Alan Grayson Gets Standing Ovation While Bill Maher Panel Mocks Occupy Wall Street ‘Hippies’

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

VIDEO - http://www.mediaite.com/tv/alan-grayson-gets-standing-ovation-while-bill-maher-panel-mocks-occupy-wall-street-hippies/

One would think that the anti-corporatist ideals of the Occupy Wall Street movement would receive some safe harbor on Real Time with Bill Maher, and one would be correct that their ideology gelled entirely with the audience. But before Alan Grayson passionately stood up as a spokesman for their cause, the panel spent a fair amount of time mocking the group ruthlessly, for their “bongo drums,” disorganization, and incoherence.

“The don’t really have a coherent message,” Maher noted, with P.J. O’Rourke laughing beside him through an Occupy Wall Street bashing session about how useless their bongo drums are and how they don’t have bathrooms (that latter complaint from panelist Nicolle Wallace, who noted that it was “the logistics of the protest that bother me”). Maher, on his end, was just dismayed at the lack of marketing ability– “the Teabaggers named themselves after a gay sex act,” he joked, “but at least that was catchy.”

Grayson, on his end, found the complaints of the protesters compelling (incidentally, Grayson is planning a comeback to Congress once the Republican who replaced him is up for reelection). “Wall Street has iron control over the economic policies of this party,” he began, interrupted in his rant only by O’Rourke, who shouted “get the man a bongo drum!” Grayson then gave a bit of a monologue on the evils of corporatism and the Federal Reserve, and how the money in politics needed to be separated from the actual governing, and by the time he was done, the crowd was on their feet. O’Rourke, on his end, completely overlooked the potential for a Congressional run: “there may be room on the Democratic side of the Presidential election.”

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. I didn't think it would be possible to have less respect for Nicole Wallace

But after watching her last night, I sure do.

[bluestate10]

121. She is a republican idea of a progressive. She is blind.

Calling herself a republican is the first indicator. If she had any self respect she would have left that party after 2008. She is likely a privileged girl whose daddy is a republican and who is trying desperately, even as her head says otherwise, to live up to daddy's expectations.

[tularetom]

2. I'll never watch Maher's show again when he has that POS O'Rourke on

I watched last night against my better judgment and it was everything I suspected it would be. O'Rourke spent most of the night make his cute irrelevant comments and completely derailing the thread of the discussion and Maher as usual just sat there and let him do it. The other two panelists were as worthless as tits on a boar hog, but Alan Grayson put O'Rourke in his place with an impassioned attack on Wall Street and received loud applause from the audience for doing so.

I don't understand why Maher continues to give this douchebag a stage to spew his shit. I think they were frat boys together and O'Rourke has some incriminating photographs of him.

[EFerrari]

7. He's not funny, he's just malicious. n/t

[SpiralHawk]

21. O'Rourke stopped being funny when he got filthy rick & fearful

When he became so cripplingly fearful (of losing his wealth), he naturally embraced Republiconism, started whining about America and Democracy, and lost any spark of wit he once had.

He is a sad case, fully infected with Republicon greed and fear. As usual.

[Ken Burch]

64. The National Lampoon stopped being funny the moment O'Rourke took it over

It went from being a ballsy, comedy-as-truth mag that used humor as a weapon against the entrenched to the kind of stuff Watergate conspirators read in prison.

O'Rourke has always been about telling jokes for bullies...and it didn't matter if they weren't actually jokes.

[Mira]

34. I made the same decision. Let's you and I both leave feedback on his website.

:fistbump:

[cyberpj]

73. You can add me to that. Although I couldn't find any actual CONTACT info I found these:

Bill Maher
contact information





Bill Maher's Manager:
Marc Gurvitz

Brillstein-Grey Entertainment

9150 Wilshire Boulevard

Suite 350

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Phone: [phone]



Bill Maher's Agent:
Steve Lashever

Creative Artists Agency

2000 Avenue Of The Stars

Los Angeles, CA 90067

Phone: [phone]



Bill Maher's Agent for personal appearances:
Jackie Miller

Agency for the Performing Arts

405 South Beverly Drive

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Phone: [phone]



Bill Maher's Publicist:
CeCe Yorke

True Public Relations

6725 Sunset Boulevard

Suite 570

Los Angeles, CA 90028

Phone: [phone]

[progressoid]

53. I hate it when he's on Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me too.

:puke:

I get the feeling that PJ thinks he's going to be the next Hunter S Thompson or something.

