An Open Letter to Bill Maher

Your op-ed in the LA Times on Friday, The GOP: divorced from reality, was really something to behold – a compendium of all the worst smears you could find, carelessly banding all those who oppose President Obama’s reckless actions on the economy into one group. I have never been a member of the GOP and probably never will be. A lifelong Democrat, I became disillusioned with the disgusting and dishonest behavior of the DNC party leadership during 2008 and I now consider myself to be independent. So, by this criteria, I shouldn’t even take offense at your article classifying any Republicans unhappy with our current state of affairs as “behaving like a guy who just got dumped by his wife.” But I am offended. I am offended by you and the level of willful ignorance you exhibit in these statements:

It’s been a week now, and I still don’t know what those “tea bag” protests were about. I saw signs protesting abortion, illegal immigrants, the bank bailout and that gay guy who’s going to win “American Idol.” But it wasn’t tax day that made them crazy; it was election day. Because that’s when Republicans became what they fear most: a minority.

Well, as Marshall McCluhan said, “the medium is the message,” so, nothing like coloring your message by only using the tiny fringe minority as an illustration of what the great majority of protesters were shouting about. This is nonsense, but by pushing your false premise, you have repeatedly and unfortunately shown that this is your level. You say that:

…“the conservative base is absolutely apoplectic because, because … well, nobody knows. They’re mad as hell, and they’re not going to take it anymore. Even though they’re not quite sure what “it” is.”

…[H]ere’s the list of Republican obsessions since President Obama took office: that his birth certificate is supposedly fake, he uses a teleprompter too much, he bowed to a Saudi guy, Europeans like him, he gives inappropriate gifts, his wife shamelessly flaunts her upper arms, and he shook hands with Hugo Chavez and slipped him the nuclear launch codes.

Well, no dear, that’s really not the sum total of what Republicans are worried about, nor is it the sum total of what the 3 million plus Democrats who did not vote for Barack Obama are worried about. While I do think that a man with a less than sophisticated grasp of the issues who is absolutely painful to listen to without his “prompter” is worrisome in the capable leadership department, I could give a rosy red damn about Michelle’s biceps or whether Europeans want to swap spit with him in the moonlight. That stated, let me try to clue your arrogant, self-righteous, insulting arse in:

First, Bill, to assume it was only Republicans protesting at last week’s tea parties shows the level of your denial. There were Democrats, too, and Libertarians and Independents as well as Conservatives. People are protesting endless bailouts. They were protesting a Stimulus package crafted by Nancy Pelosi et al behind closed doors that got passed without many in Congress even bothering to read it first; they are pissed that Wall St. is getting bailed out before Main St., with Timmy “Turbo Tax” Geithner and Larry “I like to fall asleep when my President is talking” Summers leading the parade, even though they helped these foxes who guard the henhouse get those outrageous bonuses in the first place.

They may be a little concerned that the President is telling which CEO’s to step down and that he is refusing to take back TARP money although some big banks are more than ready to repay it. They may be a little concerned about the slippery slope that entails. Go figure…

And I actually know some folks who voted for President Obama who were out there protesting. They have voiced to me their own desire to figuratively “storm the Bastille.” Most people have no objection to paying taxes. They have an objection to the Administration and the press assuming they are fools who will be terrorized like Chicken Little into believing the sky is falling so that this “crisis” can be used to pass all manner of reckless nonsense before anybody takes a second look. With his most interesting cadre of advisors, there is a little too much quid pro quo going on for my liking. Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric comes to mind. So much for a new era of transparency. Bill? Any comment?

Further you state the “big issues for normal people [are] the war, the economy, the environment, mending fences with our enemies and allies, and the rule of law.” Let’s discuss that, shall we. If not for the crack foreign policy team headed by Clinton et al, we would be in a disaster there too. And with Mr. President’s continuing gaffes, and his penchant for advisory “redundancy,” who knows if those efforts are being undermined.

You will also have to pardon me if I do not appreciate our President standing before a foreign people and saying that America is an arrogant country. We certainly have – and have had arrogant leadership. But how do you think Americans who feel gut punched, watching their savings go up in smoke, out of a job, struggling to feed their families, enjoy hearing such a horrid sound bite while their President is traveling with his staff of 500? How do you think our troops feel? If I had my druthers, we would not be in Iraq, but that is not the fault of our military or their families, who have for six years been bearing the brunt of the burden and sacrifice for the last Administration’s decisions and folly – a folly which then-Senator Obama voted several times to fund.

