Alabama congressman: HBO comedian's remark "borders on treason"

[Newsjock]

http://www.al.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1116887384219020.xml&storylist=alabamanews

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Alabama 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 HBO show.

Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus 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 in giving a comic twist to his commentary. "We've done picked all the low-lying Lynndie England fruit, and now we need warm bodies."

... "I don't want him prosecuted," Bachus said. "I want him off the air."

[LSparkle]

1. Now how did I KNOW this was going to be Maher?

The guy can't get a f***ing break ... even on HBO.

[rocktivity]

40. He said that over a week ago!

What does it mean, by the way? That Lynndie is dumb? Or that Lynndie is too dumb to have acted without orders from above?

:headbang:
rockantion

[ebayfool]

79. I think it means all the easy pickins' are gone. Low hanging fruit is

easy pickins' - gotta work harder for the fruit higher up in the branches! I'm not sure if he meant dumb or gullible, maybe the eye of the beholder? Or both?

(see, you can take the girl off the farm but ...)

[aion]

84. Higher Fruit Might Mean Draft

Quite frankly, I think this was quite brilliant of Maher or his writers. You can interpret this a few different ways.

Low hanging fruit is the easiest of all to harvest/utilize. As our military is stretched thin, I interpret it to mean that the low-hanging fruit is a reference to all volunteers in general. The higher fruit would be a reference to a draft...

[liberalmike27]

105. Stop Posting, Write Him a Letter

Maybe then he'll shut his stupid mouth.
Spencer Bachus
Birmingham Office
1900 International Park Dr., Suite 107
Birmingham, AL 35243

Dear Sir:

Mr. Bachus, I recently read about your comments about Bill Maher’s show on HBO. While I can see how a few might take offense, I found the show hilarious. As it happens, it is the first show I’ve seen since the show was moved to HBO for his honest evaluation that those who crashed the planes into the buildings weren’t cowards; yes they were crazed madmen, insanely purpose driven, or any number of other things but essentially he was driven off the air for pointing out how ridiculous it is to call these terrorists cowards.
Being lucky enough to catch the show in Nashville while at my niece’s graduation, it was the first time I’d seen it. It is so rare that any real discussion of things appear on of television these days. The media is so carefully Pentagon-controlled, and any truthful discussion or dissent of our military industrial congressional complex is roundly quashed. At least Maher will take on these tough subjects, and encourages thinking, rather than promoting a zombie like agreement and repetition of everything the pentagon feeds the media.
As far as the comment, I found it hilarious. Mind you, I think most of us aren’t so stupid as to think Maher thought every soldier was as he put it “low hanging fruit.” Even the private mentioned was most likely ordered to do the things she did. Obviously the upper echelons of the military chain of command has truncated their responsibility for using these degrading sexual methods of interrogation, and is allowing these underlings to take the penalty for what they ordered them to do.
Perhaps you should be more concerned with why, out of 60 million plus Republicans who voted for Bush, and the war in Iraq, you can’t find a few thousand who are willing to join up, and fight it. Your deeming Maher’s joke as treason is just another example of the ridiculous trend of fake outrage used for manipulation purposes. Americans are beginning to realize that this war was produced by cherry-picking intelligence that was proclaimed to be either insignificant, or dismissed by the CIA as inaccurate. Now it is a quagmire, and we’ve managed to bring another country to long-term chaos. Some real media questions I have are; why do we never hear how many we’ve killed since the war started, why do we never see the wounded, why are they so reticent to putting even pictures of our dead on the tube? Could it be the Pentagon carefully prunes the news we are allowed to see? Now there are some real media problems to ponder. When you hear the media report on the war, it seems they go for the feeling of a Friday night football game, rather than showing the true horrors of war, and its aftermath on all of us. No muss, no fuss, no blood, no truth of the devastation of war.


It is pretty clear this war had nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction, or taking Saddam out. This war was about oil, it was about keeping a presence in the region that holds 75% of the world’s oil. Perhaps we should stop our pursuit of Empire in the world, and stop trying to be the policeman of the world. It would seem the job not only doesn’t pay well, but it continues to drive us more deeply into debt. With the debt, the interest consumes an ever larger part of the budget that we use to administer to the American people. And there is the risk of ever more Blowback from our intervention too. There is a lot of money in war, we knock them down, then we rebuild them, we buy new ordinance, we build bases. I understand we now have nearly 750 bases around the world. Big money in military Keynesianism, there is.

