Loose lips

Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala) is outraged with comments made by Bill Maher on his HBO show. Let me just start by saying that I consider Bill Maher to be an utterly loathsome individual. On the very few occasions that I've watched him at all, it has been confirmed for me that I don't want to watch him at all. That said, Congressmen have responsibilities, and "I think it borders on treason", from Re. Bachus is probably not a helpful comment in any respect. The first amendment guarantees Bill Maher the right to be a complete idiot, a right that he exercises regularly. To have a representative of the federal government making comments like that carries an implicit threat that is unwarranted.

As for Maher, what he said was contemptible. Talking about the military missing recruiting goals, he said "More people joined the Michael Jackson fan club. We've done picked all the low-lying Lynndie England fruit, and now we need warm bodies."

In a statement released Monday night, Maher defended his support for the American armed forces.

"Anyone who knows anything about my views and has watched my show knows that I have nothing but the highest regard for the men and women serving this country around the world," Maher said in the statement.

Yeah, right, Bill. If you have "nothing but the highest regard for the men and women serving this country around the world", then what exactly did you mean by saying "we've done picked all the low-lying Lynndie England fruit"? Doesn't that imply a certain contempt for some portion of the armed forces? That's certainly how I read it.