:puke:

[eilen]

63. I thought PJ O'Rourke was drunk. Don't you?

He's such an asshole.

[cyberpj]

72. My thought exactly. nt

[stillrockin]

91. totally

[JackintheGreen]

75. + a brazilian

O'Rourke is that archly irritating kid who is always interjecting not at all funny "jokes" into serious conversations because nobody is paying attention to him and he doesn't understand what's going on enough to contribute constructively, but GOD THEY AREN"T PAYING ATTENTION TO ME!

I

[Lars77]

110. O´Rourke is one thing. But Maher also has Andrew Breitbart on the show sometimes.

[valerief]

114. O'Rourke is Republic dickhead. nt

[dotymed]

122. Listening to the Maher clip he mentioned

"reading Nation Lampoon while learning comedy at O'roarkes feet" (paraphrased with quotations(?) anyway, it seems that O'roarke was Maher's mentor. Which makes sense to me.

IMO, Maher has always been the anti-Progressive voice of Progressivism. His remarks about "Truther's", etc. I am glad that "crazy" Grayson was there to make some sense.

Every time there is a candidate who stands up to the machine, all of them including Maher, attempt to marginalize them. They ddid the same to Kucinich in '08. I prefer Thom Hartmann.

[xchrom]

3. Pj o'rourke sucks bulls balls. The male coulter. Nt

[Ikonoklast]

11. Maher pays him with bathtub gin.

O'Rourke hasn't been funny in twenty years, but it seems East Coast fascists think he's hilarious.

[ixion]

4. Wow. Way to drop the ball, Maher...

[Ken Burch]

65. It's probably Maher getting in touch with his "libertarian" side.

There's always been limits to how much equality Maher can handle.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

5. Shame on Bill

Shame on Bill.

Bathrooms, Bongo Drums, Logistics and a Catchy Name?

That's what they are worried about???

[EFerrari]

9. That was disgusting. Grayson did very well, though. n/t

[PA Democrat]

15. Grayson made it bearable to watch. I would have turned it off

if not for him.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. P.J., even more than usual,

looked like an alcoholic blithering idiot by the time Grayson was done with him.

[BuelahWitch]

19. I thought the same

and that Bill and that Republican woman sounded like two old, out of touch rich people. Even though I usually like Maher, I didn't care for his attitude about OWS nor for his snotty treatment of Trumka in the first segment.

[October]

26. He sure did! Blithering, indeed! And quite chagrined by Grayson!!! /nt

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended for Alan Grayson.

Thanks for the thread, Adenoid_Hynkel.

[yoyossarian]

10. K&R!

Grayson has long been and continues to be
DA BOMB!

[Gabi Hayes]

38. HEY!! really like the bushgif, and this page as well:

http://steponnopets.dxstoneweb.com/palindromes.html

[yoyossarian]

116. Thanx, Gabi!

:hi:

I remember you! How you been?

I like your gif too, and the cat pic!
You might wanna check out my Halloween post--though it's kinda nasty, NO ACTUAL KITTIES
were harmed in the making of it):

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2086336

[formercia]

12. The T(errorist) Party has much better Logistics than OWS

They supply two Porta-Potties for every person that attend their rallies.

[classof56]

100. Well, all that Koch Brothers money's gotta be used for something besides tea bags.

Plus, the last few TB events I've seen, at 2 for 1, the Porta-Potties far outnumber the attendees.

Thanks for the chuckle, BTW!

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

13. Maher will change his tune when his ratings go down.

[yoyossarian]

16. We should boycott his ass!

He's about as funny as P J lately...

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

14. sign up to help get Grayson back into Congress

http://congressmanwithguts.com/

also, from Twitter:
"What a great time! A producer told me I got the first standing ovation for a guest EVER on Real Time with Bill Maher."

