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Submit your question now for Bill and his roundtable guests, and selected questions will be answered on the HBO.com website in our weekly program Overtime, immediately following the Friday premiere of Real Time on 4/4/08.
Please be aware concise, single-topic questions have the best chance of being selected.
Refresh the Bill Maher homepage right before midnight if you do not see the "Watch Overtime" video link.
Scheduled guests:
Actor Esai Morales, fmr. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Real Time correspondent Amy Holmes. Plus, via satellite, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA).
Please note: Video is optimized for use with Windows Media Player on a PC.
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1
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4/4/08
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(31 of 1036)
Apr 4, 2008 7:58 AM
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Hello Bill, I was wondering if you guys would discuss Pres. numb nuts ( I get a real kick hearing you say that ) attending the opening ceremony of the olympics in China when other developed countries are boycotting it as a protest to China's human right policies. I believe that he is envious of the Chinese gov't handling of dissidents and wishes he had the same power over citizens of our country. Wouldn't you agree that if he could, him and Dick Chain would have a totalitarian gov't and treat people that disagree with him and speak out in the same manner that China's gov't does? If so, what do you think he would do with people like yourself?
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Posts:
18
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4/4/08
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(30 of 1036)
Apr 4, 2008 6:41 AM
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PREFACE:
I think Bill Maher is very funny and I love his shows and comedy specials. I disagree with him, however, on a few issues.
CONCISE QUESTION:
Do you really believe that Barack Obama as POTUS will have greater success achieving what is best for the people of the United States than John McCain's Presidency?
SUPPORTING ARGUMENT:
Bill once had faith in John McCain. He supported the "straight-talk" McCain.
Senator McCain has "changed his tune" in recent years, but I believe he is the same man. His actions speak louder than words. Compare his record in his first 3 years as Senator to Obama's ENTIRE record. Compare Obama's $97M in "pork" to McCain's $0 (e.g. Obama is indebted to "the right people"; McCain is not). Compare the success rate of bills introduced and passed by each Senator (and Candidate for POTUS).
Obama's political success lay solely in furthering his career.
It is easy to have grand goals and make inspiring speeches. When Obama fails to deliver, he'll be forgiven... because it was too hard. The deck was stacked against him. "They" wanted him to compromise but he "stuck to his guns."
Is Obama NOT smart enough to realize that? Or is he smart enough to know what to say to get what he wants... for himself?
It is not a new political trick.
Start with this premise... ALL POLITICIANS ARE ACCOMPLISHED ARTISTS OF BOVINE EXCREMENT. The reality of our system of government is no one gets something for nothing. Senatus Populusque Americanus est quid pro quo. If Obama achieves a major goal, he will have sacrificed something greater in return.
People compare Obama to Kennedy. If he is elected the 44th President of the United States, I believe he will be compared to Carter within 4 years.
He is not ready to be President. Perhaps in 2012 or 2016... after he has proven himself.
P.S.:
Nazi Germany was defeated (in great part) by cutting off their oil supply. Without fuel for both military and civilian technology, there was no way for them to hold on to power. The dominant power in the world fell.
A giant on feet of clay.
Despite the United States growing similarity to Nazi Germany, I still love this country. But, the U.S. has the same Achilles' heel. There is no way ANY President who fully comprehends our place in the world will withdraw our troops from Iraq. Our military and other personnel are embedded in force in a location of great strategic importance. Holding that ground is imperative to our strength as a nation, our life and liberty. To abandon that advantage and expect less harm to come our way is a fool's wish. If attacked, we must do that which our attacker's least want. Appeasement does not work. Withdrawing rewards bad behavior. If YOU capitulate to my demands after I bomb your car and commercial airliners into your home, what incentive would there be to stop such actions? Why would I stop?
Give a mouse a cookie and he'll ask for a glass of milk.
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Posts:
621
Registered:
10/28/06
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(29 of 1036)
Apr 4, 2008 4:03 AM
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Recently a Bush Administration memo has come to light that states "the Fourth Amendment had no application to domestic military operations"
Do you think that the President has the authority to ignore the Constitution through his "War Powers"?
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Posts:
426
Registered:
4/27/07
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(28 of 1036)
Apr 3, 2008 9:50 PM
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What does the panel think of POPLINE, the world's largest government funded datebase on reproductive health restricting the word 'abortion' from their queries?
Why are people who made are the WRONG predictions about Iraq and the middle east still allowed to give their opinion?
What does the panel think of the total failure that is abstinence only eduction?
What does the panel think of the newly released memo by John Yoo which was the smoking gun evidence connecting the White House to the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison?
What does the panel think of the Bush Department of Justice fired people for being homosexual?
What does the panel think of Rush Limbaugh's Operation Chaos for the Democratic primary, and how it backfired?
The United States just secured NATO's support to be a missile defense system in Eastern Europe despite fierce opposition from Russia. More than throwing away decades of work by previous administrations, are we heading into another Cold War?
