Bill Maher: Donald Trump is the White Kanye

With Donald Trump's frontrunner status in the Republican Primary and HipHop artist Kanye's recent announcement to run for office in 2020, pollsters have already begun speculating on a hypothetical showdown between these larger-than-life personalities. Late night talk shows quickly began drawing comparisons between the two but it was APF pundit Bill Maher who described Trump as Kanye even before Yeezy followed suit with his own Presidential ambitions.

VIDEO: Real Time with Bill Maher
- Donald Trump Is the White Kanye (HBO)

BILL MAHER: I hear all over the media, "he's just a joke. It's just a publicity stunt, don't worry about it. It'll go away. It's not going away."... Here's the thing about Donald Trump. He never apologizes, he's never wrong. No matter what crazy thing he says, he's totally *inaudible*. He's the White Kanye.
--crowd applauds--
For a party whose base adores belligerence, this is the guy.
ERIC DYSON: But if he dreams that he's as intelligent as Kanye he better wake up and apologize
MARY KATHARINE HAM: He also has the most important quality for running for President which is thinking you're awesome enough to run for President
MAHER: That's right. They love that

Jon Stewart defends his 'Rally to Restore Sanity': Rachel Maddow, Sarah Silverman, Sam Seder and Bill Maher weigh in

Jon Stewart explaining his 'Rally to Restore Sanity' with Rachel Maddow

VIDEO: Rachel Maddow's One hour interview with Jon Stewart

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

'The Rachel Maddow Show' (Nov 15, 2010)
MADDOW: You don‘t do all that many interviews...
Why did you—why did you want to talk to me?

STEWART: After the rally it—you know, whenever you go out there, whatever you put out, you can only control your intention. You can‘t control its perception or how people receive it. And you can control your execution.

So, when people are perceiving it as something—people that I respect are perceiving as something that we didn‘t perceive it as sort of either two or three things, one is we were inartful in the way that we conceived it and presented it, our intention was wrong or off, not clear. Or it‘s being misperceived. So, I guess—there‘s probably four. I don‘t know what that would be.

VIDEO: Bill Maher on The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

HBOs' Real Time with Bill Maher: Ep 196
And finally, New Rule, if you're going to have a rally where hundreds of thousands of people show up, you might as well go ahead and make it about something. With all due respect to my friends Jon and Stephen, it seems to me that if you truly wanted to come down on the side of restoring sanity and reason, you'd side with the sane and the reasonable, and not try to pretend that the insanity is equally distributed in both parties.

Keith Olbermann is right, when he says he's not the equivalent of Glenn Beck. One reports facts, the other one is very close to playing with his poop.

Sam Seder and Sarah Silverman discuss the effectiveness of Jon Stewart and his 'Rally to Restore Sanity' as well as Bill Maher's critique of the rally.
Sam chats with Atrios and Sarah Silverman (Nov 17, 2010)

¡SATIRISTAS! - A new book featuring comedians Janeane Garofalo, Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert

¡SATIRISTAS!: Comedians, Contrarians, Raconteurs & Vulgarians

From Paul Provenza, the man who brought you the ensemble comedy documentary 'The Aristocrats', comes another impressive lineup of comedians this time in book form. Featuring many of the APF's comedians from Bill Maher to Stephen Colbert comes '¡SATIRISTAS!: Comedians, Contrarians, Raconteurs & Vulgarians'

SATIRISTAS! Book Signing
Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, Lewis Black, Billy Connolly, Patton Oswalt, Robin Williams, George F-ing Carlin. They are all Satiristas! – a cadre of independent comic provocateurs targeting political hypocrisy, media distortion, complacency and the institutionalized ignorance infecting American culture.

Through candid interviews and intimate art portraits, stand-up comedy veteran and filmmaker Paul Provenza and comedy’s go-to photographer Dan Dion shine a spotlight on some of the most interesting comic artists who influence and critique American culture.

