If smugness were a crime, they would put HBO "Real Time" host Bill Maher under the jail.
On NBC's Aug. 24 "Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien," Maher expressed his frustration with President Barack Obama's inability to get health care/health insurance reformed and passed into law.
"I think right now for example, this health care debate looks like it's - we could lose it because I don't think [Obama] he has been tough enough," Maher said. "You know, he used to say in the campaign, ‘It's your time.' This is his time. He should get mad, stop [expletive] around."
One of the hurdles Obama is facing to get his brand of health care made law is some of the more moderate Democrats in the Senate aren't willing to agree to the far-reaching plan Obama and the Democratic congressional leadership want. Maher said it really didn't matter what they thought.
"You know, they're talking about 60 votes they need," Maher said. "Forget this stuff. You can't get Americans to agree on anything. Sixty-percent? Sixty-percent of people don't believe in evolution in this country. He just needs to drag them to it. Like I just said, they're stupid. Just drag them to this."
He suggested Obama employ Mafia-like tactics straight from "The Godfather" to get Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., to agree to Obama's plan.
"Get health care done, you know, with or without them," Maher said. "Make the gang of six an offer they can't refuse. This Max Baucus guy - he needs to wake up tomorrow with an intern's head in his bed."
The HBO host also suggested Obama use some of the tactic Bush - or what he perceived as President George W. Bush's administration's disregard for what the public thought.
"I'm serious - you know, I said this months ago when people criticized me - this is where the president needs to be a little more like Bush," Maher said. "Bush had horrible ideas - torture, deregulation, massive tax cuts for the rich, preemptive war - horrible ideas. But you know what - he had that swagger that said I'm just going to get it through. Suck on it America if you don't like it."
