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Maher blasts 'Fogey of War' McCain during 'New Rules' Real Time segment

By M&C Smallscreen Mar 22, 2008, 20:14 GMT

04/20/2007 - Bill Maher - Bill Maher Performs at the Hard Rock Hotel - April 20, 2007 - Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, NV, USA © Erik Kabik / PR Photos

Think John McCain is the best candidate for the Presidency?  Bill Maher would love you to reconsider the old "fogey of War" who needs to bone up on the "Art of War."

Last night, "Real Time with Bill Maher" also featured Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank who said he's going to file a bill when Congress is back in session to legalize "small amounts" of marijuana.

He told Maher his bill would remove all federal penalties for the possession or use of small amounts of marijuana, but he didn't define "small amounts."

Frank, a Democrat, said it's time for politicians to catch up with the public. He said locking people up for smoking marijuana is "pretty silly."

Real Time host Maher also appeared earlier in the week on MSNBC's Hardball, where he lauded Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and had thumps for presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

"I thought it was a great speech," said Maher of Obama's milestone address on race. "He never fails to rise to the occasion. I think history will look back and see him as ... the Jackie Robinson of politics. Maher added, "It was such a pleasure to hear a speech for adults, to adults, that didn't pander, that was eloquent."

Regarding the swirling debates over Obama's pastor, Maher said, "Americans are so narcissistic, they're such navel-gazers, they only live in their own little world. ... People wouldn't know what goes on in a black church, they could be preaching jihad every week and nobody would know about it. I mean we learn this every time there's a racial episode in this country ... [E]very time people are absolutely shocked at what's going on, because obviously there really isn't a lot of dialogue between the two races."

Maher cracked up Matthews over Bill O'Reilly's stunned admission of normalcy he experienced in a black restaurant.

Quipped Maher, "He thought it was gonna be 'Dinnertime at the Apollo.' He was just gonna have dinner, stay for a little of the dogfighting, and then leave."

McCain had it rougher, Maher said: "We're one terrorist attack away from John McCain rising in the polls by ten points because people think he's tougher. Of course he's not tougher about the war, he's dumber about the war ... because he thinks that by keeping troops in the heart of the Muslim world, that's gonna help the war on terror."

Maher's New Rules finished with "Fogey of War":