[Graybeard]

125. My check is in the mail.

Thanks.:fistbump:

[Quixote1818]

17. That was awesome! What a pathetic panel other than Grayson!

Maher wasn't that bad though. I think that woke him up a bit.

[tnlefty]

18. Would someone pour a bucket of that trickle down piss on

P.J.'s head?

Thank you Mr. Grayson.

[vets74]

20. PRINCIPLES OF SOLIDARITY -- A "coherent message" from Occupy Wall Street

PRINCIPLES OF SOLIDARITY

The following Principles of Solidarity has been adopted by the New York City General Assembly (at Liberty Park) as a "living document: that will be revised through the democratic process of the N.Y.C. General Assembly.

----------------------------

On September 17, 2011, people from all across the United States of America and the world came to protest the blatant injustices of our times perpetrated by the economic and political elites. On the 17th we as individuals rose up against the political disenfranchisement and social and economic injustice. We spoke out, resisted, and occupied Wall Street. Today we proudly remain in Liberty Square constituting ourselves as autonomous political beings engaged in non-violent political disobedience and building solidarity based on mutual respect, acceptance, and love. It is from these reclaimed grounds that we say to all Americans and to the world: Enough! How many crises does it take? We are the 99% and we have moved to reclaim our mortgaged future.

Through a direct democratic process, we have come together as individual and crafted these principles of solidarity, which are points of unity that include, but are not limited to:

-- Engage in direct and transparent democracy

-- Exercise personal and collective responsibility

-- Recognize individuals' inherent privilege and the influence it has on all interactions

-- Empower one another against all forms of oppression

-- Redefine how labor is valued

-- Sanctify individual privacy

-- Support a belief that education is a human right

-- Endeavor to support wide application of the Open Source concept

We are daring to imagine a new socio-political and economic alternative that offers greater possibility of equality. We are consolidating the other proposed principles of solidarity, after which demands will follow.

-- The Occupied Wall Street Journal, Saturday, October 8, 2011.

Principles first, then demands.

We are the 99%.

[Gabi Hayes]

35. go here to get a free newsletter from OWSJ. join up, send them some $$.

I offered $40 towards three years at Hazelden for PJ

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/610964639/occupy-wall-street-media

[Lionessa]

22. OH my Gosh! I LOVE Alan Grayson. Please challenge the pres.

[Tx4obama]

23. No. Grayson needs to run in 2016 - after he is reelected to Congress in 2012. n/t

[Lionessa]

24. I strongly disagree. Can't take 4 more years of conservative administration.

[Tx4obama]

25. Whatever.

Grayson will NOT be running for pres in 2012, he's running for the U.S Congress.
I would like to see Grayson be president 'someday' but not until after Obama's second term.
And since Grayson has no intention of running for pres in 2012 - the issue it moot.


Obama 2012 !!!

[Gabi Hayes]

37. he can run for VEEP THIS year, with Warren on top

of the ticket

[Tx4obama]

39. LOL - that ain't gonna happen. n/t

[Gabi Hayes]

42. right...well, here's an even bigger LOL for ya:

Philip Zelikow working for Obama under any guise, much less on the Intelligence Advisory Board

WTF is up with THAT????@@@!!!!????

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2081868

[mod mom]

47. Either they thought we wouldn't notice or they don't care. Either way is bad!

Zeilkow? Really, President Obama?

[Gabi Hayes]

49. mind-boggling....what next?

Condi Rice to replace Hillary?

[BuelahWitch]

79. Or Dick Cheney n/t

[Enthusiast]

76. Most of us don't see this as a laughing matter.

Why did we work so hard to elect Obama if he was going to be nothing more than an extension of the Bush Administration? I mean that in all seriousness.

[rhett o rick]

98. You feel so superior with your yeah yeah Obama. But the people in the street are his responsibility.

We want change and Obama's conservative appointments show us that he doesnt.

[Lionessa]

44. I'm easy, they can co-president with no veep, good team either way.

An alternative to either being Bernie Sanders. Those three are the only pols I have any belief in regarding their concern for our country, our middle class, and our national integrity.

[dotymed]

123. +100 n/t

[ooglymoogly]

96. We need to mount a credible and strong write in campaign for the primary.

Four more years of repuke policy will destroy this country or certainly will finish the job that has been in progress for the last 40+ years.

