We have decided to start recapping Bill Maher's Real Time. Because we hate ourselves.

After a boring interview with George Will, we moved on to Real Time's meat and potatoes, the panel discussion. This week's panel: “The Bulwark" editor Charlie Sykes, former New York governor Eliot Spitzer, and “free speech champion" and New York Times Opinion writer Bari Weiss.

The panel discussion turned, as all of American life does lately, to whether we should Impeach The Motherfucker in the aftermath of Trump's disastrous interview with George Stephanopoulos where he said he would not refuse foreign help nor report it to the FBI. Maher said we should impeach, for the correct reasons. Eliot Spitzer went with the feeble argument of inaction waiting until the election:

Spitzer: Look, first you don't impeach someone for something he might do but hasn't done. Trump is a narcissistic demagogue who is the worst president we've ever had. Let's take that as a baseline. But, but ... I think, Bill, it is better for our democracy to beat him at the electoral box next year. We can impeach him, the Senate won't convict him. Let's beat him with democratic votes. We should do it, we can do it. Let's get a good candidate.

So a few things there, Client 9.

First, the Constitution is clear about the violations and what should be done. So to excuse them is to ignore Congress's constitutional duty. Second, TRUMP LOST IN 2016! He lost the popular vote by a wide margin and, through the Mueller Report, we've learned of the massive disinformation/interference campaigns from Russia. Does Spitzer really think that 2020 will go differently? Why? The rump Administration and the Republican Senate haven't done anything to protect our elections from further cyber attacks or to protect election integrity. Spitzer seems to have a lot of faith in institutions and norms we've seen fail for two and a half years now. In fact, it's conservative Charlie Sykes who made the clearest argument why impeachment should have already begun:

Sykes: You're right, you don't do impeachment for something he says but there's so much other material here. This is the moment. I mean what is it gonna take for the Democrats ... Look, I've spent the last few years watching Republicans lose their minds. I'm amazed at how bad Democrats are at politics. What does it take for them [...] The Mueller Report lays out in the clearest possible roadmap to Congress to say, “If you're not potted plants, if you're serious about your constitutional responsibility, you need to have these impeachment hearings." No, whatever the politics are, this is what Congress is for. If a Congress does not institute impeachment proceedings, then what they're basically saying is the president of the United States is literally above the law.

Ah, but what should Democrats be doing that they are already doing, Mr. Former Politician Eliot Spitzer Sir?

Spitzer: [...] So let them vote on articles of impeachment. But pass a budget, pass a gun control bill, pass a good environmental bill, pass an infrastructure bill, pass a tax reform bill. The House should do stuff that affects the voters in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. THEN we have a policy to run on. Then we'd win. Look, I got 70% in New York doing that. Ok? This is what wins political elections.

Goddamn it, Spitzer! For all the work the House of Representatives does, the same Senate that will not convict Trump will also never bring up ANY Democratic House bill up for a vote. Mitch McConnell practically gloated about it and calling himself the “Grim Reaper" of House bills. So we need impeachment to outline for the American people EXACTLY why we are impeaching and why Trump is unfit to be president before the 2020 election.

But if you think Maher was gonna stand by and let Spitzer do all the shitty arguments, you don't know Bill Maher:

Maher: There's too much purity testing, I think, in the Democratic Party. I think now they are gonna get in trouble with PACs. Because they are talking about not taking money from technology companies, oil companies ... you can't have any of their money, you can't have Wall Street money. Meanwhile the Republicans take everyone's money. You know, Steve Wynn he got “Me Too"ed and they're like “were keeping the money." Harvey Weinstein., they [Democrats] give the money back. Why? His money didn't rape anybody! [...] You take people's money and then you fuck them when you get into office. That's how politics works.

Some here at Wonkette feel exactly the same way! [It's probably only Robyn who agrees with Michael here. -- ed.] But earlier in the episode, Maher decried the “Koch Brothers' influence" without grasping the irony of then saying “Take Weinstein's money." And after donating a million dollars to Obama's 2012 re-election, Maher definitely did not shut up about wanting his payback with an Obama appearance on “Real Time." For all the complaining of Washington dysfunction, corruption, and unaccountability, Maher seems to be ok if it helps Democrats.

Real Time With Bill Maher 6/14/19www.youtube.com

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