Surprise, Bill, nobody’s hands are clean. Where was the great consensus builder, Barack Obama, back in 2005-8 on the Senate floor, using his oratory prowess to urge a change in direction? What? *crickets* Oh, yes, he was voting to keep Terry Schaivo alive. That’s a good use of his time.

The rule of law, you say? Torture is wrong. Period. But it’s easy for me to make blanket statements from the anonymity of my keyboard. The fact is there is plenty of blame to go around there, too, as evidenced by the tap dance that Speaker Pelosi is now doing. As to the economy, even Paul Krugman, nobel laureate Keynesian doesn’t think Mr. Obama has the prescription anywhere near right, to the point that Rahm “Rahm-bo” Emanuel is getting all over him. You can hardly call Mr. Krugman a “dumped husband,” or a Republican for that matter.

You remember Mr. Krugman, don’t you, Bill? He’s the one who, over a year ago said that Hillary Clinton had the best plans for our economy and for health care. You remember Hillary, don’t you Bill? She’s the former First Lady, and two-term sitting Senator from New York who you saw fit to call a “cunt” on your show and then got on Huffington Post to defend your statement as rational. So you will, once again, have to pardon me if I call you out on the carpet as a misogynist fraud.

I have an excellent memory Mr. Maher, and as someone who used to watch your show until the Hillary bashing and your own hypocritical flip flops got too much for me to bear, I remember many of your past sound bites. You have a lot of nerve saying that “normal people” are worried about the rule of law. I assume you are referring to the release of the “torture memos.” Let me hasten to remind you of your worry that your home near the port of Long Beach would be hit so you were happy to have our government do whatever it took to protect you.

Let me also remind you that on April 15, 2005 you suddenly changed your tune and after roundly and consistently insulting President Bush, you said you have to “give your boy Georgie props on Iraq”. “Props on Iraq”? Iraq was headed for civil war in 2005. Your guest on the show that night, General Wesley Clark, all but told you as much and repeated the same on “Meet the Press.” It was a long two years after that until the “surge” took place. Your tune changes with the prevailing wind. One thing that doesn’t change, however, is your short memory and willingness to abandon the truth for a sound bite and an easy laugh.

Mr. Maher, I think perhaps you get too much of the news from your own echo chamber of HuffPo, DailyKos, MSNBC and Janeane Garafolo. If you could find the courage and decency to get off your own soapbox long enough to pay real attention and not listen to the likes of this biased cadre, you might find there were Republican politicians who tried to take the stump at the protests you so readily deride, only to be loudly booed by the participants.

Those of us, of all stripes, who are worried and angry are not just “hatin’ on a black man” to quote the offensive Ms. Garafolo. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are angry with Congress altogether – and that means Democrats and Republicans. We feel too many are living in a rarified air, clueless as to the concerns of, or their responsibility to, their constituency.

Your spreading this kind of propaganda, playing the race card to boot, which you also do in your article, is as reckless and cruel as it is false. As I discerned from many of the 699 comments which followed your piece in the LATimes, the shame is too many who don’t bother to do their own homework actually believe you.

In order to solve the serious problems we face, we need a President who does not pretend ignorance at the very existence of these protests. Hundreds of thousands of people from around the country were willing to take time off from work in the middle of the day, draw a sign and stand outside for hours to express a grievance. It would do well for the President, Congress and the likes of you to acknowledge that the amount of citizens angry here can most likely be measured in multiples of the actual number of protesters who showed up. And they know exactly what they are angry about. This is more than a fringe. This is more than right wing. And it certainly has nothing to do with racism.

I thought that the election of Obama as President was to usher in a new era of bipartisanship and respect. Well, the left is not the only group that is allowed to protest something – the moderates and the right get to pipe up, too. During the Iraq war, those of us who protested were roundly ignored or vilified. How is this administration behaving any differently? Mr. Maher, you and they are guilty of contempt prior to examination. And that, sir, is business as usual, from both sides.

Citizens from all ends of the spectrum need to find a way to reach out and find common ground, and keep communicating so that we figure out how to get out of the mess we are in. I have less and less confidence than anyone in power is really listening.

I know I am beating my head against a brick wall here, Mr. Maher, but you only show yourself to be as bad as the very stereotypes you demonize by putting forth this type of tunnel-vision drivel. Shame on you for deciding you are in any position to make pronouncements as to the motives of so many citizens just because they do not see fit to be part of your adoring flock.