HBO comedian Bill Maher acknowledges he is facing an uphill climb in his quest to oust Republican 2nd District Rep. John Kline from office, but said the congressman deserves to be targeted.
"It is tough. But you know what? I would rather take on somebody who is a little tougher but represented the real problem than go after some clown who is not the real problem," Maher said in an interview on Monday.
An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety.
You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.
Choose an online service.
Current print subscribers
Need an account? Create one now.
kAm%96 9@DE @7 wq~VD k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]93@]4@>^C62=\E:>6\H:E9\3:==\>296CQmQ#62= %:>6 H:E9 q:== |296CQk^2m :D 3C:?8:?8 9:D 42>A2:8? E@ F?D62E z=:?6 E@ }@CE97:6=5 E@52J] w6 :D 9@DE:?8 2 ?@?\E6=6G:D65 G6CD:@? @7 9:D A2?6= D68>6?E 2E 2 D@=5\@FE D9@H 2E %96 vC2?5 tG6?E r6?E6C] xEVD E96 4F=>:?2E:@? @7 |296CVD Qu=:A 2 s:DEC:4EQ :?:E:2E:G6[ H96C6 G:6H6CD H6C6 :?G:E65 E@ 42DE E96:C G@E6D 7@C H9:49 >6>36C @7 r@?8C6DD D9@F=5 36 D6?E A24<:?8] {2DE >@?E9[ |296C 2??@F?465 z=:?6 925 366? A:4<65]k^Am
kAm$@ H9J z=:?6n |296C C2EE=65 @77 2 =@?8 =:DE @7 A@D:E:@?D z=:?6 92D E2<6? E92E 96 D2:5 8@6D 282:?DE E96 :?E6C6DE @7 9:D 4@?DE:EF6?ED[ :?4=F5:?8 C2:D:?8 DEF56?E =@2? C2E6D 7C@> b]d A6C46?E E@ d]h A6C46?E E@ 96=A A2J 5@H? E96 567:4:E[ @AA@D:?8 E96 t?G:C@?>6?E2= !C@E64E:@? p86?4JVD 677@CED E@ C68F=2E6 8C66?9@FD6 82D 6>:DD:@?D 2?5 86EE:?8 C:5 @7 E96 6DE2E6 E2I] w6 25565 E92E z=:?6 92D G@E65 282:?DE 2 >:?:>F> H286 :?4C62D6 2?5 6IE6?565 =@?8\E6C> F?6>A=@J>6?E :?DFC2?46 H9:=6 G@E:?8 7:G6 E:>6D E@ 8:G6 9:>D6=7 2 C2:D6]k^Am
kAmQ!6@A=6 ;FDE 5@?VE <?@H H9@ E96:C C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 2C6] %96J 5@?VE F?56CDE2?5 E92E E96J 5@?VE C62==J C6AC6D6?E E96>[ 2?5 y@9? z=:?6 :D 2 A6C764E 6I2>A=6 @7 E92E] w6 4@F?ED @? A6@A=6 ?@E C62==J 86EE:?8 :?G@=G65[ ?@E F?56CDE2?5:?8 9:D G@E:?8 C64@C5[Q |296C D2:5]k^Am
kAmz=:?6VD 42>A2:8? DA@<6D>2? %C@J *@F?8 D2:5 |296CVD 6G6?E %F6D52J :D 32D:42==J 2 C2==J :? DFAA@CE @7 9:D su{ 492==6?86C[ 7@C>6C DE2E6 #6A] |:<6 ~36C>F6==6C[ @7 t282?]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 5:D2AA@:?E:?8 ~36C>F6==6C H2?ED E@ E2<6 E9:D C246 :?E@ E96 8FEE6C 2?5 42>A2:8? H:E9 |296C H9@ 4@>A2C65 z=:?6[ 2 564@C2E65 |2C:?6 r@CAD G6E6C2?[ E@ Vx$x$V 2?5 Vt3@=2V 2?5 H2D AC6G:@FD=J 7:C65 3J pqr 7@C D2=FE:?8 h^`` E6CC@C:DED 2?5 42==:?8 @FC EC@@AD V4@H2C5=J[VQ *@F?8 D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am
kAm|296C D2:5 96 925 ?@ :562 H9@ ~36C>F6==6C H2D F?E:= D66:?8 9:D ?2>6 :? 2 z=:?6 7F?5C2:D:?8 6>2:= E92E 244FD65 9:> 2?5 |296C @7 H@C<:?8 E@86E96C E@ 56762E 9:>] w6 D2:5 9:D 42>A2:8? :D D:>A=J 23@FE 56762E:?8 z=:?6 — ?@E DFAA@CE:?8 2?@E96C 42?5:52E6]k^Am
