Guests: Frank Lutz, Darrell Issa, Kim Gandy, Clarence Page, and Matt Taibbi.

On Obama

He's got independents. He's got people from all over the political spectrum: conservatives, liberals. This guy really is the real deal. I feel like he's challenging Bobby Kennedy.  Frank Luntz

On Iraq

It is totally about American presence. That's why Bin Laden and the people who really hate us and want to kill us are angry about America. We were in Saudi Arabia. They couldn't take it. That's why they attacked America. Because American presence in their holy land is what stokes their fire. So, for McCain to say, "You know what? We could be there for 100 years, as long as we're not taking casualties," that is totally, totally wrong.  Bill Maher

The fact is, this is an unpopular war, but it's a war that the Republican base, including the left of the Republican base, wants to get out of in a way that doesn't say the president was right to go in, but doesn't have us live with another Vietnam around our neck.  Darrell Issa

On Reagan

Reagan did everything that they consider a "third rail." I mean, Reagan was not "Reaganesque." Has anyone pointed that out to these candidates?  Bill Maher

On the Debates

One of the things that's great about a debate is that you actually get to see conventional wisdom" get made. So you get these people that come into the Spin Room, these campaign spokespeople, and they'll say something like, "Well, I think we really saw Hillary Clinton's human side tonight." And then five minutes later, some guy's on CNN, and he's like, "Wolf, I think we really saw Hillary Clinton's human side tonight." I mean, they just pour that shit right into the trough and we reporters are like, you know, we eat it all up.  Matt Taibbi

On Afghanistan

The Bush Administration ceded the entire country outside of Kabul to the warlords, basically let them take over while they policed Kabul. The women were back into the burkha in no time, because the warlords were just as bad to them as the Taliban, if anybody can imagine that.  Kim Gandy