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Tea Party member Reihan Salam handles O'Donnell, Maher, while Zach lights up spleef

By April MacIntyre Oct 30, 2010, 20:42 GMT

05/04/2010 - Zach Galifianakis - © Paul Froggatt / PR Photos

Last night's "Real Time with Bill Maher" was a great show, with Bill hosting two center-right guests, National Review's Reihan Salam and reporter Margaret Hoover, and left-leaning MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, who were joined by Zach Galifianakis, who popped in for some marijuana-laced mirth.

Maher was on a tear against the GOP and "tea baggers," his disparaging name for the Tea Party.  The political faction is a favorite target for many jokes fueled by Tea Party candidate's Christine O'Donnell's many "Politically Incorrect" appearances Maher teased out over the season.

Reihan Salam was on point and quickly responded to Maher and O'Donnell with some concise remarks.

When O'Donnell turns to Salam and says, "I had four different leaders of four different tea parties. They're all nuts. They don't know what they're talking about."

Salam quickly replies, "As a Tea Partier, I will happily talk about the issues with you. We'll go down the line and we'll see who knows what they're talking about, Lawrence. I have a lot of respect for you, but I think you’re being a little unfair."

He also noted that the Tea Party scared people because it has no real leader. "It’s not a movement with a leader, Lawrence, that’s why it scares people. It’s not a movement with leaders," says Salam.

Then guest Zach Galifianakis, who shared amusing anecdotes about his North Carolina family's political experiences, an Uncle who famously ran (and lost) against Jesse Helms, also commented on proposition 19, the California potential law that will make marijuana legal.

Mid chat Zac lit up a big joint, offering it to an amused conservative reporter Margaret Hoover, who he earlier said he had the pants that matched her bright red jacket.

Zach was on the show to promote his new film 'Due Date,' co-starring Robert Downey Jr.

"It's a tricky thing politically to jump on that bandwagon [and vote for the legalization of pot] because I think that maybe people still see it as taboo," said Zach, who then lights the joint.

Bill Maher closed the show before New Rules with his comments about "Mohammed" being the number one baby name in Britain.

Maher says, “Am I a racist to feel alarmed by that? Because I am. And it’s not because of the race, it’s because of the religion. I don’t have to apologize, do I, for not wanting the Western world to be taken over by Islam in 300 years?”

Margaret Hoover responded, “If you’re with NPR, you would be fired." 

Salam took a bit of umbrage and shared he had many beloved Uncles with the name Mohammed.