Bill Maher Sorry the Assassination Attempt on Dick Cheney Failed

[U2Girl1978]

In 2002, ABC made the decision to not renew Bill Maher's contract after he made some disgraceful comments on his program "Politically Incorrect" concerning America's military response to 9/11. After what transpired on "Real Time" Friday, the heads of HBO should be equally outraged, if not more.

As the discussion moved to the attempted assassination of Vice President Cheney last week, Maher asked his panel why it was necessary for the Huffington Post to remove comments by readers concerning their disappointment that the attempt failed. As the conversation ensued, Maher said one of the most disgraceful and irresponsible things uttered on a major television program since Bush was elected.

In a nutshell, the host said the world would be a safer place if the assassination attempt succeeded. And, he even had the nerve to reiterate it. Here’s the deplorable sequence of events for those that have the stomach for it (video available here courtesy of our friend Ms Underestimated):

Rest of story here at this link:

http://newsbusters.org/stories/maher_sorry_cheney_assasination_attempt_failed.html

 

[MrPryck2U]

I take it you don't like Bill Maher? Do you watch his HBO show?

 

[BVS]

I don't get the outrage.

He never said he wish it happened or he's sorry the attempt failed.

NewsBusters what a joke of a website...

 

[U2Girl1978]

I take it you don't like Bill Maher? Do you watch his HBO show?

I never said I disliked him. He's funny.

 

[DrTeeth]

I agree with Maher when he says that the world would be a safer place without Cheney (and Bush for that matter) at the helm. Which is completely different from saying you're sorry he wasn't assassinated.

 

[MrPryck2U]

This is so bogus. Maher never says that he was disappointed that the assasination plot falied. All he says is that if Cheney were dead/no longer in power than less people would be dead as a result.

 

[Ormus]

I believe that Ann Coulter sees herself as a kind of "political comedienne," not all that different from someone like Bill Maher (and I think that's really why Maher and Coulter get along in real life).

I think this line from the Ann Coulter thread has some relevance here.

 

[verte76]

Isn't this just a particularly harsh criticism of Dick Cheney? I don't think he meant to imply that he wished the assassination attempt had been successful.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

I read about this whole silly thing last week at salon.com. Just to give a little perspective...

Complete text at http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/02/27/comments/index.html

The smoke had barely cleared from the suicide bombing in Afghanistan this morning, near a base where Dick Cheney was located, when right-wing pundits -- whose sole expertise seems to be in exploiting terrorism-related issues for political gain -- began their attempt to politically exploit the attack on or near Cheney. Seemingly in unison, they all went digging deep into the comment sections of various liberal blogs, found inappropriate and hateful comments, and then began insisting that these isolated comments proved something.

It is only a matter of time before Brit Hume and Matt Drudge begin hyping the scandal of how liberal bloggers were expressing dismay that Dick Cheney wasn't killed, and Howard Kurtz will write a drooling profile of the Blogging Warriors who exposed this scandal and join in with stern condemnation over how terrible it is that the Left is so filled with venom and rage. Maybe ABC News' Terry Moran can even join his right-wing-blogging brother again and chime in about all the terrible Hate Speech on the Left.

But what this predictable and moronic episode actually reveals is an axiom that journalists would do well to comprehend -- just as calling someone randomly at home and asking their opinion about a topic proves nothing other than what that individual thinks, the ideas and comments expressed by anonymous commenters at blogs prove nothing other than what those individuals think -- particularly in the absence of an attempt to show that the commenters are representative of the blog itself. Is that really that difficult a concept to comprehend? To know what the views are of a particular blogger or "bloggers" generally, one can read those bloggers' words.

But stray, anonymous comments prove nothing. And those who rely on them to make an argument -- especially without bothering to make any effort to prove that they are reflective of anything -- should be presumed to have no argument at all. That is why they are relying upon such transparently flimsy and misleading methods to make a point. And the same principle applies to journalists -- those who write articles about "the blogosphere" by using random, stray comments (or mean emails they receive), by definition, have nothing to say, no point worth making.

....

Ann Coulter previously expressed sorrow that Timothy McVeigh did not bomb The New York Times building, and she also called for the murder of Supreme Court Justices. As Blue Texan notes, she is one of the featured speakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference next week, along with Vice President Cheney and three separate GOP presidential candidates -- as well as Michelle Malkin, who is very, very upset by the remarks from the anonymous HuffPost commenters today.