Let us allow cooler heads to prevail, and diplomacy to rule the day. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, and we should have never gotten into the war. A memo in Britain that has come out recently, and has been widely ignored by the “supposedly liberal” media proves that. Can’t we all just get along, and stop this manipulation of the media by calling everyone who disagrees with your war treasonous. Hopefully you’d agree that we don’t need a Ministry of Propaganda here in America, though one has to wonder with only 5 huge media giants controlling all of the news, if we don’t have one already. Curious: Have you ever read The Sorrows of Empire? Let us defend America, and stop attacking others.

[Maestro]

114. Excellent letter!

Let's hope he reads it.

[Chicago Democrat]

128. I think a letter to HBO would be my choice.

I mean it truly is an excellent letter, but I'm sure he either ignored it, or heaven forbid put you on some list of "smart-ass troublemaker intellectual types".

[leftofcool]

2. Shut the F UP, Bachus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stop telling us what to think and what to watch!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Left of Cool

[phantom power]

3. ... Thus reinforcing Maher's point :-)

[SlavesandBulldozers]

11. exactly. .

:)

p.s.- is this story in any other outlets aside from whatever that link is?

[Newsjock]

16. Yes

It's moved on the nationwide AP wire as a "People in the News" item -- y'know, one of those "lite" things you find back there on Page E2 next to the movie ads.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

129. thanks

:)

[Supersedeas]

118. b-i-n-g-o !!!

[Reverend_Smitty]

4. not really sure how that is treasonous

in fact it's not even remotely close to one of the most risque things Maher has ever said. I think Rep Bachus should take his head out of his ass and review his constitution...especially the part about the first amendment

[katty]

9. Treason?! for what?! HBO won't bow to this asshole

[liberalhistorian]

80. The wingnuts now throw the word

"treasonous" around like candy, they use it to smear anyone and anything they even slightly dislike because they know the strong affect the word has on most people. If this repuke fucker doesn't like what Maher has to say, he can turn off the goddamn station! He can decide that HE doesn't want to see it, but he does NOT have the right to decide that for everyone else. Someone needs to review the First Amendment, if he can even read in the first place.

[Jersey Ginny]

102. Repukes are anti privacy and free speech

They also get their names in the paper when they threaten judges or make similar wingnut facists remarks. American taliban repukes are the treasonists and anti constitution.

[BiggJawn]

116. They sure do. Like it has any effect anymore.

Oh, my! A ReTHUG Congress-Critter has called an ENTERTAINER "Treasonist"...but he doesn't want him arrested, just off the air...

YAWN!

Forget where the "off" button is, Comrade Bachus?

[Ravenseye]

112. Here's How....

Ok here's what Bachus said in the article...

"I think it borders on treason," Bachus said. "In treason, one definition is to undermine the effort or national security of our country."

Now it's been established that free speech DOES have limits. The whole "Can't shout FIRE, in a theater" argument. In an extreme hypothetical example someone going on Television and announcing what the secret nuclear codes are that would allow anyone with internet access to launch our missles...that speech could be considered treasonous.

But Maher did nothing like that. He insulted the people who DID volunteer for the military, which I don't find funny honestly, but so what? How does what he said undermine the effort or the national security of this country?

Simple. You can't say anything negative about our country anymore. You can't say anything negative about Bush, our country, our military, our policy, anything. If you do you're a treasonous dog you deserves to be shot.

The problem here is that too many Republicans have forgotten what the whole point of our country is. They don't love democracy, they love dictatorship. They're not Nazi's, but they are Fascists.

If Liberals are Communists, and Conservatives are Fascists, and the country is moving to the right, wouldn't that make Liberals fairly reasonable people, and the Conservatives closer to Fascists than Liberals are to Communists?

Go home Bachus.

[aintitfunny]

5. Mr. Bachus is Treasonous and should

not be holding public office, as he is failing to protect the 1st amendment. What a nimrod.