Go to the official SATIRISTAS! website

Watch a clip starring many of the featured comedians on the Satiristas book

VIDEO: The Andy Borowitz Report: Obama's First Year at the 92nd Street Y

Allahpundit of HotAir deconstructs Bill Maher's role in the lefty landscape

A nice little dissertation by AllahPundit on where Bill Maher fits in the "lefty landscape". It turns into a nice wrestling style promo by the end with AllahPundit undervaluing Maher's accomplishments.

Video: And now, an important message from Bill Maher about tea partiers
...As lame as it is, I find the clip interesting as a window onto Maher’s place in the lefty media landscape. He’s not quite a comedian — the jokes here, such as they are, are simply terrible — and he’s not quite a serious pundit either, yet not only does he have his own show on premium cable, he’s in demand by cable news nets as a commentator on current affairs. Does anyone else get quite that much notoriety for filling this niche? Coulter and Dennis Miller are obvious comparisons, the former because she’s a provocateur, the latter because he’s a comedian turned pundit, but neither one has their own television show. It’s not like the left is starved for comic opinion, either. Stewart and Colbert run rings around this tool every weeknight and people like Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman, and David Cross are both sharply left and (at times) sharply funny. How does “Real Time with Bill Maher” exist but not, say, “Real Time with Zach Galifianakis”? Maybe that’s Maher’s secret — that, unknown to the public at large, behind the scenes he’s simply a genius of self-promotion. That would explain a lot; rarely has someone blessed with so little achieved so much.

VIDEO: Bill Maher On Tea Party: “Why Let The Truth Spoil A Perfectly Good Klan Rally”

Time Wise on CNN's 'What Matters' talks Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Bill Maher

VIDEO: Time Wise on the "Racial Undertones" of the health care debate

Writer Tim Wise speaks to CNN 'What Matters' host Don Lemon about the "racial undertones" in the current debate on Healthcare. The discussion name-checks pundits Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Bill Maher. Accompanying the video of the discussion are the quotes referenced by Mr Wise.

1) Glenn Beck sees Healthcare as indirectly addressing "reparations"

GLENN BECK: Everything that is getting pushed through Congress including this Health Care bill are transforming America and they are all driven by President Obama's thinking on one idea - Reparations.
(puts on voice and holds up sign) "Crazy Right Wing extremists!" Before you say anything... His goal is creating a new America, a new model. A model that will settle old racial scores through new social justice

2) Rush Limbaugh is skeptical of "community service" as used by President Obama

Obama Hijacks 9/11, Twists it Into National Day of Service to the State
RUSH: We had a caller, a nice guy, Rob from Manhattan earlier in the day who said, "You know, I think you're misunderstanding Obama. He's kind of right. Manhattan after 9/11 came together like Manhattan never has. It's right to call out for community service."... He's hijacking this for what sounds like a wonderful thing. "Well, community service. We all gotta get together." You gotta understand "community service" is nothing more than community organizing. It is a tactic. Community service is one of the baby steps toward fascism.

So many things that Obama does appear to be isolated, but they are interconnected to organizing the private sector to serve the state -- and that's not the way this country was founded.

3) Bill Maher touches on the fears white people have of President Obama

NEW RULES - Real Time With Bill Maher - 9/11/2009
BILL MAHER: Crazy morons make things up for Obama to do and he does it. Same thing happened with the speech to schools this week where the President merely attempted to tell children to work hard and wash their hands and "Cracker Nation" reacted as if he was trying to hire the Black Panthers to hand out grenades in homeroom...

You know tomorrow Glenn Beck's army of zombie retirees are descending on Washington, It's the Million Moron March...

Bill Maher: Michael Jackson IS America (Fragile, overindulgent, childish, in debt, on drugs and over the hill)

Almost 2 months after his passing, the 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson still remains a constant in the international news cycle. In light of this I'd like to relive Bill Maher's memorable monologue deconstructing America's fascination with the tragic music icon.

