HBO’s “Real Time” host Bill Maher echoed Obamacare architect Jonothan Gruber’s controversial comments that Americans are stupid on Friday night, saying “Gruber was right. He just said what people don’t want to hear.”
Mr. Gruber, an M.I.T. Professor who helped draft the Affordable Care Act, came under fire this month after new tapes of a speech he gave in Pennsylvania show him crediting “the stupidity of the American voter” with the successful passage of the bill.
MSNBC’s “Hardball” host Chris Matthews and TV One’s “NewsOne Now” host Roland Martin agreed with Mr. Maher, jumping into a discussion on how little American’s know about their own government.
“Gruber was right,” Mr. Matthews said, “He said that we’re going to take money from people who can afford insurance, who are healthy and young and don’t have expensive illnesses and give it to people who are sick and older. Everybody knew that. Where else was it going to come from?”
“You basically slip a pill in the dog’s food, in a piece of ham, to get the dog to eat the pill. I agree, and I’ve heard nobody else in America say that,” Mr. Maher said.
Mr. Maher added that he had been making similar statements for years, showing a reel of clips of himself blasting stupid Americans.
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“Jonathan Gruber, you have met your soulmate,” Mr. Maher said. “How is this even controversial, I have no idea.”
The only panelist who defended the American public was Canadian MP Chrystia Freeland who said that the media and politicians had pushed Americans out of politics.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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