[Lionessa]

106. If Grayson does end up being the voice for the OWS movement, it could happen,

but the movement would have to remain strong and vocal and grow from now till then to keep one person's name at the tip of their voter's tongue. Otherwise I don't think that would work.

[ooglymoogly]

124. My thoughts exactly. OWS opens up a whole new ballgame.

I would be happy with Grayson-Sanders in any order.

[dana_b]

27. lol - whatever

O'Rourke, Maher, silly bathroom woman... the OWS folks will be just fine without your approval. Laugh and make fun all you want but the serious folks who want to make a change will be standing with, and for, Alan Grayson.

[daleo]

28. If O'Rourke is mocking them, they must be doing something right

If nothing else, they are helping to set the tone of future debates by rolling back the Reaganist "greed is good" mentality. Their very presence is enough to help undermine these comfortable conservative verities.

That's what worries the elites and that's why we hear complaints about an incoherent message. All successful social movements start out this way. The message is "the status quo isn't fair" and that's a powerful message.

[donquijoterocket]

112. That's almost

The wingnutter's usual spin on things. We must be doing something correct we've irritated the people we wish to irritate.One of the few things I sometimes agree with that crew about. OWS has if nothing else struck sparks of the most needed conversation this country could have right now and as an added bonus it's irritated some of the people who need irritating,caused the wingnutters to spit, sputter and, stammer a lot. One of the criticisms I've seen most often, other than that they're DFH soshulists is that they seem to have no agenda, spokesperson, organization or focus. But I've seen those same points offered as a description and defense of the tea party. Just a bunch of like-minded folks who've coalesced around a shared set of ideas and values.

[Scurrilous]

29. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Kingofalldems]

30. Grayson destroys GOP talking points

That's why repubs hate him.

[Ilsa]

31. I heard about this last night and watched it today. Grayson said he'd proudly stand up for

the 40 million who can't see a doctor when they are sick, the 48 (?) million who need assistance in putting food on the table and the 24 million looking for work

[Democracydiva]

52. I love Alan..

I love Alan Grayson and though I live in another state, I have, until recently, given money to his campaign..But I have come to realize I can no longer stomach any Democrat who bows to the whims of AIPAC...How can you be a progressive and support the right wing government of Israel and the treatment of the Palestinians? I called Grayson's campaign to ask if he supported AIPAC...To their credit they gave me an honest answer..YES....I told the young man on the phone I was very sad to hear Grayson took that position and I choose to support groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and candidates like Marcy Winograd who apply "Never again" to all people.

[newspeak]

99. could care less about aipac right now

grayson's got a degree in economics, the economy is in the shitter because of WS's corruption (I call it corruption, Obama thinks their just immoral) and greed. If Grayson announced he was running for president today, I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. And the corporate owned media can do anything to attempt to bring him down, and I'd still vote for him.

Anyone, absolutely ANYONE, who fights for main street, I'll vote for. That's how dire the situation is in this country. And, if you allow them to beat you with petty shite or artificially created scandals, then we might as well throw in the towel.

[Ilsa]

32. P.J. O'Puke is fugging useless. Not even funny. Too bad Maher

was helping promote his senseless and ignorant ranting book.

[Ilsa]

33. The best part: Grayson pounded them on their ignorance on economics.

Maher and O'Rourke spewed some idiotic point on economics and Grayson told them they didn't know what they were talking about. They questioned his cred and he told them, yes, I have a degree in Economics. (he graduated Summa cum laude) that shut them up, and then he went on his rant. It was effin' beautiful!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

36. My introduction to PJ O'Rourke was in a Rolling Stone article where

he went to Sweden and tried to find people who were unhappy with their taxes. Everyone he interviewed either thought the taxes were no big deal or thought that yes, they were high, but they provided a good quality of life.

Poor PJ was reduced to saying that he didn't like Swedish food.

And he didn't learn a damn thing from the experience.