VIDEO: Michael Jackson is America (July 17, 2009)

BILL MAHER: Why? Why did America lose its collective sh*t over Michael Jackson? And then like Michael’s father Joe, it hit me - Michael Jackson is America! We love him so much because he reflects our nation perfectly: Fragile, Overindulgent, Childish, In debt, on drugs, and Over the Hill. Now let me state clearly I don’t wish my country was all of these bad things. I just don’t want to be one of those people Michael Jackson had around him that just tell you you’re great and that your destructive behavior is totally normal and that just give you whatever you want — like doctors...

And finally, is America over the hill? I don’t know. I hope not. But Monday is the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon. I can’t think of any ambitious goal we’ve reached since then. It’s sad when your peak is a moonwalk that occurred decades ago. So America faces a choice. We can go the Michael route and keep living on debt and the world’s affection for our early work or we can get our sh*t together like Britney Spears, put on our circus costume, and go out and show the world that we’ve still got it!

Read conservative support for Bill Maher's clever Michael Jackson analogy to critique America - HBO: Bill Maher’s redemptive moments

Bill Maher charges Michelle Malkin's book is premature, mocks Beck, Limbaugh and Coulter

VIDEO: Real Time - Bill Maher mocks Malkin for her new book

With fellow Blue pundit Rachel Maddow standing by, Bill Maher cuts a light promo on Michelle Malkin for releasing a prematurely critical book on the failures of the Obama administration. Maher makes his point by presenting faux critical books as released by conservative pundits Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.

BILL MAHER: He's been in office, our President for 6 months and there is already a book by Michelle Malkin... look at this. This is not a fake book that we mocked up... 6 months in office!! and already we can make this judgment.It blows my mind because Bush always said "You can't judge me now. Only history can judge me".

The 3 mocked up books Bill Maher presented were
1) Clownfall: How Al Franken destroyed the Senate, bankrupted Minnesota and ruined ice fishing forever by Rush Limbaugh

2) Shitfaced: Obama's pathetic descent into Alcoholism by Ann Coulter

3) Painting with Poop by Glenn Beck

Michelle Malkin counters Maher on her site

When they can’t attack the message...
That’s it. Not a single refutation of a single fact in the book. Bill Maher can’t bring himself to open it and read what’s in between the covers. Why? Because he and all of his enablers in Hollywood, D.C., and Manhattan are in a state of denial about Obama’s Culture of Corruption. They don’t want to hear it, see it, or smell it. Unlike many brave whistleblowers who worked in the Obama trenches and who have seen the light, the liberal elites don’t want to know the truth.

Maher sneers that Obama has only been in office six months.

Hey, Einstein: That. Is. The. Freaking. Point.

Pundit Roundup on "Birthers" (Barack Obama birth certificate scandal)

Rush Limbaugh's take on speculation over Obama's Birth certificate

What's the Difference Between God and Obama?
RUSH: What do Obama and God have in common? Neither has a birth certificate. How do they differ? God does not think he's Obama. And there's another difference between God and Obama, and that is that liberals love Obama.

Ann Coulter's take on the "Birthers"
Ann Coulter: "Obama Birthers" Are Wrong

ANN COULTER: Lou Dubbs... is wrong on this issue. And I do want to point out that every conservative publication from 'Human Events'... dealt with this because it was raised as an issue and said there's nothing to it. So for CNN or MSNBC... bringing this out as an issue - it's just a few cranks out there..."

Bill Maher on the "Birthers"

'Birthers' must be stopped
And there's nothing anyone can do to convince these folks. You could hand them, in person, the original birth certificate and have a video of Obama emerging from the womb with Don Ho singing in the background ... and they still wouldn't believe it.

Which raises the question: Why, in this country, is it always the religious right that won't take anything on faith?

Michelle Malkin's on the "Birthers"

Kooky Politics
I believe Trig was born to Sarah Palin. I believe Barack Obama was born in Hawaii. I believe fire can melt steel and that Bin Laden’s jihadi crew — not Bush and Cheney — perpetrated mass murder on 9/11. What kind of kooky conspiracist does that make me?

