Bill Maher did something that the mainstream media won’t. He made the case that the Republican obstruction of Obama has crossed over into treason.
Video:
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Transcript:
Bill Maher: What about trying to repeal it for the 37th time? Is that a wise use of our resources and time? I mean, at some point obstruction becomes I don’t know, treason. They’ve also blocked Obama’s head of the EPA. There’s no head of the circuit court in DC. At some point, it becomes more about hating him than loving their country.
Michael Moore: No. They hate America. That’s what it is.
Maher: They hate America?
Moore: Yeah, I think these conservatives and right wingers really, for as much as they say they love this country. They hate it. They hate the government. They hate the people.
Maher: Those are really two different things, aren’t they?
Moore: No. Well it shouldn’t be, the government is supposed to be of, for, and by the people. Right? So why is the government the big evil bastard here?
Maher: Cause Merica got taken over by a Kenyan socialist. That’s why… That’s why we need our guns. We might have to take over the government.
Maher and Moore’s discussion brings up an interesting point. Republicans started out by hating this president. Their hate was reflected in obstruction. By obstructing and opposing everything that this president has tried to accomplish, Republicans created the perception that they hate government. Since the American people, not only elect the government, but count on the government to provide safety and security, obstruction has created the perception that Republicans hate the American people.
The mainstream media is so busy treating Obama hate and conspiracy theories as a legitimate point of view that they never stop to consider whether or not they are playing a role in damaging the country. The media loves to talk about the dysfunction in Washington, but they will never acknowledge the role that they continue to play in legitimizing Republican obstruction.
The media is so terrified of the right that they will never bring up the fact that congressional Republicans have violated their oaths of office by refusing to do the duties that they were elected to carry out. This behavior has gotten so extreme that Republicans have taken to boycotting committee hearings for Obama nominees.
Treason is the act of willfully attempting to overthrow the government. All the recent Republican talk of Obama impeachment certainly looks like an attempt to overthrow the elected government, but I think one of the definitions of traitor also fits what Maher and Moore discussed.
A traitor is, “One who betrays another’s trust or is false to an obligation or duty.” Republicans have definitely betrayed the trust of the American people, and have been false to their sworn duties.
The mainstream media will never talk about the fact that Republican obstructionism has crossed over into traitorous behavior. The media lacks the guts to do what Bill Maher did. Until the media stops rewarding Republicans for betraying their own country, the crimes against the the American people in the name of “freedom” will continue.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
