressure from the WH on the suits at HBO to be "fair and balanced?"

[madeline_con]

15. I'm just calling it...

the way I see it. :shrug:

[TomClash]

16. I agree with you

I think he was forced to move right by HBO after pressure from the WH.

[NYCGirl]

17. Check out "I'm Swiss" on HBO and see if you don't change your mind. NT

[TomClash]

22. I saw it

But it's after the election and it's a taped comedy special.

[NYCGirl]

23. I don't understand your post. The show's brand new. NT

[TomClash]

26. No "I'm Swiss" was taped in March 2005 in Portland

But they just started airing it 10 days ago.

[madeline_con]

18. DUH-bya probably watches....

"Pornucopia: Going Down in the Valley". With the shades drawn really tight.

hee hee

[NYCGirl]

19. Hey, I like that show! Evan Stone is hot. NT

[madeline_con]

21. He is...

but I'd be jealous if he was mine. ;)

[NYCGirl]

24. Then he'd be in the wrong business.

:evilgrin:

[Booster]

27. I think so too because on one show he was practically begging

people on the right to come to his shows. Getting fired can mess with you head sometimes and you try to do stuff that goes against your grain, but that makes your boss happy. We've all kissed a few butts along the way. Bill's given this bunch Hell most of the time and he really takes on the religious extremists.

[spindoctor]

37. Is the concept of an intelligent debate completely alien to you guys?

Trust me, debating issues is much more fun if you have opposing views.

Bill has a hard time getting Republicans to sit in his panel. My theory is that there aren't too many republicans willing or able to defend their positions.

By creating a more diverse audience, Maher tried to create a more attractive climate for right-wing panel members.

He is a smart guy who purposely refuses to affiliate with a political party. Holy cow! Here is a man who actually forms his own opinions and on occasion they clash with the greatest liberal denominator.

Can't trust him, he is not yet fully assimilated.

Come on people, the praised and lauded Jon Stewart is much, MUCH softer on his Republican guests.

[FreedomAngel82]

32. Yes

He has said that a few times. He said that if Bush lied to us to "sell" the idea of "bringing democracy" to the middle east he would be okay with it. :eyes: Cause terror and being scared is easier to sell. He was doing that when Wesley Clark was on there and Clark said he was going to have a talking to him after the show.

[jayctravis]

20. I think he's tongue-in-cheek with that...

Like phyrric optimism -- being in a bus about to plummet off a cliff and going "Maybe Superman *will* swoop down and save us at the last minute!"

[lildreamer316]

3. Yes; go check that out.

Will sweep all your doubts away dear. Remember; syndicated show vs. standup; sometimes you have to restrain yourself on the show; even with as much free reign as they give him.
Love that man. If I weren't already married I'd rock his world. He needs it.

[JAbuchan08]

4. He did drift a little right after the Iraqi "elections"

but he's snapped back to form since then.

[madeline_con]

9. Maybe it was around that time....

he was talking DUH-bya up on the "Democracy" issue, like he could be right, blah blah...

[jojo54]

6. I love that man!!

Can't wait for his show to come back on.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

11. How great and how neat for you! He's on Letterman tonight and I'm

waiting here for him to come on.

[Sal Minella]

13. On Fresh Aire today he suggested a new New Rule -- The Fox

announcers should all be required to wear jester costumes and refer to * as "My Liege."

[Lorien]

38. Loved that. He added that as long as they treated * as a

infallible emperor, "My Liege" would be more appropriate than "the president".

[mixedview]

25. Maher is a free thinker unrestrained by ideology or party line

People like Maher give me hope for America.

I wish there were more people like Maher - willing to honestly look at what is really going on there in the real world, from an independent perspective.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NYCGirl]

29. Union Square Barnes & Noble, New York City. NT

[SammyWinstonJack]

30. Here's the thing about rich people and I like Maher,

They don't have to worry about their livelihood! They can say anything they want, liberal or not, and still be okay It's us in the trenches who are at the most risk!.

[NYCGirl]

33. If you remember a while back, Bill Maher got FIRED from his lucrative

series on ABC because of something he said. So you're saying he can say anything?

[SammyWinstonJack]

34. And he bounced right back so apparently he can say anything!

Like I said I like Maher! And he is in a position to say anything he wants with no financial consequences, it would seem.

[NYCGirl]

35. He thanks God for HBO. And he didn't immediately bounce back. NT

[SammyWinstonJack]

36. Well we can agree to disagree with regard to Maher's ability to

say anything and avoid financial difficulties. Like I said, I like him.

[FreedomAngel82]

31. LOL

Mine is the day he leaves. When that happens I'll have a huge celebration with myself. ;)