Michael Medved and his opinion of the "Birthers"

THE BIRTHERS by Steve Benen
"crazy, nutburger, demagogue, money-hungry, exploitative, irresponsible, filthy conservative imposters" who are "the worst enemy of the conservative movement." He added, "It makes us look weird. It makes us look crazy. It makes us look demented. It makes us look sick, troubled, and not suitable for civilized company.

Stephen Colbert and his take on the "Birthers"

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Womb Raiders - Orly Taitz
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Tasers

STEPHEN COLBERT: ...Barack Obama is a terrible President, we have to get him out of office by any weird loophole we can make up. ... "Birthers" - I don't like that term. It implies that Barack Obama was birthed. We have no proof that that ever happened. I want to be able to stick my finger in the President's bellybutton and produce some lint then I will believe he was birthed. Until then don't call us "birthers."

Update:
Glenn Beck's take on speculation over Obama's Birth certificate
VIDEO: Even Beck and his radio crew think "birthers" are "stupid" and "morons" who sound like "flat earthers"

GLENN BECK: ...There would be civil war. If you don't think the ACORN's of the world would stand up and say "Awww you're just going after him cuz of his race, whatever". That's exactly what would happen. There are other things we should concentrate on. Who cares about the birth certificate thing. The time to do that was, you know during the election. Now what do you say we pay attention to - "he's appointing communists!".

Pundit roundup on Palin VS Letterman and jokes: Bill Maher, Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham and Sam Seder

Over the past week one of the biggest news stories has stemmed from one of the more trivial beginnings, a tasteless joke from a late-night comedian.

Sarah Palin: Letterman owes women an apology
Sarah Palin says David Letterman owes an apology to young women across the country for his joke about her daughter.

The Alaska governor appeared on NBC's "Today" show Friday, continuing a feud with the CBS "Late Show" funnyman over his joke earlier this week that Palin's daughter got "knocked up" by New York Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez during their recent trip to New York...

The controversy may wind up giving both Palin and Letterman attention at a time both could use it. Palin is considered a potential future candidate for national office, and standing up for her family could make her a hero to her fans. Letterman is in the second week of his new competition with NBC's Conan O'Brien...

Below is a roundup of the controversy from several APF pundits
1) Conservative pundit John Ziegler, best known for his media criticism largely built on evidence of biased treatment against Sarah Palin continues his crusade with the launch of FireDavidLetterman.com.

2) Comedian Bill Maher, who himself has experienced losing a show over a controversial monologue joke pushes the envelope in a provocative defense of his fellow comedian and friend

VIDEO: Bill Maher Monologue, Palins versus Letterman

BILL MAHER: Sarah Palin said "It would be wise to keep Willow away from him". That's right he's 62 years old, he's gonna f*ck her right there on the stage. He's gonna pull open his jacket, take the stem from his heart surgery out and have his way with her right there (feigning sexual act)... the only bright side to this is that finally there's a comedian under fire for inappropriate remarks and its not me

3) Rush Limbaugh on the inconsistent treatment David Letterman has received compared to Don Imus.

Letterman's Attack on Palin and Her Family Exposes Lib Hypocrisy
Letterman has just sunk to a shadow of himself. He used to be genuinely creative and funny back in his NBC days, but he has now just degenerated into an angry old man, filled with cynicism, not humor. It's a sad thing to see, actually, because he was so good at one point and apolitical. But he's like everybody on the left. They've just become enraged about things. Even after their side wins, they're just enraged.

4) Air America's Sam Seder appears on a CNN Panel discussing Palin as a soft target and analysing jokes. Sam Seder also makes an appearance at the David Letterman protests revisiting two things he's done before 1) Challenge protesters 2) Be a thorn in John Ziegler's side

VIDEO: CNN's The Big Question - Palin VS Letterman: Who's Right
SAM SEDER: I don't know if he's commentating. He is making a joke. With that said I am a father and if somebody had made a joke about Alex Rodriguez knocking up my daughter, I would take offense but that's because I'm a Red Sox fan. I mean in the final analysis -- it's a joke... He's just a late night comedian... he's done it for years and years and he's done it about all sorts of people for all different ages

VIDEO: Fire David Letterman Protest: War on (Palin) Jokes @ BreakRoomLive.com

5) Laura Ingraham talks about how the media has managed to still paint Sarah Palin as the bad guy. Listen to Laura Ingraham's take on the Palin/Letterman controversy

LAURA INGRAHAM: There's nothing funny about what he [Letterman] said. It's in poor taste and it's not funny. Some things are in poor taste but its funny. Let's face it, this was not even funny.

