Citizen Jeff

During the “New Rules” segment on his HBO show last Friday night, Bill Maher blasted the Democratic Party for kowtowing to its corporate paymasters, and bemoaned the lack of real liberals on ballots and television. “And if occasionally you do get to hear Ralph Nader, Noam Chomsky or Dennis Kucinich,” Maher complained, “they’re treated like buffoons.”

But when then-presidential candidate Nader came prepared in 2004 to seriously discuss the shortcomings of Democrats, Maher condescendingly badgered his liberal guest throughout the interview, and got down on his knees with Michael Moore to beg Nader to drop out of the race. As if that weren’t enough, he then presented the candidate with a photograph of O.J. Simpson as a reminder “that someone can have a lifetime of being considered a hero, and then ruin it because of one thing.”

New Rule: TV hosts who object to treating liberals like buffoons, shouldn’t treat liberals like buffoons.

This story was also published by The Huffington Post.