So Bill Maher has a panel that includes failed Senate candidate Jack Kingston, failed Mayoral candidate Christine Quinn and bizarre Mary Matalin- wannabe "Republican consultant" Mercedes Schlapp, (who would have a great future on Fox if she'd just dye her hair blonde).
Early on, Kingston and Schlapp are unleashing the usual perverse history of the Middle East -- "Obama abandoned Iraq to Isis," "We need to bomb them!" "Boots on the ground should be on the table!" Maher points out how everything we've done has empowered Iran. They are about to say "Bomb them too," when Maher changes the subject to Ted Cruz.
He tells the "Ted Cruz scares a three year old by shouting 'The World is on Fire'" story, patiently recites statistics on unemployment/ the market/ GDP growth etc. now compared with 2009 and asks "When are the Republicans going to start acknowledging reality?"
Kingston and Schlapp spout the usual talking points they've rehearsed like "Ten million unemployed," and then go into the latest up is down Republican spin -- "What about inequality?" Maher is convulsed in laughter, and Quinn asks Kingston whether he supports raising the minimum wage and funding community colleges. (the first useful contribution Quinn made all night). Kingston says "We must unleash the private sector," (like the Kraken? the Hounds? the Weasel?).
Then Schlapp starts to make excuses for Ted Cruz scaring the three year old, including "I'm Cuban like Cruz, and we have fiery tempers." Maher is again convulsed in laughter, while calling "The Cuban Excuse" a racist comment. Only Gerald Posner, the slightly weird buy who wrote a book about the Vatican, disagrees with that.
Maher can be an idiot at times, but he finally has learned enough facts to answer the ludicrous Republican comments, or just laugh at them, and that way expose their absurdity. That's something.