[Gabi Hayes]

41. and just about everybody whoever worked with him at NatLampCo hated his guts

here's as typical an example as you'll find of the famed funny:

Barack Obama is more irritating than the other nuisances on the left. Nancy Pelosi needs a session on the ducking stool, of course. But everyone with an ugly divorce has had a Nancy. She’s vexatious and expensive to get rid of, but it’s not like we give a damn about her. Harry Reid is going house-to-house selling nothing anybody wants. Slam the door on him and the neighbor’s Rottweiler will do the rest. And Barney Frank is self-punishing. Imagine being trapped inside Barney Frank.'
http://pjorourkeonline.blogspot.com/2010/05/plague-of-students.html

absolutely unreadable

I dare those who think he's still funny to see how long they can stand wading through that heavy handed swill

(a pass for the High School Yearbook)--- a LONG time ago

[bengalherder]

55. I used to read Nat Lamp in the day

He wasn't funny then either.

And he's still stuck back in OC/Stiggs poo-poo jokes and racist banter that got old thirty years ago.

[Enthusiast]

78. What an ass!

Why does Nancy needs a session of the ducking stool? In a world full of disgusting right wing hacks he is right up there with Colter, but less talented. If that is even possible.

[stockholmer]

56. a person here in Stockholm earning 85K/yr pays 4-5K less tax than a NYC dweller on same

income, when all taxes and deductions are in both counties (including sales in US and VAT here in Sweden) are taken in account. This also factors in $200 a month for US employee-based health care and a 7 SEK to 1 US dollar exchange rate. I should know, I lived in Manhattan (SoHo and Gramercy Park) for several years. In addition, anything over 92,000 dollars a year in income earned ANYWHERE outside the US has to be be paid in US taxes by its citizens, even if they never step foot in the US and earned no money from a single US source.

In addition, we get a HELL of a lot more back for taxes taken (free health care, safe, non-GMO food, no fluoride in water, very clean environment, almost free unlimited medication, free university education (we actually pay a 40K to 120K/year salary to our PhD students, depending on programme), tremendous paid vacations, state sponsored parental leave of one year for BOTH parents, incredible art and culture subsidies, etc etc). We do pay more for petrol (I do not drive), and food, but our rents and our home prices dwarf most major US cities.

As for our food, I would love to open a can of surströmming and dump it on PJ. :evilgrin:

[nxylas]

57. Plus, you don't *need* to drive

I've heard it said that Stockholm has the best public transportation in the world, though I've never been there, so I'll leave it to you to confirm or deny that.

[stockholmer]

58. it is world class, but many of other EU cities are good to ( Berlin, Paris, Zurich, etc)

Unfortunately, as Sweden is so big, and so sparsely populated, there are many areas where you do need a car.

[Enthusiast]

82. You don't have to convince me.

What do we get for our tax dollars? We get the vaunted Military Industrial Complex. And that is about all we get. And you had better say it's wonderful if you are a politician speaking on TV. If you don't say the MIC is wonderful and all our foreign exploits are wonderful and justified you will be pilloried unmercifully in the right wing media.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

128. I was in Stockholm this summer

It's a beautiful city!

[tabatha]

40. This is the first time I have seen P.J. O’Rourke

What a major azzhole. Unbelievable.

I had seen Nicole Wallace on Rachel's show and thought she was one of the better Republicans.
What a joke. I did not see people hopping around as if they needed a bathroom.
This is DC - everyone knows where to find a bathroom.
Changed my mind completely about Nicole Wallace.

[hatrack]

46. Oh, he's been staggeringly unfunny for decades now . . .

He's kind of like a marginally more intelligent Dennis Miller.

[lucca18]

43. Yes Grayson!!

Grayson told it like it is, and he told the truth!!!

[shireen]

45. Grayson was awesome

And P.J. O'Rourke is a dick. His comments are so shallow. He and Wallace are shockingly clueless.

[TheUnspeakable]

48. k&r-love you Alan!!!

[shanti]

50. maher made similar negative judgments about union workers

several months ago, if i remember correctly. however, shortly afterward, he basically did a 180. someone woke him up about it, and hopefully, he will wake up about OWS!

bongo drums, really, maher? :eyes: pj o'rourke? blehhhh.

alan grayson was awesome though!

