On Friday's Real Time with Bill Maher, GOP presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz were both on the receiving end of HBO comedian Bill Maher's latest anti-conservative vitriol as he called Cruz a "creep" and a "practiced liar" while comparing Rubio's religious beliefs to those of the terrorist group ISIS.
After complaining that Iowa is too religious a state to go first in the presidential nomination process, he took a shot at Rubio as he recalled:
So let me read what Marco Rubio said. He said, "We are clearly called in the Bible to adhere to our civil authorities, but that conflicts with our requirements to adhere to God's rules. So when those two come into conflict, God's rules always win."
The far left comedian then added: "No! That's what ISIS believes. God's rules don't win in America. Am I right?"
Moments later, during a discussion of increasing acceptance of Atheists in recent public opinion polls, Maher took aim at Cruz as he responded:
And still Ted Cruz said, "I'm a Christian first, American second, conservative third, and Republican fourth." I would number that differently. I think you're a creep first, a practiced liar second...
Liberal talk radio host Thom Hartmann brought up Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders's recent admission that he does not practice a religion, leading Maher to rejoice: "I've been waiting my whole life for a politician to say that."
The HBO host then moved to defend socialism as he further celebrated Sanders. Maher:
Right. He said, "I'm not into organized religion." And it just shows, whether Bernie wins or not, he really has changed this country, and -- not changed it -- the country had been changed.
And he's showing that, yeah, there's a large part of America that kind of wants to be a Western European democracy, "socialist' not a bad word, saying you're not into religion, not a deal breaker. They're out there.
Hartmann chimed in:
And it doesn't even need to be Western European. In the 1950s, Eisenhower never talked like this, and he was a good Republican, and he loved that 91 percent tax rate. And, you know, he built the country. I mean, he, well.
Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the Friday, January 29, Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO:
10:21 p.m. ET
BILL MAHER: So let me read what Marco Rubio said. He said, "We are clearly called in the Bible to adhere to our civil authorities, but that conflicts with our requirements to adhere to God's rules. So when those two come into conflict, God's rules always win."
No! That's what ISIS believes. God's rules don't win in America. Am I right?
(...)
THOM HARTMANN, THE THOM HARTMANN PROGRAM: On the other hand, you have Bernie Sanders who is doing very well in Iowa who in the New York Times today came out and said, "I don't practice a religion."
MAHER: I've been waiting my whole life for a politician to say that.
HARTMANN: Yeah. Thomas Jefferson was the last one, I think.
MAHER: Right. He said, "I'm not into organized religion." And it just shows, whether Bernie wins or not, he really has changed this country, and -- not changed it -- the country had been changed.
And he's showing that, yeah, there's a large part of America that kind of wants to be a Western European democracy, "socialist' not a bad word, saying you're not into religion, not a deal breaker. They're out there.
HARTMANN; And it doesn't even need to be Western European. In the 1950s, Eisenhower never talked like this, and he was a good Republican, and he loved that 91 percent tax rate. And, you know, he built the country. I mean, he, well.
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, WASHINGTON EXAMINER: People are still, you know, Gallup doe this poll where they ask people if someone was well qualified to be President, but they were, fill in the blank, would you be comfortable voting for them?
And Jewish, evangelical Christian, Catholic, female, those all end up polling pretty well. It's Muslim, Atheist and socialist that always wind up and the bottom of the list. Now, the trend lines have been moving, people are becoming more comfortable, but those are still the most sort of politically challenging labels people have.
MAHER: But it's down to 51 percent wouldn't vote for an Atheist. And 10 years ago, it was 61 percent, so-
HARTMANN: It's moving fast.
MAHER: Right. And still Ted Cruz said, "I'm a Christian first, American second, conservative third, and Republican fourth."
I would number that differently. I think you're a creep first, a practiced liar second, and, you know Bernie Sanders could just not say, "I'm a Jew first." That just wouldn't fly. And imagine saying, "I'm a Muslim first."
FORMER REP. TREY RADEL (R-FL): Keith Ellison out of Minnesota.
MAHER: Right.
RADEL: Could you even imagine if he did that the Republican reaction to that?
