REQUIRED. MUST WATCH. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY CATHARTIC.
Maher goes after CNBC's Erin Burnett and blaming CNBC for the market fluctuations. Erin Burnett literally blames the viewers for not catching the crisis pointing that they once showed a clip one time that said warned about the housing bubble, and also finds time to make astoundingly disparaging and superficial pop-psychological comments about the Japanese.
More importantly, FINALLY, we find it takes someone like Bill Maher to take T. Boone Pickens to task for his despicable acts of slander.
T. Boone Pickens has lost all credibility after this interview. No one, and i mean NO ONE, has had the guts to plainly ask him the question for 4-8 years now: Why did Pickens spend millions to smear Gore, the most visible leader and a veteran fighter on climate change who was laughed at for decades for clinging to the issue of energy independence, and why did Pickens pour millions to smear a Vietnam vet who risked his life to safe a soldier, John Kerry, as liberal as you could get on this issue, and instead support 2 Oil men (while Exxon's had reaped record profits).
He also admits he voted for McCain! the oil governor of Alaska, whose Republican convention theme was "DRILL BABY DRILL". if he honestly cares about wind energy and energy independence, it surely did not show through last night.
This episode deserves an Emmy award. And I'm usually not a fan of Bill Maher because he's kind of a jerk, but it takes a jerk to ask questions. so I guess that's saying a lot, for me at least.
Opening monologue
Here, Maher goes after T. Boone Pickens, Face-to-Face!!, asking him why he slandered 2 Democrats who were extremely liberal on environmental issues and instead voted for 2 draft-dodging oil men, and why he voted for McCain and the party of "Drill baby Drill" instead of Obama who we see in his budget is making a serious commitment to energy independence. (Also, if interested U.S. News wrote an article The Trouble with T. Boone Picken's Plan
So why can't Pickens be honest and say that it's not dependence on foreign oil that's the problem his plan seeks to solve, but dependence on oil, period? Could it be because he's a businessman first, and a policy advisor second?
Duh.)
After that he starts with a discussion with Mayor Cory Booker and Erin Burnett about the banks and nationalization.
Maher goes after CNBC's Erin Burnett and asks why their so-called experts did not catch this crisis. Burnett claims they did and her evidence is that one time they showed a clip one time saying the housing market was going to burst. She literally blames the viewers. Cory Booker looked so promising, yet he is urging Maher to stop playing the blame game while Republicans are ratcheting up their spending freeze and blaming everything on Democrats. another DLC democrat in the making?
Peter Singer, a Bio-Ethicist from Princeton joins the conversation. Debate gets more heated. They talk about poverty and wasteful spending and misplaced priorities of Americans. Maher rips the hypocrisy of Americans using feel-good words like "god and country" when in fact America is far less charitable than other nations and very un-Christ-like.
Erin Burnett casts an astoundingly superficial judgement on the lifestyle and happiness of Japanese people. Anybody who has lived in Japan, feel free to speak out. Cory Booker doesnt seem to understand the concept of opportunity cost and ironically thinks we can tackle poverty while throwing money at national self-aggrandizing American glory projects like revisiting the moon.
finally, NEW RULES. Maher goes after Reagan, makes the case for nationalization and healthcare reform. Calls out Republicans stalling reform by saying Republicans always say government should not be involved in the health decisions, only doctors and patients. But Maher points out it's the insurance companies who are ultimately making our healthcare decisions for us, not doctors, patients, nor the government! Why aren't Democrats willing to make that simple point?
This should have been Obama's SOTU.
If anyone wants to see Jon Stewart's sick rantelli again, here it is: