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Tue 24 May, 2005 08:43 am
Congressman Slams Bill Maher Over Army Remark
By JEFFREY McMURRAY, AP
Many stations pulled Maher's previous show, "Politically Incorrect" in 2001 over comments he made about 9/11.
WASHINGTON (May 24) - A congressman says comedian Bill Maher's comment that the U.S. military has already recruited all the "low-lying fruit" is possibly treasonous and at least grounds to cancel the show.
Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., takes issue with remarks on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, first aired May 13, in which Maher points out the Army missed its recruiting goal by 42 percent in April.
"More people joined the Michael Jackson fan club," Maher said. "We've done picked all the low-lying Lynndie England fruit, and now we need warm bodies."
Army Reserve Pfc. England was accused of abusing prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
"I think it borders on treason," Bachus said. "In treason, one definition is to undermine the effort or national security of our country."
In a statement released Monday night, Maher defended his support for the American armed forces.
"Anyone who knows anything about my views and has watched my show knows that I have nothing but the highest regard for the men and women serving this country around the world," Maher said in the statement.
Bachus said he was appalled after watching a rerun of the show shortly after returning from a visit to Germany, in which he met with a paralyzed American soldier in the hospital. He has since written to Time Warner, HBO's parent company.
"I don't want (Maher) prosecuted," Bachus said. "I want him off the air."
Numerous television stations pulled Maher's previous show, "Politically Incorrect," from the air in September 2001 after he argued terrorists weren't cowards when they slammed airplanes into the World Trade Center a week earlier. Maher later apologized.
That's stupid. Maher should be free to say whatever he wants on his show.
So much for freedom of speech or use of comedy and exaggeration to make a point.
If recruitment wasn't down so radically, the joke couldn't have been made. Since it is down so much, I guess that means more and more young men and women who decline to become w's sacrificial lambs are treasonous. They should join joining up, right?
Get real you posturing redneck, and do some meaningful work.
Here's a suggestion for something to do next time you want to waste valuable time on the floor of Congress.
Stick your head in a bucket of water three times.
Pull it out twice.
McGentrix wrote:That's stupid. Maher should be free to say whatever he wants on his show.
I agree with you 100%. Get me a glass of water please, I'm light headed. :wink:
Darn tootin'. If it weren't for HBO, there'd be nothing on tv, and I sincerely hope they tell Senator Whats-his-nuts to pound sand.
Some people, in this case some members of congress, just don't get it. Freedom of speech does not mean the "right to agree." It means the right to dissent, no matter how vile that dissent may seem to other people.
Spencer Bachus, Republican Reprentative from Alabama,
should be arrested and charged with trying to undermine
the constitution by calling for censorship. He can have his day in court. Perhaps a lenient judge will sentence him to study the US constitution and the American way of doing things.
Let's see, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jon Stewart have all made scathingly funny remarks about our Commander in Chief which are not only viewed here but in foreign countries. What Bachus advocates is Hitler or Stalin-inspired censorship. Not only that, it was a joke, you idiot.
And uncomfortably close to the truth.
More likely one of those stupid freakin' special interest groups have his ear. Like the idiots going after Burger King and the happy meals.
Maher was born with a right to freedom of expression given to him by those who fought and died in battles to form and defend this country. The freedom that Maher has exercised is something to be cherished ...... not abused. The Congressman does not have the authority to punish Maher.........the consensus of a thinking, reasoning society should determine whether Maher should be punished and they would do that by either turning him off or by silence at his jokes..........not by forcing him off the air.
McGentrix wrote:More likely one of those stupid freakin' special interest groups have his ear. Like the idiots going after Burger King and the happy meals. (emphasis added)
Serious business? I missed that one--what's the scoop?
A stupid comment and an even stupider response. (is stupider a word?)
"SuperSize Me" successfully indicted MacDonalds as an example of the dangers of fast food -- turns out, it's as dangerous or more dangerous than smoking in killing people and driving up health care costs. MacDonalds quickly responded by dropping the super-size me option. I don't think there is anything in the constitution protecting companies from systematically poisoning us but there's the same option available -- don't listen to the jokes if they offend you and don't eat the junk food if you're worried about your health.
I do agree that suing the fast food companies would have to be over false advertising including consciously concealing the poor nutrition of their product just shows how niave people can me. Well, duh, fast food is bad for your health.
BTW, MacDonalds now offers "lettuce wraps," which is their awful meat with the corn syrup laced "secret sauce" wrapped in lettuce.
Look at the bi-partisan ageement on this thread.....
nice...very nice....I'm sincere here for a change....
Setanta,
Some group is threatening action against BK because they are running a SW:III ad campaign and that because the movie is PG-13 that it should not be tied in with happy meals which target an audience of 4-11 year olds.
Thanks for the info LW and McG--the fortunes of fast food are not something which i follow in the news--and idiocy by both corporations and consumers brings to mind the Russian saying that there is not truth in the news, and no news in the truth.
(Psst, McG--I'm not the Mountie.)
You got that right, Setanta! And Setanta is the feisty little dog.
blueveinedthrobber wrote:Look at the bi-partisan ageement on this thread.....
nice...very nice....I'm sincere here for a change....
Hmmmm......why do I find it more likely that you are insincere about you sincerety?
rayban1 wrote:blueveinedthrobber wrote:Look at the bi-partisan ageement on this thread.....
nice...very nice....I'm sincere here for a change....
Hmmmm......why do I find it more likely that you are insincere about you sincerety?
couldn't let it go could you? So much for our rare moment of bi-partisan, sniping free agreement....
BVT
Your quick rise to the bait suggests that you have vast feelings of guilt about your previous attacks on the opposition.
rayban1 wrote:BVT
Your quick rise to the bait suggests that you have vast feelings of guilt about your previous attacks on the opposition.
your total lack of understanding at the fact that I was merely kidding back indicates something as well...I'm just not sure what...
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