On Letterman, Maher Charges Racist 'Tea-Baggers' Are 'Corporate America's Useful Idiots,' CBS Expunges Vile Term
Regurgitating the same kind of derogatory comments he regularly spews
on his Friday night HBO show, Bill Maher showed up Monday night on the Late Show with David Letterman where CBS, unlike HBO, excised his vile terminology for Tea Party activists.
Maher denounced Tea Party followers as "sad, unfortunate
people" because they are "corporate America's useful idiots" who don't
allow "facts" to "get in that tin foil helmet."
Then he employed his usual "tea-baggers" phrase, but CBS silenced the "baggers" so viewers heard dead air when Maher spoke that foul term:
I don't have any respect, no, I don't have any respect for the tea-(baggers) [word silenced] and I do call them the tea-(baggers) [word silenced again] - even though they hate it. I will stop calling them Tea-(baggers) [word silenced for a third time] when they stop calling it Obamacare, that's my deal.
He proceeded to allege opposition to President Barack Obama is
motivated by racism. Maher maintained the debt "was mostly ran up under
Bush," yet "where were the Tea Party then?" He offered some mock
speculation: "So there's just something about him that they don't like. I
can't put my finger on what it is. (audience laughter) But there's some
way that he's just not like them. I don't know what. He's skinny that
must be it. He's skinny, they're fat and he's skinny."
Audio: MP3 clip that matches the video
From the Monday, April 25 Late Show with David Letterman on CBS:
DAVID LETTERMAN: What about your Tea Party pals, what do you hear there?
BILL MAHER: Well, the Tea Party, you know, they are sad, unfortunate people because - well, they are, because they are, you know, corporate America's useful idiots. (Applause) They are they - I would have more respect for them if they knew a thing, if any fact could get in that tin foil helmet. If they would get out of their chat rooms and have their house tested for lead for just a minute. (Laughter)
LETTERMAN: Is this part of your friendship campaign, Bill? Is this-
MAHER: No, I don't have any respect, no, I don't have any respect for the tea-(baggers) [word silenced] and I do call them the tea-(baggers) [word silenced again] - even though they hate it. I will stop calling them Tea-(baggers) [word silenced] when they stop calling it Obamacare, that's my deal. (Applause)
But here's the thing. Their whole campaign is based on money. It's all about we have too much debt, the deficit is too high. They are, after all, named after a tax revolt. But you know, there's these things called facts. Where did all this debt come from. Well, the facts will tell us it was mostly ran up under Bush. Two wars that we put on the credit card. (Applause) Prescription drug program that was unpaid for. Tax cuts for the richest one percent, that was unpaid for. Where were the Tea Party then? Crickets. But suddenly, when President Nosferatu took office - suddenly debt became intolerable.
So there's just something about him that they don't like. I can't put my finger on what it is. (audience laughter) But there's some way that he's just not like them. I don't know what. He's skinny that must be it. He's skinny, they're fat and he's skinny.
- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
