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Jack Kingston (R-GA) Repeatedly Lies On Real Time With Bill Maher
Sitting here with my jaw dropping with each word that pours out of this
human Republican talking point. I grew so angry at the lies Kingston
was spewing (see below) I decide to post my first ever TPM blog.
It's bad enough Bill Maher provides an outet for Kingston's idiocy, but
then he puts no heavyweight on the panel to refute him, nor does he do
so himself. These were some of the lies Kingston told:
1. Michelle Obama has not explained her "For the first time I am really proud of my country" comment. Oh really?
http://tinyurl.com/2e2ycs
2. Obama does not take part in the Pledge Of Allegiance. Kingston
used the right wing e-mail that features a picture of Obama not holding
his hand over his heart during the National Anthem, not the Pledge. He
also got the no flag lapel pin dig in there.
3. Obama wants to "bomb Pakistan" and "hug Raul Castro." Not quite. http://tinyurl.com/3dg2fm
4. Obama has not worked to pass anything in the Senate. There's no need to post proof refuting this.
5. He called environmentalists "wacko."
6. Claims Clinton and Obama have no bi-partisan accomplishments. I think Senator Luger, for one, would dispute this.
7. Not a lie but Kingston, just had to get Obama's full name in there.
9. McCain opposed the Military Commissions Act and Obama didn't. I am actually going to contact the Obama camp about this one. http://tinyurl.com/2jesdr
There were others I'm sure, but I could not keep up.
Comments (25)
Matt, you inspired me to register just to thank you for posting this.
I was really looking forward to some comic relief and the common sense and reality that Bill Maher usually offers. Then, like you, my jaw dropped too!
I felt like throwing something at the tv.
I could not believe that Bill Maher just let him go on and on unchallenged by facts and reality!
Ahhh! It was not pleasant.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Matt.
I hope Bill will be deluged with emails about this. I may mosey on over there myself now.
February 23, 2008 12:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks.
I wish there was some way to edit after posting, so I could fix the errors that resulted from trying to keep up with Kingston's BS.
February 23, 2008 8:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
I was also inspired to register to comment about this. I think not only should Bill Maher receive a lot of mail about this (I know the Overtime "questions" line had a ton of comments), but so should Rep Kingston. He lied about a fellow member of Congress and impugned his patriotism. I don't care that Obama's from a different party - there should still be some respect between members.
Here is the closing to what I wrote, which I think even Republicans should get:
While I understand that Senator Obama is the likely Presidential nominee for the opposing party, I find it reprehensible that you would impugn the patriotism of a fellow member of Congress and that of his wife, especially using false and inflammatory statements. This is conduct unbecoming any representative of our government. I feel you owe the Obamas a public apology.
February 23, 2008 9:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks. I think as the attack machine goes after Obama we will see some of the worst in American politics.
And I think that thousands of voters will leave the GOP in disgust.
February 23, 2008 1:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Me, too Matt. I was livid. I couldn't believe that NO ONE said a word. One of those people knew better and they just let the idiot ramble.
I was sitting here screaming at my TV. Then I
fired off an e-mail to Bill Maher.
Thanks again. Good to know it wasn't just me.
February 23, 2008 1:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
And the problem with that is...?
I think the best thing this year's primary season has shown us is that the American public is tired of the focus-grouped, pre-fabbed, he-said/she-said, 50%+.01 gotcha! style of politics that has become the norm over the past 20 years.
The electorate has been force fed so much political junk food that it is about to have a full technicolor yawn -- and the system will feel cleansed of the empty, but tainted, calories it has received over the years.
February 23, 2008 1:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, and also how the Kk guy kept mockingly repeating that Obama wanted to bomb Pakistan. Big Lie! That's NOT what Obama said. He said surgical strikes to take out the REAL terrorists, and guess what?
Didn't Bush just do something like that?
Why in the world didn't Maher seem to know that?
Or if he did know, why didn't he care enough to keep it "real"?
February 23, 2008 2:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
I was just as shocked as y'all that Maher did not even challenge nor correct Jack Kingston's talking points. I almost turned off the TV, too. However, forewarned means being prepared to off-set the GOP's disinformation and talking points campaign.
If Maher is supposed to be a "well-informed" political satirist he ought to be better informed. I presume millions of viewers watched his show. Actually Maher is really not that well-informed at times and even clueless sometimes. His show tonight was one of the worst I've ever seen.
So whether it was deliberate or is just uninformed I can only presume McCain is Maher's favourite candidate. That was the impression I got.
For two years the GOP has been digging deeply into Hillary's background history. Whether their opposition research team uncovered something new the republicans will drag the nation thru the same old muck, divide the country and win the election. They do not have the nation's best interests at heart. It is party loyalty or nothing.
No other candidate comes close to having Obama's charisma and inspiration that attract voters. Knowing they will lose against Obama republicans are desperately trying to bring him down so they can run against Hillary. McCain is no match when it comes to Obama and they know it!
February 23, 2008 4:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maher is a shill and an idiot. A week or two ago I caught a glimpse of his show and he went off on a rant about how people don't need medicine. He's an ill informed jackass. That isn't the first time he's let a repub talking head ramble unchallenged.