[Festivito]

126. Indeed! Bachus is the treasonous one; he should leave.

I think it borders on treason, to undermine our war effort or national security by using free speech to deny free speech while our troops are fighting for freedom (as they are told) in another country.

Free speech is only to be limited by its superceding rights of life, liberty, and free speech itself, such as yelling "Fire!" to harm a crowd, or revealing battle plans in order to kill or imprison our people.

Maher indicates that the easy to pick fruits are gone, and those are good fruits -- there is nothing wrong with good fruit that hangs within easy reach, just as there is nothing wrong with the good soldiers we have who did join, maybe because they needed the college money or even needed the job. And, now that the stakes are raised, so is the tree harder to pick.

If people are being insulted for being poor, why would anyone with half a brain look to a RepubliCON as their champion?

No, Bachus is wrong. I don't want him charged. I just want him out of my House.

[Solly Mack]

6. Oh, fuck Bachus

[nine30]

19. You mean "Fuch Bachus" ?

"Low lying fruit" ? ..LOL !!

Maher is one the most brilliant comedians/satirists of the day.

[Solly Mack]

34. hehe...that's funny!

[woosh]

50. It doesn't hurt to have a team of writers...

[NNN0LHI]

21. Watch your language

Not really. I am joking. I have just seen a lot of idiots telling people to watch their language around here lately so I thought I would throw it in here just for the hell of it.

:)

Don

[Solly Mack]

31. I do watch it...I never spell fuck incorrectly... :)

[expatriot]

104. They hate us for our freedom.

The Republicans hate us for our freedoms, its that simple.


on edit... oops i meant to post this as a general response to the main thread.

[peaches2003]

7. Everything will be treason soon

Before we know it anything remotely critical of this government will be treasonous. What did Rumsfield say just the other day- "Watch what you say, watch what you do".

[IChing]

15. What you just wrote sounds like treason also

so watch what you write :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Sequoia]

23. Watch What You WRITE!

Yea,ole Rummy Eyes, we've got your photo shaking hands with Saddam. You should've been careful.

[acmavm]

38. Everything will be treason except real treason. Those acts by a certain

political party and their henchmen are pretty well ignored. But oh no, someone tells the straight up ugly (but funny) truth, and somehow some nutcase figures that's treason.

What's the deal, did 97.5% of all republicans flunk American Government?

[fishwax]

101. In their minds, most of it already is

any criticism of the administration borders on treason, and is most certainly anti-christian to boot :sarcasm:

[youspeakmylanguage]

122. The more they fling that word around like monkey poo...

...the sooner it will be reduced to mindless hyperbole. We need a "Godwin's Law"-type of rule for fundies, neocons, and chickenhawks screaming "treason" every time someone says something they disagree with.

[Blaze Diem]

8. Overthrowing the US Government for war profiteering is TREASON ALSO..

Hope Maher points this out in his defense statement.
Fucking give the bastards HELL Maher!!!

Are you going to take this crap?

[Fire Walk With Me]

28. Ding! As well as creating a Jihad against the American public

through destroying a sovereign nation for its resources.

"In treason, one definition is to undermine the effort or national security of our country."

Gauge this by the protest against Laura Bush on her ME tour. Is there any anti-American sentiment?

Did Europeans vote "George Bush" as their choice for the most dangerous issue in the world?

Did we once have the sympathy and support of the Western world?

http://www.churchill.navy.mil/lutjens.htm

[LynnTheDem]

10. For f*ck's sake already.

Rep. Bachus;

1. look up what treason means.

2. STFU.

[The_Casual_Observer]

12. He's pissed because it's true.

[phantom power]

27. And he knows it's true of him, personally.

And his family. Last I heard, there were only one or two congressmen with any family currently serving in the military, or who had themselves served.

[Miss Chybil]

13. From a veteran's standpoint

I say this to Bachus, "Waaa, Waaaa, Waaaah!"

Even though, I don't consider myself, or any service member, "low lying fruit," (Lynndie England, et. al. excluded), I believe in Bill Maher's right to tell a joke. It's called freedom of speech.

