When political comedians attack (each other)

HBO's "Politically Incorrect" Bill Maher has some of the same problems with the definition of "sanity" in American politics, and thus with Jon Stewart's recent rally, that I had. Here some of the transcript of what he said over the weekend -- powerful stuff:

But the message of the rally, as I heard it, was that if the media would just stop giving voice to the crazies on both sides, then maybe we could restore sanity.  It was all non-partisan, and urged cooperation with the moderates on the other side, forgetting that Obama tried that, and found out there are no moderates on the other side.

When Jon announced his rally, he said that the national conversation is dominated by people on the right who believe Obama's a socialist, and people on the left who believe 9/11 was an inside job.  But I can't name any Democratic leaders who think 9/11 was an inside job.  But Republican leaders who think Obama's a socialist?  All of them!  McCain, Boehner, Cantor, Palin, all of them!  It's now official Republican dogma, like tax cuts pay for themselves, and gay men just haven't met the right woman.

As another example of both sides using overheated rhetoric, Jon cited the right equating Obama with Hitler, and the left calling Bush a war criminal.  Except thinking Obama is like Hitler is utterly unfounded, but thinking Bush is a war criminal?  That's the opinion of General Anthony Taguba, who headed the Army's investigation into Abu Ghraib.

You see, Republicans keep staking out a position that is further and further right, and then demand Democrats meet them in the middle, which is now not the middle anymore.  That's the reason health care reform is so watered down; it's Bob Dole's old plan from 1994.  Same thing with cap-and-trade; it was the first President Bush's plan to deal with carbon emissions.  Now the Republican plan for climate change is to claim it's a hoax.

You can watch Maher's diatribe below.

Sorry for the lag in posting tonight...computer problems on top of everything else. There will be more content later tonight, including the obligatory blog post on Keith, or maybe even two!