Bill Maher calls out President Obama, says he is overexposed. Roseanne Barr calls out Obama, says he is just like former President Bush

It seems everyday I feature new wrestling-style political promos, with Jim Cornette's rant, the Ed Schultz/ Hugh Hewitt feud, the Joe Scarborough/ Jon Stewart feud. In recent days ideologically friendly personalities, Roseanne Barr and APF pundit Bill Maher have cut promos on President Obama.

Bill Maher cut his promo on his 'New Rules' segment, delivering essentially the same message he made in an LA-Time op ed excoriating the media for overexposing Obama and playing up his celebrity. President Obama is more softly criticised for being complicit.

VIDEO: Bill Maher 'New Rules' - Obama, All Style No Substance (June 12, 2009)

Enough with the Obamathon
I'm still a fan, but there's a fine line between being transparent and being overexposed. Every time you turn on the TV, there's Obama. He's getting a puppy! He's eating a cheeseburger with Joe Biden! He's taking the wife to Broadway and Paris -- this is the best season of "The Bachelor" yet!...

I mean, selling the personal part to stay popular, I'm all for it, but you got us already. We like you, we really like you! You're skinny and in a hurry and in love with a nice lady. But so's Lindsay Lohan. And like Lohan, we see your name in the paper a lot, but we're kind of wondering when you're actually going to do something.

And let's stop worrying so much about doing anything that might tarnish the brand. See, this is why I don't want my president to be a TV star: Because TV stars are too worried about being popular -- and too concerned with getting renewed.

Jon Stewart and Rush Limbaugh have expressed the same, Limbaugh calling Obama "Pop Culture Celebrity-in-chief". Jon Stewart mocked the media's presentation of the Obama White House - "Brian Williams and a few dozen cameramen travel to the White House for a two-hour, two-day MTV-style reality show".

Speaking of Celebrity, Roseanne Barr is the latest Hollywood personality to admonish President Obama. This isn't unique in and of itself as there have been many celebrities outspoken against Obama from Chuck Norris to Jon Voight, Roseanne however is one of the first to attack Obama from the Left flank. Comedian Roseanne became a household name for her ground breaking sitcom but has recently dabbled in politics with hosting stints on Air America. Speaking to friend, APF pundit Stephanie Miller she unloads on President Obama much to Stephanie's surprise

VIDEO: Libtalker Roseanne Barr Slams Obama!

Courtesy of RadioEqualizer

NO HOLDS BARR-ED
STEPHANIE MILLER: How are you liking the new Obama Presidency?
ROSEANNE BARR: I don't at all. I just don’t at all. If you want to know what I think, go to read my blog, rosanneworld.com. And I don’t at all...
MILLER: What were you hoping for?
BARR: I was hoping for you know some change. Remember the reason why the guy got voted in? I was hoping for some change and for it to start there in the Middle East because that's why everything in the world is screwed up including our economy...
MILLER: But yeah. He's (Obama) clearly taking a lot stronger line with Israel than previous administrations.
BARR: No he isn't! He hasn't demanded one. He uses strong rhetoric. He talks harsh and carries the smallest stick in the world. He doesn't do anything. He hasn't even you know, don't get me started...

Come on, everybody's on the Kool Aid. I just, you know. Let's not even go into it then. Just go to my blog and read what Noam Chomsky said about it...
MILLER: You're cranky this morning, but I still love you.