[BuelahWitch]

80. He made some nasty cracks about Union workers in the Trumka segment

He came out and asked Trumka if Unions don't protect people who work in obsolete jobs (or something to that extent).

[wial]

101. Maher in that segment also seemed shockingly misinformed about campaign funding

he seemed to think unions outspend corporations. Does anyone know where he might have got that idea? The union rep tried to correct him (the actual ration is 20 to 1 in favor of corporations) and did stun Maher into silence, so maybe progress was made, but how could anyone think such a thing? Is that behind what a lot of teabaggers believe, that unions have undue influence instead of being a crumbling last line of defense against dawning police state oligarchy?

[pacalo]

51. Kudos to the audience for recognizing who was on THEIR side.

I could have just slapped Nicole Wallace & P.J. O'Rourke.

[Jakes Progress]

59. The audience is way ahead of Maher.

I think his money is getting in his way. He wants so much to be a part of the in group. He just idolizes the wrong group.

"Hey, Bill. If you need to get into the Playboy club to get laid, you're doin" it wrong."

[progressoid]

54. It was a thing of beauty.

Fuck PJ and Nicolle Wallace.

[Douglas Carpenter]

60. just because Maher is contemptuous of all things spiritual does not make him a progressive

In fact I think his dogmatic atheism is born more out of snobbery and elitism than any serious search for truth

[trumad]

61. No---he doesn't bel;ieve in fairy tales...

[Douglas Carpenter]

62. well you can defend that jackass if you want too..

I wonder how Harry Truman would have felt about that kind of elitism and snobbery

[trumad]

66. Uhh---do you classify all atheists as elitist and snobs?

[Douglas Carpenter]

68. no, absolutely not

and I don't classify all religious or spiritual people as idiots or ignorant either. That's not reality.

[cpwm17]

113. I'm an atheist, and I agree with you

His agnosticism allows him to look down his nose at people that are different than him. Bill Maher's just a bigot.

Bill Maher gets thing right (which is frequent) only when it doesn't interfere with his bigotry.

[cyclezealot]

67. Grayson is a hero.

I love it.. I wish he were Florida's next senator..

[lunatica]

69. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you.... then they they fight you,

then you win.

[pangaia]

70. Maher is amd always was all about himself.

They guy is an arrogant, slimy, egotistical .... blechhhk. How can anyone watch him.. politics aside...

[april]

71. Al Graysonis Right & a good man for the people

[BeHereNow]

74. Bill Maher lost me when he cheered the assassination of two american citizens without charges or

a due process.
This week he simply disgusted me with his bashing of the OWS.
He is one of the "let them eat cake" advocates.
A wealthy talk show host who really has no comprehension or concern about
of how the rest of us live, day to day.
Fuck him and his silly guests.
Bravo to Grayson for revealing the truth of Bill and his hate fest panels.
I am no longer interested in anything Bill Maher has to say.
BHN

[cpwm17]

117. That doesn't surprise me

Deep down, Bill Maher seemed to support the Iraq War before it started. He said he didn't really care if we went to war, but he only said that so as to not completely lose his anti-war audience. He's also in love with another war-worshiping country in the ME.

[AnnieK401]

77. Cancelling HBO!

The only reason I had HBO was for Bill Maher. Now that I am ready to boycott him, I no longer need it. Great, I will save 16 or 17 bucks a month. Every little bit helps.

[Name removed]

81. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

83. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[1monster]

90. Many years ago, I bought the hype about an O’Rourke book... something about

politically correct faerie tales. It wasn't funny. It wasn't well written, and it wasn't worth the cut rate price I got from a book club. I'm not sure if it is still on my bookshelves, but I think I donated it. (As a book lover, I cannot manage to destroy a book no matter how much it deserves to be burned.)

Bratty little P.J. has not improved with time at all. In fact, he's gotten worse. He may bill himself a commedian, but I know comedians, I've worked with comedians, and P.J. O'Rourke is no comedian. (with apoligies to the late Senator Lloyd Bentson.)

[phleshdef]

93. I'm not a fan of the guy. But I am a fan of Bill Maher, who most definately is a comedian.

Whether or not you or I personally find someone to be good at being funny is completely irrelevant though. The fact remains that Maher and O'Rourke weren't being super serious in their so called "criticisms" of the OWS protests. It really is much ado about nothing.

