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Bill Maher appeared on "Countdown" on Monday night to discuss his disappointment with President Obama, asserting that if Obama doesn't act boldly on health care reform and other progressive issues, the Democrats could lose the midterm elections in 2010.
He was critical of Obama's speech to the American Medical Association today, since they're a lobbying group that he claims has obstructed previous efforts at health care reform.
"When I heard the president get that round of applause at the AMA today, that's when I knew we were in trouble."
Maher said that his editorial criticizing Obama on "Real Time With Bill Maher" on Friday night was greeted with cheers, which surprised him since his "very liberal Southern California audience" usually boos when he goes after the president.
"They're getting to the point where they're saying 'Yeah, we still like Obama. He's our guy. We're glad he's our president. But where's the beef?" And it's easy to make speeches. What's hard to do is stand up to corporations. Corporations and their incredible strength are what have ruined this country so far. And this president we thought might be the one to stand up to them. I'm losing hope. I still have audacity but my hope is fading."
Maher repeated his concerns that Obama was "caving in to corporations and lobbyists. The track record so far is not good," slamming the president for "not putting it on the line and standing up to the energy companies, the health care industry, the banks."
The lack of initiative could cause political harm, warned Maher. "If he doesn't act boldly, then he's probably going to lose the midterm elections. If he can't shove some progressive legislation down their throats now, I don't know when it's going to happen."
As he did on Friday night, Maher said that Obama could use a little of Bush's decisiveness - without the misguided policies.
"When he wanted to get something done, he got it done... If Bush could go to war in Iraq when nobody was thinking about it, how come this president can't get through something like health care reform in a way that the people really want when people are actually for it."
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