February 23, 2008 10:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
I immediately went on the Bill Mahrer Overtime board -- and there were tons of people pointing all this stuff out and asking for a retraction/explanation
If there is a staff who go throught the viewer questions for the show they could not have missed the desperate pleas of many knowledgeable viewers to try and correct the Michelle Obama/Pledge of Alligiance/Cuba issues and also list some of Obama's legislative accomplishments -- another point Bill let go with David Frum --
Ok- I thought -- maybe they couldn't get to it on the show and he will say something next week BUT SURELY on the internet Overtime Show he will challenge the guests and get this straightened out -- not good enough but wb something --
But NO - even on the OT they touched on issues but I was really SHOCKED and disappointed that Bill Maher did not know some of these stuff himself --
And the HOTLINE Blog also suffered because its editor in Chief - Amy something - was the third guest and she offered no information and had no clue about anything
Someone needs to VET the guests before they go on Bill Maher. I have no problem with the right being represented and varying points of view -- but I have a HUGE problem with Bill Maher's show being a vehicle to spread lies and distortions -- much less about the host's candidate of choice
I expected a mea culpa on HuffPost this am or something on Bill Maher web site -- nothing
Can he be that clueless of the damaged he inflicted on Obama? And WORST of all is the stuff said was false - I have to believe bnoth the congressman and the speechwriter knew they were lying -- and that in itself would be reason enough for Bill Maher to have skewered them
VERY VERY diappointed Bill Maher fan---
February 23, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's okay Bill let the gay guy from the Rolling Stone lie and lie and lie also. Maher loves Ann Coulter enough said.
February 23, 2008 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think emails to HBO are in order. Here is a link to the
HBO contact page for Real Time
February 23, 2008 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bill should be real proud of himself.
http://www6.comcast.net/news/articles/politics/2008/02/23/Obama.Attack.Fodder/
February 23, 2008 1:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Part of my comment didn't go through.
Of course I was being sarcastic and snarky that Bill should be proud.
February 23, 2008 1:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd suggest you guys be careful.
Remember how Bill treated the Ron Paul supporters? The one thing he absolutely hates is wingnuts either from the left or the right. Maher is a left-leaning moderate, libertarian-light, that has taken a lot of flack for stating the obvious.
It sounds like Obama's fans have made their point. I think you ought to wait until next week before you accord him the status of Obama enemy number one, in place of Paul Krugman and John Edwards.
February 23, 2008 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Matt:
Last night's Bill Maher was, indeed, one of the most embarrassingly empty and unfunny hours in the history of the show - made all the more juvenile and anti-intellectual by the inclusion of that cretin from the Peach state. Talk about reinforcing the cliche of ignorant Southerners!
Why Bill allowed it to go on throughout the show (not to mention little or no pushback from the woman on the panel) I will never understand.
I know that if I lived in this guys district, that I would embarrassed today.
February 23, 2008 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you so much for this post. I, too, was sputtering as I watched the show. I couldn't believe the Republican talking points were allowed to go uncontested, and Bill seemed particularly uninformed on several of these matters. It amazes me that a U.S. congressman will go on TV and blatantly lie, when the lies are so easily disputed. Obama, for instance, has worked extensively with arch-conservative Tom Coburn on the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act and a Katrina Oversight bill. And, as pointed out, Michelle Obama has indeed explained her comments.
But I think Kingston's use of Obama's middle name gives us an idea of the level of discourse we can expect in a general election.
BTW, Kingston is the clown who called the Democratic party anti-family for having the audacity to suggest Congress work five-day workweeks (http://thinkprogress.org/2006/12/07/kingston-congress/).
February 23, 2008 1:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kingston was unbelievable and I just could not listen to it all. It was a strange show - no one was calling him on it. Why - they argue all the time on that show and last night it was just some idiot spewing garbage. I think it is fine to have him on the show - but someone needed to actually call him on the lies. I also think we need to see that so we know what we are up against. People believe those lies so there needs to be a constant counter to it.
February 23, 2008 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.youtube.com/user/TULLYCASTS
For those who didn't see the show.
Decide for yourselves.
February 23, 2008 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can't believe anyone would let this clown speak on a national forum. This is a serious time.
February 23, 2008 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking as someone who lives in Georgia, Kingston's claim to fame is taking potshots at the University of Florida. Outside of that, I can't name an actual thing he's done ... outside of say really, really dumb things.
February 23, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds like you're just an angry Obama supporter. Obama gets on TV and misrepresents what the GOP says and does all the time, but I don't see you fomenting about that?
February 23, 2008 5:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Steve:
Of course everything Matt posted is absolutely correct and your only response is some vague counter charge.
In the words of Bubba -- 'give me a break"
Matt you are dead on -- i was thinking the exact smae thing as Maher let that gomer go on and on with his bs.
February 23, 2008 6:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks bbpenney.
Everybody, looks like all of our comments may have lead Josh to front page Kingston's jack assery.
February 24, 2008 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yet another new user on the site, just to chime in on the RealTime epsiode.
I tuned in a little late to the episode, but got there in time to hear Kingston bring up the Pledge of Allegiance crap-line. I could not **believe** that went by unchallenged. That canard's been around long enough that it's an absolute disgrace for Bill Maher not to call him on it that very instant.
Or maybe HBO needs to hire a RealTime in-real-time blatant-bullshit factchecker staff...
February 24, 2008 5:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
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