Guests:Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY); Kathy Griffin, comedian; Paul Rieckhoff, author and veterans advocate; Rajiv Chandrasekaran, journalist; Richard Clarke, fmr. counter-terrorism czar

Maherisms

Americans don't really care which side of an issue you're on as long as you don't act like p*ssies.  Bill Maher

This is our last best shot for a long time to get the sort of serious healthcare reform that would make the United States the envy of several African nations.  Bill Maher

If the White House had any balls, they'd have said, '[President Obama] is giving a speech on the importance of staying in school, and if you jackasses don't show it to every damn kid, we're cutting off your federal education funding tomorrow.  Bill Maher

On 9/11

It is, of course, the eighth anniversary of 9/11. And Americans today stopped, as they should, and reflected, whatever they were doing, just to sit there, reflect, do nothing, say nothing⬦just like Bush did eight years ago when he got the news.  Bill Maher

At the World Trade Center site, Joe Biden observed a moment of silence...showing Americans really can do anything.  Bill Maher

Our country has been divided since 9/11, really. And there's no more time for partisanship, and for bickering, especially in a time of war.  Paul Rieckhoff

On Rep. Joe Wilson's Heckling

I know the president is black, but this is not 'Showtime at the Apollo.'  Bill Maher

Nancy Pelosi was so shocked, she took out her compact and drew in her eyebrows all furrowed.  Bill Maher

What's so ironic is that the healthcare plan that Mr. Wilson so angrily opposes would get him the Prozac he so desperately needs.  Bill Maher

On Healthcare

Medicare has an overhead of about 3.5% compared to 30% for our insurance companies.  Rep. Anthony Weiner

You know, we don't all use mass transit, but, believe me, if we didn't have it, we'd all be standing still on the highway because we would wish that we had it.  Rep. Anthony Weiner

The health insurance industry shouldn't exist at all.  Rep. Anthony Weiner

On Afghanistan

How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for something that seemed like a good idea at the time?  Bill Maher

Nobody wants to admit what is really the case over there, which is, it's going to be a really costly nation-building exercise.  Rajiv Chandrasekaran

The entire Afghanistan conflict has really slid under the radar of the politicians, the American public and everybody. So, we need to re-examine and have a real national conversation.  Paul Rieckhoff

America -- they're like Irish relatives, they never f*cking leave anywhere!  Bill Maher

Pulling out of Iraq, pulling out of Afghanistan, isn't going to make flowers grow and give everybody a puppy.  Paul Rieckhoff

On Race

I think there's a right wing strategy to de-legitimize the president.  Richard Clarke

No one who was sane would think the president was going to make a partisan speech to school children.  Bill Maher

There are a lot of folks, in Washington especially, who have refused to accept that [Obama] is really the president and they need to show him proper respect whether it's on the floor of the Congress or in the classrooms.  Paul Rieckhoff

All of a sudden, they don't want the president to give a speech on television to kids about staying in school? Why? There's some shit that's going down with him that's black things.  Kathy Griffin

On Religion

I lost my faith and I lost my religion. And I lost my shit. And had fun doing it.  Kathy Griffin

I'm a fallen Catholic. I fell so far I woke up in Beijing.  Kathy Griffin

On the Media

I think the media treats [Americans] like they're stupid. I don't think they're stupid.  Richard Clarke

The media is supposed to be the teacher. If they're also in the back of the room throwing spitballs, what hope do we have of educating the public?  Bill Maher

A lot of my ilk in the media who cover this issue don't really know a lot about healthcare...it's all a horserace.  Rajiv Chandrasekaran

The media] confuse balance with accuracy. Balance does not equal accuracy.  Paul Rieckhoff

PBS is hard to watch; it's like eating oatmeal; it's really good for you but it doesn't go down very easy.  Paul Rieckhoff

When I was a kid, science was science, and ideology was debatable. Now science is debatable.  Kathy Griffin