In the post just below this one you’ll see Bill Maher on the “Tonight Show” last night wringing his hands over the age old practice of using combat metaphors in the arena of politics. And yet, this comes from a man who just three years ago was not using a metaphor while discussing the benefits of a sitting Vice President’s death.
—–
The overall context is even worse. The conversation surrounds an assassination attempt on Cheney.
I’m just saying if [Cheney] did die, other people, more people would live. That’s a fact. [full transcript below the fold]
This is the mistake guys like Maher make when they start complaining about the speech of others, especially when you’ve personally said something on national television about how much better the world would be if the Vice President were dead. The bipartisan use of crosshairs on a map doesn’t even begin to compare to that, nor do jokes about your opponent being afraid to leave the house. Maher isn’t using a metaphor here. In front of millions of rabid partisans, he’s painting a picture of how much better the world be if that Cheney guy was dead.
I personally don’t remember Maher saying this and it’s obviously a classless thing to say but if someone had made an attempt on Cheney’s life with a VHS tape of this quote between their teeth, it wouldn’t be Maher’s fault. Though according to his own reasoning, just the opposite is true.
Furthermore, this is the man who probably didn’t have his “Politically Incorrect” contract renewed at ABC for making a controversial statement about the “bravery” of the 9/11 attackers just days after the attack. Many on the right, including Rush Limbaugh, stood up for him and yet here he is on the “Tonight Show” justifying ABC’s decision to fire him because he has just devolved into a being who now sounds like Ari Fleisher reminding us to “watch what we say” — something Fleischer said when asked about Maher’s 9/11 comments.
Are these this week’s New Rules, Bill?
March 03, 2007 on NewsBusters:
Wake up, HBO: one of your hosts said the world would be a safer place if the Vice President of the United States of America had been assassinated. …
Bill Maher: But I have zero doubt that if Dick Cheney was not in power, people wouldn’t be dying needlessly tomorrow. (applause)
Joe Scarborough: If someone on this panel said that they wished that Dick Cheney had been blown up, and you didn’t say…
Rep. Barney Frank: I think he did.
Scarborough: Okay. Did you say…
Maher: No, no. I quoted that.
Frank: You don’t believe that?.
Maher: I’m just saying if he did die, other people, more people would live. That’s a fact.
Full post here.
Comment count on this article reflects comments made on Breitbart.com and Facebook. Visit Breitbart's Facebook Page.