I also believe in the Republican meme, "Let the market decide." If Maher's ratings are good enough for HBO, he should have his show. What's wrong with Republicans nowadays? Don't they remember their own rules?

[SlavesandBulldozers]

18. its being twisted into an attack on military folks

when genuine military folks are nothing like Lynndie England.

i would honestly hope that no military type would back Lynndie England simply because she was in the military. I know nothing about the military, I've never served or anything but I would hope that our military would consider Lynndie England low lying fruit.

I need to read this whole article though is there another source for this.

[Miss Chybil]

35. She's more like a low-lying slut.

This is what most people in the military think of her. BUT,(and this is not to excuse anything she has done, she's an idiot, literally,) until a woman has worked, virtually alone with hundreds of men, in life and death situations - some of the men being out to kill her and the others being supposed to protect her, she can never know the mind f*ing that goes on in that type of scenario.

I'm not a psychiatrist, and again, I'm not excusing her, (I worked in a maximum security prison, myself and there is no excusing her behavior), but I wouldn't be surprised if a psychiatrist said she had sunken into some sort of animalistic survival instinct - i.e. little woman pairs up with a big guy and does whatever he wants so he will take care of her. Instead he abused her along with the prisoners. The difference between she and the prisoners was she had a choice. They didn't.

[Catch22Dem]

51. Interesting what you just said there...

That's very interesting indeed. Surely she'll be examined at some point. Wonder what they'll find going on in there.

Former vet here too. A belated welcome to DU goes out to you from me. :D

[Miss Chybil]

81. Thank you. I'm sure she's already been examined.

Unfortunately, it's probably been by a military psychiatrist who doesn't really care about anything but his own butt and the politics of the situation. Like my mom always says, "When you make your bed, you have to lie in it." Lynndie made her bed, but I can't help but consider her just one more of Bush's casualties. She didn't make that bed all by herself.

Are you a female vet? If you are, you might understand the complexity of the situation women in the military find themselves in. One, you have to pretend you're sort of not a woman, many times, to get any occupational respect. Two, you have to do your job three times better than a man to earn any sort of recognition. Three, no matter what you look like there is always somebody trying to get into your pants. Four, you're away from home and family (not a female problem, until you get to number five.) Five, the people around you tend to fill the void missing a family leaves and six they're always trying to get into your pants! Oh, and seven, if one, or more, happens to get in your pants without your permission and you report it, you become a social pariah, of sorts. Unless, of course, you were severely beaten, then it's o.k. to say you were raped. Unless, of course, the rapist is of substantial rank, then the beating might not get you much sympathy if nobody can believe he would do a thing like that. (This isn't ALL from personal experience... )

Anyway, I got out of the Army in 1989 and it wasn't until a few months ago I realized how much it had affected my femaleness - my very being. I don't think the same now, as I did then. Of course, I'm older, but my situation is more natural, as well. Military life is not natural for anybody, male, or female.

My daughter-in-law is in the Air Force and did a tour in Iraq with the Army - her job is to support the Army pilots. From what she told me, nothing's changed. She went to Iraq very soon after the Abu Ghraib story broke and I will tell you, I was irate with Lynndie England for the danger I felt she put, not only my daughter-in-law in, but all female military personnel. She made them look like sluts to the Arabs and the rest of the world AND she reinforced that image to many of our own soldiers. I wish she'd had more sense, but she didn't and probably doesn't to this day.

People want to stand around and cry about Newsweek getting a detail wrong, or Bill Maher making a joke. There is a whole lot more to cry about than that. A whole lot more. What would life be like right now had Al Gore gotten the Supreme Court nod? Lynndie England would still be a nobody and a whole lot of other nobodies and somebodies would still be alive today - tending chickens, or playing Halo 2. Who knows?

[applegrove]

14. The truth must hurt Bachus a great deal. When have recruiters ever

not gone for the low lying fruit first? Why even drafts have gone after the low lying fruit first. Where is that list of military backgrounds of all politicians?

[gizmo1979]

17. Oh how the truth hurts!

Ain't no rich white plantation owners over there.I'll guarantee you that!

[AndyTiedye]

91. Did Have a Rich Pro Athlete Go Over There. He Died from "Friendly Fire"

and then the Army lied about it to his parents.