Bill Maher interviewed by Howard Kurtz of CNN's 'Reliable Sources'

Howard Kurtz of 'Reliable Sources' interviews comedian Bill Maher. Topics included mocking President Obama, swine flu hysteria, religion and Miss California. Kurtz also questioned Maher on the criticisms leveled at him by Fox News' personalities Sean Hannity and Greg Gutfeld as well as the difficulty of booking conservatives for his show.

VIDEO: Matching wits with Maher

KURTZ: You seem not to be the most popular guy on Fox News these days.
Sean Hannity --
MAHER: Really? What changed?

(play video clip)
HANNITY: I see this with Bill Maher. Bill Maher's become an angry, bitter guy.

MAHER: No, he's an angry, bitter guy. That's called projecting.
That's called taking what you feel and giving it to somebody else. I'm a happy, single guy. He's a repressed, typical Republican.

I'm sure just terribly sexually repressed and it comes out in all their sorts of hatred and vile and bile -- why would I be bitter? First of all, our side won. You know, their side is in a wilderness like there's been before.

Bill Maher spoke about the difficulty of booking conservative guests and the way the men for the most part are the most sensitive to criticism. Not the compliment to Maher's "friend" Ann Coulter.

BILL MAHER: Is it harder to get conservative guests? Absolutely. Half the time when they come on they whine about it. They come on our show and write a blog about how "terrible it was because they sandbagged me". Which is ridiculous. I don't sandbag anybody. You're suppose to be a speaker for a living, you have a microphone. Talk. If I said something so awful. Make me look ridiculous, you have that ability.

It's interesting, the women guests never do that. Ann Coulter never does that

HOWARD KURTZ: You're friends with Ann Coulter
MAHER: Absolutely. She never whines. Amy Holmes, she never whines. It's the men in the Republican Party who are such girls.

Worst Person in the World: Keith Olbermann cuts a promo on "Harold Hill" Glenn Beck calling him an "accessory" [to murder?]

VIDEO: Glenn "Accessory" Beck Worst Person

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann cut a promo on Glenn Beck in a recent 'Worst Person' segment of his show. In pro wrestling, "cutting a promo" is the act of getting on the mic and delivering an impassioned speech, usually to call out another wrestler.

Olbermann's charge was similar to Bill Maher's criticism that Glenn Beck's brand of populism incites militia style violence, misguided fanaticism where people begin taking the law in their own hands. Glenn Beck promptly responded to that charge masterfully affirming his "you are not alone/ we surround them" meme

Bill Maher and Keith Olbermann on Glenn Beck + Beck's response
GLENN BECK: But I guarantee you, anyone who grabs a gun, criminal, insane, whatever and starts shooting people. If they've even watched Fox News, look out! They're just waiting for some nutjob, that way they can take what you believe and twist it to -- well see "look at what these people believe. I mean they're doing horrible things with them." And they're gonna blame it on those beliefs. They're gonna blame it on the people who talk about those beliefs. The people who listen to those beliefs. That is me and that is you.

Olbermann awarded Glenn Beck his Worst Person in the World, referring to him as 'Harold Hill' based on the conman salesman from the 'Music Man' - think Lyle Lanley from the monorail episode of The Simpsons.

KEITH OLBERMANN: But our winner "Harold Hill" again, its about his continuing attempt to disassociate himself with his inflammatory paranoia...

So videogames can cause people to try to kill police and television caused the doubling of the homicide rate. But Glenn Beck reducing the complexities of the world to the level of a video game for his television viewers and telling them to "rise up and take back their country before the government takes their guns". That couldn't possibly have anything to do with one of those viewers rising up and taking back his country before the government takes his guns. Glenn Beck "accessory" - Today's worst Person in the World

Expect Beck to respond to Olbermann's charge with even more vigor than he did returning fire to Bill Maher's criticism.

Maher, Olbermann, Levin, Maron, Shep Smith: Public Enemy Number one Glenn Beck

There is a truism that the bigger you get the larger a target you become. The fastest rising star in the APF, Glenn Beck has been taking fire from all sides.