[shanti]

102. "jackasses"

really? :eyes:

[certainot]

84. 'left' makes it easy for media to mock OWS by ignoring RW radio, as it continues to mock OWS and

everything progressive.

here's an example of limbaugh from about 30 min of listening over several days-

no doubt that the white house is behind it
rich white spoiled rotten jerks
parade of human debris
idiots, parasites, dumb, stupid

lightweight stuff but it's going to go on and on and on all day long from ALL RW radio shows, reaching 50 mil a week, and it will also be coordinated by the think tanks to specifically enable media and politicians to ignore any significant OWS gains in media.

get used to it until there is a congruent organized effort to finally challenge the corporatists best weapon.

[Puget Progressive]

85. I just watched the video

and I never realized what an asshole PJ O'Rourke really is. He was rude and insulting, especially when he responded to Grayson's spot on comments by stating that he should get a bongo drum. Classic Rethug defense - attack the person when you can't refute what they say. O'Rourke was pathetic. He never countered any of Grayson's excellent points. The whole tone of this "discussion" was something that Bill Maher should be ashamed of. The bottom line? Who was the one of that group who received a standing ovation and who looked like a Rethug tool? I was also put off by O'Rourke's comment about hippies that "there is so much to hate". A wildly generalized comment that reveals more about him than anybody in the counterculture of the 60s. The kind of people that he obviously distains contributed a lot more to this country than a smirking jerk like O'Rourke.

[RevStPatrick]

86. Wow, PJ O'Rourke is really kinda dumb...

Obviously, I wasn't the first one here to notice that.

Thank you, Mr. Grayson for being there to tell that entire panel of thick-skulled idiots what's what!

[stillrockin]

92. O'Rourke's an entitled, delusional, narcissistic drunk.

[1776Forever]

87. Alan I am right behind you Baby with my Bongo's! You ROCK! I love you so much!

Bongo's should be the symbol for the Freedom of 2011! Just like these were the symbol in 1776!


"The Spirit of '76" by Archibald M. Willard

Play 'em LOUD Baby!

[newspeak]

94. I watched it last night

I wanted to see Grayson. When they started in about the bongo drums, I was screaming at the telly, "yeah, don't mention the american veterans who are there you skanks!!! My hubby told me to quit yelling at the telly, they can't hear you."

Again, we have people getting air time, attempting to neutralize the movement. same old repetitive bullshite!!! "they don't have a message", "they don't have a leader." What they really want is a leader to step forward, so they have a focal point to tear down. So, they can discredit the one individual. Someone who represents the whole, bring down the leader, bring down the movement.

[1776Forever]

129. What a truly remarkable comment! You are so right on with that analogy! I was yelling at the telly

when my Hubby came in the room tonight - He said who are you yelling at and I said "Cantor, what a piece of worthless humanity he is!". I am right with you, we have to scream to let off steam!

:hi:

[efhmc]

88. Bill Maher is a ann coulter fan and a misogynistic

pig. I have never understood why he is so admired by progressives.

[mmonk]

89. I have a big portion of that video exchange on my Facebook page.

Thanks for posting.

[scentopine]

95. O'Rourke is just as facile as "sensible" corporatists running the dem party, those aren't bongos...

those are more like war drums. Bring it on.

[WillyT]

97. K & R !!!

:kick:

[Politicub]

103. How its playing in Peoria isn't how the protests are being perceived on DU

The GOP and its MSM cohorts are doing a good job of making people believe that the protestors are a bunch of hippies without a compass.

This morning my husband said he didn't really get why they were camping out without any kind of demands. He thought it seems like a well intentioned but confusing exercise without a clear message.

He also doesn't get why there is an occupation in Atlanta since it's about "Wall Street."

I fear this is how the protests are being perceived by the public at large. While many of we progressives feel that we understand the driver behind the protests and believe they are going to spark a bigger movement, I don't think that's how the public at large is seeing it.

My husband is sympathetic to liberal causes. He's socially liberal, believes the rich should be taxed more, and is in favor of government spending for infrastructure and jobs. The problem is that the protests aren't connecting with him and people like him at a more basic level.