Army Withheld Details About Tillman's Death
Investigator Quickly Learned 'Friendly Fire' Killed Athlete

The first Army investigator who looked into the death of former NFL player Pat Tillman in Afghanistan last year found within days that he was killed by his fellow Rangers in an act of "gross negligence," but Army officials decided not to inform Tillman's family or the public until weeks after a nationally televised memorial service.

A new Army report on the death shows that top Army officials, including the theater commander, Gen. John P. Abizaid, were told that Tillman's death was fratricide days before the service.

Soldiers on the scene said they were immediately sure Tillman was killed by a barrage of American bullets as he took shelter behind a large boulder during a twilight firefight along a narrow canyon road near the Pakistani border, according to nearly 2,000 pages of interview transcripts and investigative reports obtained by The Washington Post.

The documents also show that officers made erroneous initial reports that Tillman was killed by enemy fire, destroyed critical evidence and initially concealed the truth from Tillman's brother, also an Army Ranger, who was near the attack on April 22, 2004, but did not witness it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/03/AR2005050301502.html

[TomClash]

20. A Congressman wants some press

Gee, what a surprise.

Ol' Spencer is probably worried he'd have to pick up an M-16 and go to Iraq.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

22. I'm sure glad

the Senator is keeping TV safe for us instead of making sure Mr. Bush and his cronies don't rob us blind (that already have).

[SlavesandBulldozers]

25. exactly

these guys aren't even hiding their desire for power any more. the mask is slipping.

[cprise]

24. HBO isn't on the air.

Its a cable/subscriber channel.

Big difference there Bucko... I mean Bachus.

[Inland]

46. A minor point.

Censoring broadcast, censoring cable, stopping the truth wherever it is told, all the same to this guy.

[cprise]

56. No it is not minor.

The broadcast spectrum belongs to the public, and is free to everyone with a tuner. This is where most of the FCC's power lies.

Cable is a mostly private, for-pay service with a more upscale self-selecting audience.

That is why Maher, Stewart, et al are hardly a threat to the conservative power base: There is little danger that the people who need it most will be viewing them.

[jobycom]

26. LOL What a compliment to Maher! He hit too close to the family jewels

there didn't he?

Must be cool having a traitor call you a traitor. How many babies died today because of you, Spence?

[Sandpiper]

29. When did Free Speech become Treason?

Oh yeah, when the Repugs came into power.

The GOP definition of Free Speech is: Freedom to agree with whatever they say.

[Catherine Vincent]

30. What about what Glenn Beck said, ya prick!

[jojo54]

32. how do you say his name?

Back-ass??

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

33. Apparently, Bachus & Lyndie England are kindred spirits...

Otherwise, I don't see why he would take such offense as to rewrite the definition of treason.

Ignorant backwood fuck.
(coming from an Alabamian, so I have license)

[NNN0LHI]

36. Um, Mr. Bachus. When you began taking people with 9th grade educations...

...into the military as you are now, you are well beyond the "a few good men" bullshit. You are now into the "a few mentally challenged" pool at this point. Know what I mean?

Don

[pissed_American]

37. FREEDOM OF SPEECH !! piss off ! n/t

[joefree1]

39. Congrats Bill Maher!

Old Bill's been trying to piss off the Rapture Right all season. Guess he finally got a zinger to take hold on his last show.

Keep it up But-chus. Bill loves the ratings bump. HBO will too.


Seating now available in the Smoking Section:
Politics, humor, death and the Devil - http://www.eDiablo.com

[MADem]

41. What an idiot, he can solve his problem of outrage quite easily

He can pick up his telly-fone, call his cable or satellite provider, and CANCEL HIS HBO!!! Such a concept! Then he'll have more money to spend on booze and hookers...

What an ass...an unmitigated, and profoundly stupid ASS!

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MelissaB]

55. Yep, we are. I'm not going to defend this nonsense.

Now, where is my vibrator?

[zoeb]

61. I remember them also making news about something

equally stupid...but I can't recall what it was when I posted the first response. Maybe you know what it was?