Glenn's Fox stablemate, Shepard Smith playfully ribbed Glenn on his theatrical presentation. Fellow Fox news anchor Chris Wallace also adds in his two cents. This is indicative of the types of critique Glenn Beck has been receiving from his peers, a mix of respect, jealousy and dread for his meteoric rise.

SHEPARD SMITH: We are not sure what Glenn's "We Surround Them, You Are Not Alone" super-special episode is about, today, but it involves a giant satellite dish and a call from Glenn in "the fear chamber."

VIDEO: Shep Smith goofs on Glenn Beck - "Fear Chamber"

Conservative Pundit Mark Levin has alluded to his disdain (perhaps jealousy) towards Glenn. Liberal talker Marc Maron is fearful of Beck's craven ambition. Most recently Bill Maher with guest panelist Keith Olbermann expressed their concern for Beck's influence and messaging.

VIDEO: Bill Maher and Keith Olbermann on Glenn Beck + Beck's response

Maher: Glenn Beck Increasing Chance of 'Horrible Action' on Obama
BILL MAHER, HOST: Listening to people like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck these days, I cannot figure out whether these right-wingers are more dangerous when they're in power or when they're out of power. Because when they're out of power, their paranoia goes off the charts. This Glenn Beck guy, I wouldn't even give him the time of day except he's a big star now on Fox and a lot of people believe him, and he's talking about FEMA concentration camps. He says, "We are headed towards socialism, totalitarianism beyond your wildest imagination." But apparently not beyond his wildest imagination.

- Read an astute listeners' posting on Mark Levin's contempt for Glenn beck - Mark's "hate-on" for Glenn Beck
Listen to Levin taking a shot at Beck at the top of his monologue on the origins of Economic disaster - Economic Disaster: How did we get here?

MARK LEVIN: I remember I had said it a few weeks a go because some jerk on Cable TV repeats everything I say. The guy with tourettes

- Listen and download audio of Marc Maron ripping into Glenn Beck

MARC MARON:just underneath all that sappy bullsh*t is a populist demagogue willing to exploit and mine people's fear through fearmongering and bizarre insane leadership qualities that come from a broken man who has rebuilt himself in the form of a giant angry baby demanding that America parent it, if only it would do what it says

Ron Paul appears on Bill Maher's return show for 'Real Time'

VIDEO: Ron Paul on Real Time with Bill Maher (Feb 20, 2009)

I'll soon be doing a post on Pundits talking Armageddon, doom, gloom and the big word "Revolution!". Bill Maher recently welcomed Ron Paul as guest for 'Real Time's' first episode for 2009. Ron Paul was the popular Presidential hopeful who ran a valiant but ultimately unsuccessful platform of "Revolution" in 2008.

Go to Ron Paul's bio on his official site
Go to Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty site

Bill Maher on the Rachel Maddow Show

We don't often get the chance to celebrate the up and coming pundits here at the APF as we usually focus on the bigger and more outspoken names.

Rachel Maddow who has quietly risen in the ranks of the APF debuted her show a few weeks ago on MSNBC.

I encourage you to check out the videos from MSNBC's official site.

Rachel Maddow in a discussion with the always interesting Bill Maher. Whilst Bill came of a little too condescending and sloppy for his message to work, Rachel did some polishing by offering a more persuasive take on Bill's argument.

'The Rachel Maddow Show' for Wednesday, September 17
MAHER: ...And, you know, I keep going back to this cynical point of view I have and people jump down my throat.

But the underlying problem we have in this country is that the people are too stupid to be governed. They are - they are too dumb to get it. So how do you explain complex situations like terrorism, like the environment? You don`t. The public is like - it`s like a dog. It can only understand inflection. It can`t understand any sort of rational argument.

...So I don`t trust them to make the right decisions.