What should be done with Darrell Issa and his comments that the federal government had already done enough to help New York cope with "a fire" that "simply was an aircraft" hitting the World Trade Center.
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20
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11/3/06
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(27 of 1036)
Apr 3, 2008 9:14 PM
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Hello,
Mr. Maher, I have heard you mention the definition of fascism from time to time, it being a system where big business/industry takes over, or becomes one with the government. I have in the past seen this same definiton described in older dictionarys, and on-line dictionarys as recently as a year or so ago. Now, however, it seems the definition has been changed to leave out the part about corporations controling government.
Have you noticed this as well, and why do you think it is?
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Posts:
55
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4/3/08
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(26 of 1036)
Apr 3, 2008 8:01 PM
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I was wondering what your thoughts were on a Barack Obama - Chuck Hagel ticket?
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Edited by teddykgb61 at 04/03/2008 5:01 PM PDT
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Posts:
1
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4/3/08
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(25 of 1036)
Apr 3, 2008 7:36 PM
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Hello Bill, I live in The Bronx, New York City, specifically around Yankee Stadium. This area among many others are being ?revitalized? now and I wanted to know if what we are seeing in New York City now is a form of gentrification? And if so, what are your views on the issue and whether or not it is economic development for this city or a soon to be disaster?
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1
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4/3/08
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(24 of 1036)
Apr 3, 2008 6:45 PM
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In reference to the North Vietnamese prison guards that held him captive during the war Sen. John McCain has said, "I hate the gooks." A POW is bound to have strong feelings of resentment against his captors, but using such a term that offends so many seems very ignorant and unwise on McCain's part. In light of Obama's connection to controversial comments, why has McCain not received any attention for his words?
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1
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4/3/08
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(23 of 1036)
Apr 3, 2008 5:08 PM
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-When the hell are you going to run for an office already?
-Don't know if you take these but:
* New rule, the girl scouts must change the packaging of their cookies. The box is so old I've already dated one of the girls on it...well that's not that old. But it's clearly still the pictures and packaging from the 80's and that's where it needs to be left, along with the new kids on the block, cocaine use and these guys (bush family)
* New rule, business men can no longer run for office to make a profit.
-I could go on about this all day, but here's the reason i thought of it:
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/apr2008/bw2008041_945564.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives#=rss
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Posts:
12
Registered:
2/1/08
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(22 of 1036)
Apr 3, 2008 3:37 PM
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Why hasn't Bush been impeached? He got us into a war under false pretenses and now the next President will have to figure out a way to get us out of Iraq while trying to stabilize the region. Is there any way at this point to stabilize Iraq without keeping troops in for another 100 years per John McCain's timetable?
Carey
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Posts:
3
Registered:
3/28/08
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(21 of 1036)
Apr 3, 2008 3:34 PM
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Bill, What do you think of the prospect of McCain becomming president with C. Rice as vp, McCain dying of natural causes and Rice becomming president?
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9
Registered:
11/4/06
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(20 of 1036)
Apr 3, 2008 2:37 PM
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Any candidate who did not have the responsibility to vote on the war, such as Obama, can now say he was against it and say how he would have voted.
Can we delve into things he has voted for while a senator, and what his known main causes have been from the start of his brief career.
These things will better help us make a voting decision. Words alone, abrasive or charming, are irrelevant, and we all want and need change (as unclear as that term is).
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Posts:
33
Registered:
4/13/07
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(19 of 1036)
Re: Overtime: mixed ticket
Apr 3, 2008 2:10 PM
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Hi Bill,
What is your opinion on a presidential/vice presidential mixed ticket? Will a Republican as VP, or Bush 3 (McCain) as president with a Democratic VP help to assure the racist and sexist voters get off their butts to vote while making it easier for the Democrat and Republican voters to swallow the fact that they are going to lose at least half the ticket?
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Posts:
2
Registered:
4/3/08
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(18 of 1036)
Apr 3, 2008 1:49 PM
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Bill and guests,
I am a college student getting into the PR field and am following these elections closely. I have yet to recieve a good answer on this one and am wondering something.
Since the DNC has taken away the Michigan and Florida delgate counts, then why do they not deduct that from the total delgate count to win the nomination. Now I understand that there probably is some law involoved; however, since they changed the DNC rule to snuff out those states then why can't they lower the the "magic number" to win the nomination.
I think that if they take away a good amount of delegates, then they should lower the number to take the bid. What are your thoughts and ideas on this topic?
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Posts:
715
Registered:
2/28/08
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(17 of 1036)
Apr 3, 2008 1:29 PM
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Mr. Maher could you please outsource your show to China ,maybe they'll censor Clintons and McCain political comments, those commies ! PS with NAFTA tax cuts my HBO bill be cheaper thou I doubt you'll like working for 12 cents a hour, probally won't be able to pay your mortgage.
But just think all job opportunities you'll have, AMF, NIKE, SEIMENS, LEGGO. etc etc etc......
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reality is not lies, if censorship of History recorded it right...
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