[customerserviceguy]

62. Alabama voted

NOT to remove state segregation laws off its books, even though they've been unenforceable since Brown vs. Board of Education.

If I were Bill Mahre, I'd be paying Republican peckerwoods to demand that I be led before a firing squad. Helps the ratings! Don't get me wrong, I think that Mahre is a modern day Lenny Bruce. He just knows how to get better media coverage than Lenny did.

[atreides1]

83. Maybe some in Alabama

Want to go back to the good old days, when segregation was in style and drinking fountains along with almost everything else was color coded.

White and Black!!!!!

[indepat]

43. I want Bachus out of the Congress, a place he surely does not belong

[liberalmike27]

107. Good luck

About 63% of Alabamians are idiots.
I too live in Alabama, so I know.

[NVMojo]

44. Hey Bachus, the truth hurts, doesn't it?!!!!

[geckosfeet]

45. What about Beck !?!

So low flying fruit is a big deal,,, what about casual discussion of MURDER of a private citizen using public airwaves you effin sunoff-a-bitch swamp rat!

[Shallah Kali]

47. How is Maher treasonous when it is true?

Recruters are lying left and right to get people to join. It even appears that one has press ganged a learning disabled man -
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1799449&mesg_id=1799449

[Fire Walk With Me]

49. Newspeak.

Truth = Treason.

All my life I've watched tiny minds respond savagely to anything inconvenient to their agenda, and the truth is probably the most inconvenient thing ever.

Look at what they did to Galloway's testimony. Wiped it from existence because he told the truth, and it was inconvenient to some tiny-brains.

[autorank]

48. Well, we are recruiting undocumented aliens in return for citizenship.

This congressman needs to get a life. Why doesn't he enlist?

[mitchum]

52. Well, I want Foghorn Bachus off the planet

[Initech]

53. If Maher gets taken off the air for this, I'll be pissed.

I mean, seriously, because of this fear-mongerer? What does he have to gain if Maher is cancelled?

[snippy]

54. It appears that Bachus has violated his oath to support the Constitution.

[Endangered Specie]

57. Go Bill!

:) apparently this congressman has never heard of a remote control.

Good ol Bill Mahr has a way of pissing just about everyone off doesnt he :evilgrin:

[BamaLefty]

58. Here I Am, NOT Taking Up For the Stupidity of AL Leaders.... AGAIN!

Get the government out of the market. We don't want big, dominant, intrusive government. Damn liberalism, damn it I say! Don't restrict the mind of man... we are rational beings! :sarcasm:

[EFerrari]

59. Newsjock, if this guy ever shut up, Doug and I would be out of

a job.

:)

[KeepItReal]

60. REAL TREASON IS:

A) KNOWINGLY lying about non-existant WMD to convince the American people to buy into a war that was not necessary.

OR

B) Making a sarcastic comment about the military recruiting people for whom military service is one of the only viable economic options.

Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus either has never heard of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution and/or does not know what "treason" means.

Here's a treason definition for you:

"Violation of allegiance toward one's country or sovereign, especially the betrayal of one's country by waging war against it or by consciously and purposely acting to aid its enemies." http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=treason

Get a clue Mr. Bachus, 'cause Bush & Co. ain't gonna put one in your talking points.

[susanna]

63. Michigan voter: Alabama congressman's remark "borders on treason"

especially since he, with his remarks, attempts to betray the U.S. Constitution that he is sworn to defend. He should re-read it, with special attention to that little-known section called the 1st Amendment.

More proof that the Republicans accuse everyone else of what they are ACTUALLY doing.

[liberalmike27]

109. Just noticing

How close the words "treason" and "reason" are.

[lumpy]

64. Low-lying fruit

can be interpreted to mean: the ripest fruit has been picked already and they are willing to pick the green fruit to be fodder.

[GetTheRightVote]

65. Just came from NC, they think they are fighting a righteous war

the people in the Carolinas do not what to hear the war is evil or wrong, you can believe that, they get very upset if anyone says otherwise. Oh by the way, they all love * too. The south is a very scary, scary place to live.

:kick:

[shayes51]

66. I thought we had freedom of speech in the US...

Please don't think all of us in Alabama are this stupid!