MADDOW: Well, the dynamic has been, not necessarily, I guess, maverick versus complex smart idea, but rather weak versus dumb. And the American people, I think, have said, "You know what? We understand the Democratic case that the Republican guy is dumb, but we don`t mind dumb so much as we hate weak." And that Republicans haven`t argued that they are smart. They`ve just argued that Democrats are weak, effete, foreign eggheads, intellectuals, somebody you couldn`t trust in a fight. And they`ve almost made being smart a liability in an election.

Watch another Bill Maher conversation where he makes a more compelling case against Sarah Palin

Expect some laughs on her show as well, and not off the snide variety that Keith Olbermann does so well. She has enlisted the help of Kent Jones to provide some comic relief. You may have heard the funnyman on the late Marc Maron show and Rachel's own radio program.

Rachel on the women's vote


Kent Jones on Obama Clones - The Brazilian Barack Obama

Janeane, Seder, Maher and Coulter

Today I heard for the first time, Sam Seder and Janeane Garofalo's maiden episode of their Majority Report radio show. It was a very entertaining and smooth running show, especially considering they were radio amateurs at the time and aren't exactly famed for their preparedness.

The inaugural show featured top notch guests, progressive businessman Ben Cohen (Ben of Ben and Jerry's), blogger Atrios as well as uber comedians Bill Maher and Dave Chappelle.

Its an episode worth seeking. I've chosen this particular snippet simply because it features and references 4 APF pundits.

GAROFALO: You're friendship with Ann Coulter which a lot of people make a lot of. It does strike me as weird though as one of your main tenants of your stand up... you were saying is that "we can't tolerate intolerance"
MAHER: Right
GAROFALO: and Ann Coulter is very, very, very intolerant. At least her public persona is. I don't know what she's like behind closed doors. Her public persona is so intolerant as to be absurd... she says things that are bordering on performance art. In fact I do have a theory that she is Andy Kaufman, the female Tony Clifton.

Listen to a snippet of Majority Report Episode 1 (March 31, 2004)
Go to the old Majority Report blog

Profile 6: Rush Limbaugh and Bill Maher

Rush Limbaugh is the premier conservative voice in America. He is credited with reviving AM radio and considered the main catalyst for the Republican Party's Congressional landslide in 1994. He has been consistently voted as the most influential talker in America. Both from those in the industry like Talkers Magazine and Newsmax to the whopping 20 million listeners who tune in weekly. Rush is the undisputed leader of Opinion Talk, topping countless lists. He is contracted to Premiere Radio Networks till 2009, for a reported $365 million making him the highest-paid radio personality ever. This earned him a spot in the 2006 Forbes Rich list. Rush has been the recipient of many awards, usually for his work towards the cause of the conservative movement. Rush was recently nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Whilst Limbaugh has enjoyed immense success, controversy has followed him and he is targeted by many. He resigned from ESPN's football pregame show after remarks he had made. On October 10, 2003 admitted to his radio listeners that he was addicted to prescription painkillers. Limbaugh has often spent time off the air attending to these problems.

Rush has made several forays into television including a 4 year stint hosting his own self titled show ending in 1996. He had a tumultuous first time on TV guest hosting for Pat Sajak's late-night talk show in 1990. Most recently Rush can be found on Fox News' comedy show "1/2 hour News Hour". Rush is a big fan of '24'.

Rush has written 2 books: The Way Things Ought to Be (1992) and See, I Told You So (1993).


Bill Maher is a liberal comedian, actor, writer and producer. Whilst he has featured in and produced many movies, Bill is best known as the host of HBO's Real Time. Bill is known for his comedic social commentary and political satire. Prior to Real Time he hosted a similar politically themed talk show, Comedy Central's Politically Incorrect. This show premiered in 1993, predating the popular Daily Show which first aired in 1996.

Bill has written 5 books:
1) Does Anybody Have a Problem With That? Politically Incorrect's Greatest Hits, 1996
2) True Story: A Novel, 2002
3) When You Ride Alone You Ride With Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism, 2003
4) Keep the Statue of Liberty Closed: The New Rules, 2004
5) New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer, 2005

Bill Maher has his own personal website which has an archive of feature articles.