Here's a treat: video/transcript of Bill Maher from last night's Hardball

[CatWoman]

On the Kerry medal flap:

BILL MAHER: Why are you covering this? Why are you taking this bait, seriously? Why are you even letting them bait you into covering this complete nonissue? This guy has medals. This guy has ribbons. The other guy didn‘t go. That‘s the whole story.

The other guy is a draft dodger. They were both rich kids in the ‘60s. One of them went to where the bullets were flying and one of them found a way not to go and then he lied about that. Stop covering the medals.

Look, one guy went into the National Guard, which back then was a way of getting out of it. On top of that, he had the nerve to say to Tim Russert, “You know, if my Guard unit had been called up, I would have gone.” How very brave, Mr. President, considering that only 8,700 out of 2.5 million men and women who went to Vietnam. Only 8,700 Guard people were ever called up there, 0.03 percent. So there was no chance he would have been called up.

That‘s George Bush for you: “Hold me back, hold me back.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4857692/

[ElsewheresDaughter]

1. Maher was fucking GREAT on King lastnight!...

[Guaranteed]

2. LOL!!!

"Hold me back! Hold me back!"

Yeah, I know THAT guy.

[Kikosexy2]

7. You go Bill!...

Anyone catch Tom Brokaw last night?? He had a report on who really earned their military medals and who didn't. Apparently there are websites that sell medals. So from this report I guess the reich-wing nutcases are gonna start implying that Kerry bought his medals. The lengths these dogs will go to (sigh!).

[Kazak]

3. Yep, I caught that last night...

I'm not the biggest Maher fan in the world, but he's spot on this one and I was glad he called Matthews out on it.

[Fenris]

4. Thank God someone put those media jackhats in their place

This is a non-story. Kerry has medals; Bush has a "Cavity Free" sticker.

For the record, "jackhat" is my invented swear word and I am quite fond of it.

[Guaranteed]

6. That's a good one.

I know I'm not allowed to use it, but I wish I could. :)

[Fenris]

9. Use it if you want! "Jackhat" is now in the public domain!

[prodigal_green]

11. wait isn't that term

sexist?
racist?
ageist?
sizeist?
faithist?

I feel like I should be offended by it, but I'm not sure how!

:toast:

[Fenris]

14. It's omni-offensive!

All those things and it's anti-semitic too!

[Claire Beth]

5. Bill Maher for Vice President!!!!

He was indeed GREAT!

[sadiesworld]

8. Thanks for posting this, CatWoman.

The 0.03% is good to know.

[sus]

10. Maher was awesome.

Thanks for posting that.

[kaitykaity]

12. Okay, maybe I can stop hating Maher now.

He's still a misogynist A-hole, but this appearance
was a keeper.

[zbdent]

13. Is there a date for when W told Russert "You know, if my Guard unit

yadda yadda yadda?

Get that transcript and run with that lie.

Especially when his app into the guard was clearly marked that he would not want to go to VietNam. On one of the few Guard documents that he decided to release.

[shaolinmonkey]

15. “You know, if my Guard unit had been called up, I would have gone.”

Ummmm, isn't that a forgone conclusion? Once you join, it's not like you can say "nah, I'd rather not go. thanks for asking though!"

Dumber than a bag of hammers.

[underpants]

16. You want to hear something REALLY funny?

For the second time in about ten minutes (tried to find W speech on C-Span) I started to watch a video and realized that my new monitor has no speakers.

The Maher video was still pretty funny. I watched it last night and I knew what he said. After his "Why are you covering this..." Mathews starts to say something else and Maher is just shaking his head in disbelief and has the most deadpan "You are an idiot" look on his face. The guy is funny without sound.

[CatWoman]

17. just like you!!!!

:D