[Mr_Spock]

67. LOL - this is more silliness

They can be so sensitive - these macho patriots :rofl:

[truthisfreedom]

68. if it's treason, Bachus, you are a traitor for not wanting him prosecuted.

you would dare to protect a traitor? you, sir, are the lowest of the low-lying fruit.

[anotherdrew]

69. THIS JUST IN: Alabama congressman's remark IS treason

He swore and oath to uphold the Constitution, now he wants to end free speech? They must be scraping the bottom of the barrel for repug congressmen in Alabama.

[Name removed]

76. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Joey Liberal]

70. Moron Bachus just improved Maher's ratings

When Maher comes back on in August, he'll have even better ratings thanks to that Alabama moron Bachus!

[hatrack]

71. To use a phrase I heard often at protests, "If you don't like it, LEAVE!"

Fucking anti-American Constitution-burning wrong-wing ASSHOLE.

GO AND FUCK YOURSELF WITH A BROOM HANDLE.

[proud2BlibKansan]

72. I saw Bill on Sat night

Here's a link to the thread I started about his show

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3704658&mesg_id=3704658

He said many things that are a lot more outrageous than this comment that upset this idiot congressman.

[seeker4ever]

73. Bingo!

The more they squeal the deeper the kick in the nuts!

[Gregorian]

74. Shouldn't he be more concerned with whom outted Plame?

Now that is treason.
These people are so sick. Between hypocracy and double standards, and just plain lying, or blindess...

[Flammable Materials]

75. !!!EAT SHIT BACHUS, YOU GODDAMN FASCIST BASTARD MOTHERFUCKER!!!

There.

I feel better now.

[gulliver]

77. I'm really disappointed in Maher.

I'm pretty sure the phrase is "low-hanging fruit".

[struggle4progress]

78. Alabama congressman's remark borders on moronic. eom

[Toucano]

82. Bachus wouldn't know treason if it crawled up his ass and nibbled

his brain away.

Oh, wait.

Maybe that's what happended.

[usregimechange]

85. I want Bachus impeached! Idiot.

[genieroze]

86. Yippee we got the old Maher back. I was starting to worry that

he drank some Kool Aid. As for the Alabama congressperson, bite me. The truth hurts bee-atch.

[trogdor]

108. Never.

Bill just recognizes that it takes two to have an argument. Also, often the best way to win said argument is to let your opponent keep talking. Bill knows exactly what he's doing.

[bamacrat]

87. Why is it when the "media" is honest it's treason.

But when they tell fabricated lies just to serve the right, it fair and balanced.

[genieroze]

88. Write to this %$#*@%

http://bachus.house.gov/HoR/AL06/Contact+Me/Contact+Me+page.htm

[NNN0LHI]

106. Why? Do you think he can read? n/t

[genieroze]

130. Maybe he can get a fundie like Fartwell to read it to him.

[Al-CIAda]

89. This going to war on lies is treason. Raiding the treasury is treason.

Stealing from the commons is treason, Betraying the public trust is treason.

Take your fucking pick. Good god, this is waaaay out of fucking hand.

[Judi Lynn]

90. When Spencer Bachus speaks, does everyone listen?

Bachus is the one with the tie, or "tah."

Bachus said he was appalled after watching a rerun of the May 13 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."

Here's a copy of his letter to HBO:


Hope he enjoyed his trip to Germany on our dime. I'm sure he did a lot of good for the country.

[kevinmc]

92. Hurry Call Anthrax Coulter

[scarletlib]

93. second angry kick of the morning

who is this bastard? tell him we still have freedom of speech in this country. at least as of last night when i went to bed. who knows what rule our glorious congress and bushco have passed in the middle of the night.

[Jazzgirl]

94. I'm doing another shameless kick for this post.

I woke up to hearing CNN talk about this crap this morning. The first thing I thought was the last show of the season was almost two weeks ago. Why is this just coming up now? And...does this guy have a clue what "treason" really is??? Apparently not! What a moran....