In fact, it was at this very same conference last year where Coulter received a standing ovation after warning: "raghead talks tough, raghead faces consequences." In the same speech, she also asked: "If we find out someone [referring to a terrorist] is going to attack the Supreme Court next week, can't we tell Roberts, Alito, Thomas and Scalito?" Those comments were apparently so popular among the "conservative" luminaries (the same ones who put her books at the top of best-seller lists) that they invited her back this year. But the Left is deranged and angry because of some stray remarks made by some anonymous comments at "HuffPost."

....

-- Glenn Greenwald

 

[deep]

How many times has God tried to call Cheney home ?


Has not he had like 5-6 heart attacks?

I just think our christian conservatives should be consistent.

Why are they "aborting" God's decision.

With all those medical procedures to keep him here?



Let God's will be done.

 

[trevster2k]

I don't think Dick Cheney will be seeing God when he dies.




I'm glad I clicked that link to see some Bill Maher. We don't get him in Canada. I enjoy his show.

I was reading the comments of the conservatives dumping on Maher which were really funny. I love the ones about how he hates America and support for terrorism.

Personally, I will feel no sorrow for the death of Dick Cheney or Bush when that day comes. Death does not make you a better person.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Whatever he meant, I don't like Bill Maher and I don't think he's funny either. He certainly doesn't hate America, but he loves himself way too much.

I certainly don't like Cheney but I don't wish him dead or assassinated either.

 

[deep]

Death does not make you a better person.

I think a dead Cheney is a better Cheney

than a live Cheney.

 

[BonosSaint]

I didn't find the stuff he said after 9/11 disgraceful either.


CENSORSHIP AFTER 9/11: THE BILL MAHER 'COWARD' COMMENT
(Holt Uncensored)

"I do not relinquish, nor should any of you," he said, "the right to criticize, even as we support our government. Feelings are gonna get hurt so that actual people won't, and that will be a good thing."

Maher thought the stage was thus set for another evening of contentious behavior in which opinions would clash and perhaps some brainstorming would occur, and the audience would leave with plenty of new ideas.

In that context, about halfway through the program, conservative writer Dinesh D'Souza said that "although I think Bush has been doing a great job, one of the themes we hear constantly is that the people who did [the hijacking] are cowards...Not true. Look at what they did.

"First of all, you have a whole bunch of guys who are willing to give their life. None of 'em backed out. All of them slammed themselves into pieces of concrete . . . These are warriors. And we have to realize that the principles of our way of life are in conflict with people in the world . . . "

To this, Maher replied: "But also, we should -- we have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly."

 

[trevster2k]

I think a dead Cheney is a better Cheney

than a live Cheney.

 

[Lila64]

This is so bogus. Maher never says that he was disappointed that the assasination plot falied. All he says is that if Cheney were dead/no longer in power than less people would be dead as a result.

I watched the show, and that's exactly what he said, and was referring to Huffington's blog/website.

I still enjoy Maher

 

[Anu]

This thread is yanking me chain-ee,
Bill Maher is righteous prickster, see.
When a politician dies of any party,
The people are more free.

 

[LyricalDrug]

I think Bill Maher is a dork, but this criticism of him is wildly inaccurate. He never said this stuff!

I think it's being drummed up by Republicans to distract from the stuff Ann Coulter said last Friday about Edwards.

 

[deep]

let the Lord's work be done!

They need to stop "aborting" God's will

Blood Clot Found in Vice President Dick Cheney's Leg

Monday , March 05, 2007



WASHINGTON —
Doctors found a blood clot in Dick Cheney's left lower leg on Monday and have put the vice president on blood thinning medication to be taken for several months.

Cheney visited his doctor's office at George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates in the afternoon following mild calf discomfort, said spokeswoman Lea Ann McBride.

Cheney, 66, has previously been treated for a heart condition and has a pacemaker to regulate any irregular heartbeat. His annual physical in July showed his overall heart condition was stable. At the time, an electrocardiogram was also taken to check on repaired aneurysms on the back of his knees that were repaired through surgery in 2005.

Cheney has had four attacks; the first in 1978, when he was 37, and the fourth on Nov. 22, 2000, after the election that made George W. Bush president.

Cheney has been traveling a lot and air flight is frequently blamed for blood clots. He recently returned from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Monday's ultrasound revealed a deep venous thrombosis or DVT. The vice president was not admitted to the hospital and has since returned to the White House to resume his schedule, McBride said.

"He'll maintain his regular schedule," McBride said. "He feels fine."