Bill Maher prides himself on living up to his politically incorrect image. If he’s not attacking societal sacred cows he’s not fulfilling his self appointed mission. Which raises the question about his most recent attack on President Barack Obama, is this about self promotion or about a genuine heartfelt observation?

Even though he voted for Obama and was and remains an ardent supporter, any astute Bill Maher observer knew it was just a matter of time before he would go after the President. No one who reaches such iconic popularity could expect to escape a Bill Maher attack. Last week on his HBO show he could restrain himself no longer and he let his audience know it was President Obama time. Maher unleashed his attack in his “New Rules"  segment of his show. Interwoven with some well justified criticism, was a totally unfair condemnation of the President’s celebrity appeal as projected by media coverage.

This is not getting the job done, and this is not what I voted for.

This is why  I don’t want my President to be a TV star. Because TV stars are too worried about being popular and too concerned about getting renewed.

Oh, you can relax about that one, Mr. President. The party is doing everything it can to ensure you’ll get re-elected…the Republican party.

Speaking of the Republicans, if you can’t shove some real reform down their throats now, then when? Folks,  Barack Obama needs to start putting it on the line in fights against the banks, the energy companies and the health care industry.

I never thought I’d say this, but what he needs in his personality, is a little George Bush. … He needs to stop worrying about being loved, and bring out that smug, insufferable swagger that says ‘Suck on it, America!’

George Bush had horrible ideas — torture, deregulation pre-emptive wars, tax cuts for the rich — but he pushed them through in their full measure. Never mind the Congress or the Constitution…the Geneva Convention…Magna Carta…Hammurabi’s Code…the point is, he didn’t care if it made him unpopular with every human on the planet not named Cletus or Fred Barnes. Which it did.

And what we need to do, is to marry the good ideas that Barack Obama has, with a little bit of that Bush attitude, that certitude. I’d love it if Obama came out one day and said “Jesus told me to fix healthcare!”
In conclusion, Bush was bad. But he never cared if he was seen out in a restaurant having a burger with Dick Cheney. If he wanted a burger, he picked up the telephone and said “I’m the President, bring me a burger!” … And they would say, “Sir, this is NORAD. Would you please stop ordering burgers into the red phone?”

I’m glad Obama is President, but the ‘Audacity of Hope’ part is over. Right now, I’m hoping for a little more audacity…

Just as the President has no control on Bill Maher’s decision to feature him in his New Rules segment, he also has no control in the incessant coverage  and airing by the newsmedia of his goings and comings and what and when they choose to air footage of the President. Attending a play in New York, boarding or disembarking Air Force one, lunch at a hamburger joint, greeting guest at the Whitehouse, showing the President’s new dog, killing a fly, it’s left with the individual news organizations to decide to air this footage.

Apparently Bill Maher’s appetite for attacking sacred cows wasn’t appeased with what some consider a valid criticism of Obama’s eagerness to compromise as opposed to insisting on his preference. However, regarding the charge of the President being totally responsible for being over exposed, it seems only appropriate to suggest to Bill Maher that he should STFU.