[splat@14]

95. Wonder how many young relatives Bachus has over there? n/t

[cybildisobedience]

96. the real irony:

Is that Maher spent so much time attempting to appease these far right nuts. How many times did he admonish his audience not to react when some conservative kook was lecturing/lying to us? How many times did he beg conservatives to be in his audience? How many times did he kneel down to lick Bush's boots and call him a savior of democracy in the Middle East?

This is where it gets you, Bill -- now remember where your true fan base lies and stop kissing up to people who would just as soon have you incarcerated for uttering an opinion they don't share.

[tinanator]

99. give him credit

he gets to screw you, me, America and Ann Coulter.
not treason, but surely bound for the lake of fire?

[leesa]

97. Funny. I think Jon Stewart does treason much better!

These nincompoops have no problem with real treason...launching unprovoked invasions...purposely crashing the economy...destroying health care, etc...but a joke? Oh My!

[NJmaverick]

98. Spencer Bachus should be charged with treason

the murdering bastard helped to send our troops to die in Iraq

[LightningFlash]

100. "Republican's recent actions in congress ARE treason"

Smash that down the crack pipe and smoke it....

There is nothing more treasonous than the President, and an unelected cult of religious fanatics throwing America into an illegal war proven to be false and illegal.

http://www.downingstreetmemo.com

[Blue_Roses]

103. oh this is ridiculous

who is this idiot? Take away free speech...figures coming from a right-winger. There is nothing treasonous about that remark. He's a comedian.

[wallwriter]

110. We must burn the Constitution in order to save it!

[SKKY]

111. Why do people always criticize Bill Maher when he's right?

He's basically right. I'm waiting for the time when they'll offer criminals the chance to participate in a work release program doing military service. It ain't gettin' pretty folds. Don Rumsfeld wants a smarter, smaller military ready to strike at a moments notice. But the problem poor Rummy has (among the many) is that it takes very smart people to make this happen. Much smarter than the group we're attracting.

[ticapnews]

113. Last week Alaska's Congressman referred to Coast Guardsmen as

"snot-nosed lieutenants" in a story in US News & World Report.

That kind of comment from a Congressman during a time of war borders on treason because it damages morale among men and women serving in the military. It's certainly more significant than anything a comedian has to say...

[PittPoliSci]

115. Dear Bachus

Please feel free to squelch free-speech in your quest to become the new "go-to" guy in the Republican party for ridiculous quotes. Us here on the left truly appreciate your efforts in making Republicans look even more foolish.

Sincerely,
Wil

PS - Eat shit and choke on it.

[thinkingwoman]

117. such nonsense

should be met with laughter--and lots of it.

Every time.

And it should be repeated in every office, at every retail counter, at every gas pump:

Hey, did you hear about the idiot Republican congressman who thinks free speech is treason? Har Har Har Har...

BTW, I never miss an opportunity to place the word "idiot" before the word "Republican."

[BikeWriter]

119. Bill Maher hates America for our freedoms! Gag him and jail him!

</sarcasm>

[Generator]

120. It's funny how this nutbag and Coulter and their ilk

Accuse all of us of being "traitors" for free speech and the truth. When actually there is some real treason going on in the highest office that they condone with every ounce of their being by apparently if nothing else, omission. Most days it's even better- rationlizations or rah rah rah. Or hysterical fear mongering-if we don't torture all these Arabs we will all die!!! That's the subtext of the whole Coulter, Dennis Miller sttick.

But I doubt this guy is even smart enough for that.

[robertpaulsen]

121. Advocating abolition of the 1st Amendment is the REAL TREASON!

Fuck Bachus and every redneck wingnut that looks like him.

[Vinca]

123. IMHO, Rep. Bachus must be low hanging fruit if he doesn't get the joke. nt

[winston61]

124. did Maher say something that wasn't true?

Fuck Bachus. Moyer's right, the only thing the right hates more than liberals is the truth.

[AlFrankenFan]

125. This is fucking bullshit!

THERE'S A THING CALLED FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MAHER IS USING IT, SO GET FUCKING USED TO IT! IT'S NOT TREASON, IT'S THE TRUTH.
:grr::grr::grr:

/rant

[Chicago Democrat]

127. First of all Rep. Bachus is violating Bill Maher's free speech rights.

Second of all: Its true!

Third of all: Its hilarious!