Either Bill Maher was doing his best effort to impersonate Mel Brooks as King Louis XVI in "History in the World, Part I" or he has a complete and utter disregard for the intellectual competency of the American people.
Maher, a perennial bomb thrower with a hard left ideology appeared on CNN's Feb. 16 "Larry King Live," facing the king of softball interviews, Larry King, and let it be known he thought alleged terrorism plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammed should be tried in New York City and that health care should be forced through by the Obama administration, despite the wishes of the American people.
And why should the American people's wishes be ignored? They're "not bright enough."
"But what the Democrats never understand is that Americans don't really care what position you take, just stick with one," Maher said. "Just be strong. They're not bright enough to really understand the issues. But like an animal, they can sort of sense strength or weakness. They can smell it on you."
Maher insisted a trial for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in the heart of lower Manhattan should appeal to Republicans - despite the factors of cost, legal questions, etc.
"So when you back off a situation like that, you just look weak on top of which, somebody who is going to have to explain to me why the Democratic position on this shouldn't really be the Republican position," Maher said. "It seems like the Republicans, who are always the, you know, Jack Bauer, ‘24,' tough guys, macho, they should be the ones who want to try this guy in Manhattan. That, to me, seems like the breast-beating macho position. Yes, we're going to try him right where the crime occurred."
Later, Maher took the opportunity to reiterate his elitist disdain for the American people and their pushback on policies involving the expansion of government [emphasis added]:
KING: We have a blog question for Bill Maher: "Do you think it's socialism for the government to take over health care to make sure that every American can afford to have it?" Do you think that's socialism?
MAHER: Of course it's not socialism. Oh, God. Americans have no clue what socialism is. They just know it's something super terrible.
MAHER: No. Well, first of all, you know, we have socialism already in this country, as does every modern democracy.
KING: Social Security is socialism.
MAHER: Yes, of course it is. And so is the Marines Corps. You know, so is the mail. Every modern industrialized Western democracy is a hybrid with elements of socialism in it. It's - it's not evil. You know, again, the Democrats have done a rotten job of selling health care. There's a lot of good stuff in that health care, but to - to have it be characterized as socialist - to let people characterize it as socialism was a big mistake from the beginning.
Maher suggested what many gung-ho health care proponents have - force the Senate version of the health care bill despite the wishes of the American people through the House of Representatives instead of going the new route of a televised negotiation to iron out a new, amicable bill.
KING: Do you think they're going to get a weak bill in, if they get a bill at all?
MAHER: You know, the Senate bill that already passed is not that bad. Yes, it's not what a lot of people would have liked. But it does cover 30 million more people. You can't get thrown off for a preexisting condition. It - it - it saves money. It does reduce costs. Medicare is solvent until 2026. That's not a bad start.
You know, you can't solve legislation, usually, in one fell swoop. There's usually a good start, then you go back and you get some more. Why Obama just doesn't, you know, make - tell the House to, you know, adopt the Senate bill, take it into reconciliation and push this through, instead of having this televised supposed love fest with the Republicans. Larry, they're just not into you. I keep telling them, they just are not that into you.
