Whether he means it, or it's just an act, Bill Maher's jokes about possibly getting laid by Ann Coulter aren't worth giving her his valuable air time. And really Bill, it's not attractive to see you flirt with such a horrible shrew. It's as revolting as watching Hannity drool over Sarah Palin.
Bill Maher's commitment to allowing as many points of view possible a voice on his HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher, is admirable. Most weeks Maher includes at least one Republican FemBot on his panel to regurgitate the right wing talking points memorized from Grover Norquist emails. But when he continues to invite a person as base, despicable, and vicious as Ann Coulter, it's time he re-examined his standards.
His July 8, 2011 show is a prime example. In the 26 or so minutes of the show with the main panel, Coulter proffered no less than a dozen BIG lies. 12 unapologetic, intentional, calculated lies. 12 easily refuted, indefensible lies. Lies designed to misinform, mislead, demean, diminish, and belittle people she doesn't like. Lies she whores for right wing speaking fees, Fox News blood money, and book profits (which isn't actually working - her latest book is a pathetic 83 on Amazon).
Think that's partisan hyperbole? I'll itemize them for you...
Between the 16:00 and 42:00 minute marks of the show, the meat of the open panel discussion, Coulter never hesitated to present blatant lies as fact. In that entire time the only true statement (of consequence) she made was that Senator Barack Obama voted against raising the debt ceiling. Everything else? Bullshit.
1) Democrats are raising spending. Coulter tries to couch this lie about the debt ceiling talks by also saying that Republicans are raising spending, which is actually a lot more finessed than her usually lies. But the facts are plain (and quite widely known): Obama has proposed $4 Trillion dollars in spending cuts. (The Independent, Jul 11, http://www.independent.co.uk/...)
2) It is a fact that Social Security and Medicare are a Ponzi scheme because people are getting 3 times as much as they put in. First, we all know they're insurance programs, not Ponzi schemes. Second, she cites no evidence this is even a factual number. But even if it is, it's easy to dismiss. People who get three times as much as they contribute are simply getting a return on their investments over their lifetime. A senior citizen contributes to medicare for 45 to 50 years. That means the average return on their investment over that period is just 2.5% (1.025^45≈3). Since that's a below market return, it shows Medicare IS being run as an insurance program, not a "Ponzi scheme." Also, Medicare and Social Security have rules that require them to invest any surplus. (See #4 for more info)
3) Social Security started spending more than they took in staring in 2010. Social Security, on a day-to-day basis, may have had a negative cash flow for a few select days in 2010. But it was not true for the year, and is not true now. The Bush recession and unemployment is the primary cause of this dip in revenue, and the inaction of the Republican House to enact any job stimulus bills is responsible for Social Security continuing to miss revenue projections. (Mercatus Center/Congressional Budget Office, http://mercatus.org/...)
4) Social Security is not investing their money like an insurance plan would. Social Security along with Medicare and a few other federal programs, is the single largest investor in US Debt. Bigger than any private investor, bigger than the Federal reserve, bigger than the Chinese government. (http://www.cnsnews.com/... and http://www.ssa.gov/...)
5) [Quote] I do not talk to rubes. [Unquote] Talk about shooting fish in a barrel: http://www.glennbeck.com/...
6) One year of Social Security costs more than 37 Iraq wars Nevermind her hyperbolic math (SS outlays for 2011 approx $6T, Iraq wars approx $700B to $3T ea, multiplied by 37 = $25.9T to $111T) But more to the point, Social Security has a POSITIVE cash flow, doesn't contribute to the debt, and is funded separately from the rest of the government so it CAN'T affect the debt. (Summary of Social Security Annual Reports, http://www.ssa.gov/...)
7) Government workers are a drain on society I shouldn't have to bother with this, but... here's three quick ones: Teachers, DARPA, and the Patent Office. They don't contribute anything. Just ask Google, which wouldn't exist without DARPA (the internet), couldn't protect any of their intellectual property from theft (Patent Office), and couldn't program a single line of code without Teachers. That's a drain on society?
8) Public employees do work nobody wants them to do Teachers, cops, firefighters, prosecutors, highway workers, soldiers. How about those ciphers at the COPYRIGHT OFFICE, Ann? Do you mean we shouldn't have them?? Have you seen my new book? I call it Demon.
9) Where are the jobs for all the stimulus money spent? The stimulus money HASN'T been spent. It's bottled up at the state governments, most of which are controlled by Republican governors and/or legislatures. In some cases less than 10% of the money has been spent, it sits in limbo, as people go wanting. From Infrastructure to teachers to cops, the Republicans are refusing to spend the money, while at the same time claiming it isn't working. Pure hypocrisy, which Coulter promotes. (Washington Post, Aug 13, 2010, http://www.washingtonpost.com/...)
10) Government employees are getting raises and extra benefits This is Coulter at her most vicious. She works to strip public employees of their wages, benefits, and even their jobs, while at the same time lies about how they're getting raises and perks? Reprehensible. More than a half million public jobs have vaporized, and that's actually making the recovery longer and less successful (US News, July 2011, http://money.usnews.com/...) In Wisconsin, Walker claimed that government pensions were causing deficits, when not a single dollar of tax revenue went to employee pensions (Forbes.com, http://blogs.forbes.com/...) And, of course, pulling the final brick in the "public employees are evil" rubric: They're actually paid a LOT less than comparable private jobs (USA Today, Mar 3, 2010, http://www.usatoday.com/...)
11) Bill Maher is a misogynist Here's Coulter's "logic:" Maher made critical remarks about Michelle Bachman and Sarah Palin, therefore, he's a misogynist. When challenged for a SINGLE example of where he said anything denigrating about them becasue they're women Coulter couldn't, and suddenly starts calling him "pro death." No further attempt to prove Maher is a misogynist.
12) The really BIG lies. These were "throw-ins" by Coulter after the 42:00 mark. THEY said X about Goldwater and Reagan and The entire OJ jury was Democrats. While you might dismiss this as ridiculous drivel, it's the heart of everything that Coulter says and does. Baseless, unsupported, unsupportable blanket lies that can't be logically challenged, except with a loud and strong, "WTF???"
While Maher may be a comedian by trade, and he may want to say his show is just 'entertainment,' He and it are more than that. He has a unique ability to bring interesting, and educated, and informative, and provocative people together for an exchange of philosophy and ideas. But he also has the ability to ensure that these guests are also responsible voices.
Ann Coulter is nothing more than a walking cash register for hateful, vengeful, and spiteful venom. Malevolence is not a substitute for wit. Vitriol is not a substitute for debate. Contempt and hostility are not a substitute for facts and ideas. And Ann Coulter's political pornography is not a substitute for informed polemic.
Bill, when it comes to sub-human waste like Ann Coulter, it's time to quit the clowning and inoculate your show from her vile scourge.