It was interesting to me.

[Populist_Prole]

105. Because "Peoria" is not thinking deeply. And there's lots of "Peorias"

The typical low-information types that get whatever "knowledge" of the issues peripherally by scanning the front page and watching a few minutes of MSM are never going to even try to think deeply about this or any other issue unless it affects them personally, in real time and...Oh yeah, that and sports.

I hear the same thing amongst all too many of my peers: It's not that they truly "don't know what the protesters want" but just a conflation and paraphrasing of the talking heads they hear.

[Politicub]

109. It's frustrating, isn't it?

People not thinking or caring to think is the root of so many problems in our country. No wonder why the education system is so attacked by the right -- if people really thought about what's going on and exercised a few brain cells to get beyond the soundbites, we would finally start debating serious solutions to problems.

[Douglas Carpenter]

111. I doubt that Peoria understood what was going on when labor first started striking and taking to the

streets during the first half of the 20th Century. I'm quite certain Peoria didn't quite understand what was going on when the African-Americans in Montgomery, Alabama and numerous other place were starting to boycott and strike and take to the streets and demand their rights. I'm certain Peoria didn't grasp what was going on when college student and others started to protest the war in Vietnam and demand its end. But in time Peoria did figure it out. None of these other movement necessarily got the best press coverage either. But in spite of that, in time the Peorias of America do for the most part get it. It just takes a little while for things so revolutionary to sink in - especially in places like Peoria. .

[colsohlibgal]

104. There Is A Coherent Message

Maybe O'Rourke's influence got to Maher but I'm still surprised Bill said what he said. I haven't seen it yet but I'll cue it up tonight off on demand.

O'Rourke somewhere along the way lost his mind. He has been long time friends with an old friend of mine and my friend can't believe O'Rourkes big move right.

Hurray for Grayson, another rich person who gets it. We just need more like him, Buffett, Bill Gates....Gates has a plan to donate 90% of his wealth.....the opposite of Wall Street's greed whore types, who, like almost all wingnuts, seem to lack some kind of empathy gene.

We need Alan back in the House and I think it's a slam dunk he'll be back in January 2013.

[2banon]

107. Bill Maher has always been an unenlightened tool

Sometimes he's close to getting it, but most of the time he's just a tool for his corporate masters.. Why else does he have more repug shills on his show week after week in larger numbers than any number of real progressives? it was painful to sit through so much footage of this clip before I finally got to hear Grayson which was awsesome. So was the audience response btw.

[Major Hogwash]

108. This is the first time I have ever wanted to watch Maher's program. Just to see Grayson

hand him his ass!!

Grayson is one of the best, most honest politicians to come down the road in 25 years.
And we need more people like him in Congress who aren't afraid to tell the truth about what we are facing in this manipulated, corporatized country.

[valerief]

115. What a crew of dickheads except Grayson. He was the only non-asshole in the bunch! nt

[Arugula Latte]

118. It was beautiful how the one voice of real people resonated with the audience.

Those sneering scumbags had their little bubble penetrated for a minute to hear how the rest of us feel.

[bluestate10]

119. Grayson nailed it, gave the very coherent reason why OWS exists and is getting stronger. nt

[Auntie Bush]

120. I already donated to Alan Grayson and he's living up to my expectations!

You go Alan! :bounce: :loveya: :yourock:

[BumRushDaShow]

126. Watches with amusement as (now-former) Bill Mahr fans kick him under the bus.

:popcorn:

[theophilus]

127. I'm glad I have never watched Maher. I will continue to never watch him. He is an ass.

He should be very careful on this one, imo. He failed miserably in this clip. Grayson rules.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

130. Grayson is brilliant!

didn't know he was an economist until i looked up the thread in GD called "P.J. O'Rourke is lazy" where somebody posted Grayson's educational resume. Summa cum laude and magna cum laude, Harvard undergrad and Harvard law school, bachelor's, master's, doctorate in law, and a Ph.D.

Playing fashion critic, I also loved his obnoxiously loud striped tie. :D

Sometimes Maher is OK but on that show he was a real jerk.