kAmQp== x <?@H :D E9:D 5:DEC:4E 4@F=5 =:E6C2==J ?@E 5@ H@CD6 E92? E96 8FJ E92E E96J 92G6 E96C6[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m~36C>F6==6C H:?572==k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm$E:==[ E96 ~36C>F6==6C 42>A2:8? 92D 36?67:E65 7:?2?4:2==J 7C@> |296CVD E2C86E:?8 @7 z=:?6] p7E6C :E H2D 2??@F?465 E92E z=:?6 H2D A:4<65 7@C u=:A 2 s:DEC:4E[ ~36C>F6==6CVD 42>A2:8? D2H 2 f__ A6C46?E :?4C62D6 :? 42>A2:8? 5@?2E:@?D E96 7@==@H:?8 H66<6?5[ D2:5 42>A2:8? DA@<6D>2? z6G:? v6@C86]k^Am
kAmp=D@ CF??:?8 7@C E96 D62E :D x?56A6?56?46 !2CEJ 42?5:52E6 !2F=2 ~G6C3J] $96 D2:5 :? 2 A@DE @? k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]A2F=2@G6C3J]4@>^Qm96C H63D:E6k^2m :E D9@F=5?VE 36 2DDF>65 E92E 6=64E:?8 ~36C>F6==6C :D E96 D@=FE:@? E@ E96 :DDF6D C2:D65 3J |296C]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6 :D 2 AC6DF>AE:@? E92E :7 2 #6AF3=:42? :D E96 AC@3=6>[ E96? 2 s6>@4C2E >FDE 36 E96 D@=FE:@?[ 3FE AC@3=6>D :? (2D9:?8E@? CF? >F49 566A6C E92? E92E[Q ~G6C3J HC@E6]k^Am
kAmz=:?6 2=D@ C6=62D65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]J@FEF36]4@>^H2E49nGl\)y&=C\69F4U2>Aj762EFC6lJ@FEF]36Qm2 ?6H %' 25k^2m @? |@?52J E92E E@FED 9:>D6=7 2D D@>6@?6 H9@ :D H:==:?8 E@ H@C< 24C@DD E96 2:D=6 E@ 86E E9:?8D 5@?6 — :?4=F5:?8 A2DD:?8 =68:D=2E:@? 2:>65 2E 4C24<:?8 5@H? @? J@FE9 D6I EC277:4<:?8 2?5 >2<:?8 DFC6 |:??6D@E2 }2E:@?2= vF2C5 >6>36CD 86E 2== E96 36?67:ED E96J 925 366? AC@>:D65]k^Am
kAmr2C=6E@? r@==686 A@=:E:42= D4:6?46 AC@76DD@C $E6G6? $49:6C D2:5 56DA:E6 |296CVD 677@CED[ 96 5@6D?VE D66 2?J 492?46 E92E z=:?6 H:== =@D6 9:D D62E] #@== r2== C2E6D E96 D62E 2D Q$276 #6AF3=:42?]Qk^Am
kAmQw6VD 8@E DFA6C:@C 7F?5:?8j 96 H@? 3J 2? g\A@:?E >2C8:? :? 2 s6>@4C2E:4 J62C :? a_`a] %96C6 92G6?VE 366? 2?J >2;@C :DDF6D @C D42?52=D E92E 9:D F?56C7F?565 @AA@?6?E 92D 366? 23=6 E@ FD6 282:?DE 9:>[Q $49:6C D2:5]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mV%6==:?8 FD 9@H E@ G@E6Vk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmu@C>6C #6AF3=:42? DE2E6 w@FD6 $A62<6C $E6G6 $G:88F> :D D=2E65 E@ 2AA62C @? |296CVD A2?6= :? }@CE97:6=5] w6 D2:5 E96 724E E92E =:36C2= @FED:56CD DF49 2D |296C 2C6 E2C86E:?8 z=:?6 H@C<D :? E96 :?4F>36?EVD 25G2?E286]k^Am
kAmQx 42?VE E9:?< @7 2 36EE6C A:4EFC6 7@C y@9? z=:?6 E96? E@ D66 E96D6 A6@A=6 7C@> E96 @FED:56 H9@ 2C6 =:36C2= 4@>:?8 96C6 E6==:?8 FD 9@H E@ G@E6[Q $G:88F> D2:5]k^Am
kAm%9:D >2J ?@E 36 E96 =2DE E:>6 |296C G:D:ED |:??6D@E2] w6 D2:5 96 9@A6D E@ C6EFC? 367@C6 E96 6=64E:@? E@ 96=A @FE H:E9 E96 8C@F?5 42>A2:8? 282:?DE z=:?6] w6 2=D@ C6>2:?D F?72K65 3J E96 E@F89 @55D] w6 ?@E65 z=:?6 H@? E96 6=64E:@? EH@ J62CD 28@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^>:??6D@E26=64E:@?C6DF=ED]D@D]DE2E6]>?]FD^#6DF=ED^&$#6AC6D6?E2E:G6^`n@77:46:?6=64E:@?:5lcU2>Aj5:DEC:4E:5lddfQm3J ah[___ G@E6Dk^2m]k^Am
kAmQ%H6?EJ\?:?6 E9@FD2?5 :D ?@E 2 9F86 ?F>36C — :EVD 92=7 @7 2 q@? y@G: 4@?46CE 7@C 4CJ:?8 @FE =@F5[Q 96 D2:5] Q|2J36 H6V== 4@>6 FA D9@CE 2?5 >2J36 H6V== DFCAC:D6 D@>6 A6@A=6]Qk^Am
HBO comedian Bill Maher made the case Tuesday night for ousting 2nd District Republican Rep. John Kline
