Representative Steve King Isn't Worried About Bill Maher's Threat to Oust Someone in 2014

In a recent interview with the New York Times, comedian Bill Maher talks about the plan for his show, Real Time With Bill Maher, to ask viewers to make the case as to why their representatives in Congress are the worst in the United States. They then will choose one member of Congress and begin to point out all of the bad things they've done, and Maher will even make trips to the member's district to perform stand-up and criticize and spread more ill feelings towards the member.

Maher's show is calling this initative the "flip the district" campaign. Maher says, "there are a lot of terrible, entrenched congressmen out there, we're going to choose one of them, throw him or her into the national spotlight, and see if we can't send him or her scuttling under the refrigerator on election night."

However, Representative Steve King is not afraid of the plan that Bill Maher has to oust a member of Congress. CQ Roll Call reports that instead of being concerned, Rep. King stated that, "I think he should run for office, that's what I think, he's got a safe seat right now. Anybody that'd put their name on the ballot is deserving of our respect, so let's see if I can start to respect Bill Maher." He goes on to say that if Maher did decide to run "then all the comedians can make fun of him."

Many other members of Congress have aired their feelings about Maher's plan, as well. Rep. Andy Barr said, "And I don't worry about what Hollywood says about me or any other member of Congress," stating he is too busy, "to worry about what other people in Hollywood or elsewhere around the country are saying."

House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers said that, "I think he ought to stick to Hollywood," and Rep. Michael G. Grimm chimed in with an "I concrr."

Real Time's producer, Scott Carter, says that, before they begin their campaign, they would make sure that Maher's presence would not hurt the challenger in the race. "We do not want to do harm," Carter says of the possiblity that the congressional member they choose will blame "Hollywood Liberals" from interferring where they shouldn't. But Carter goes on to say that the goal is to get people to laugh, "We think there will be no shortage of nominations of incumbents who are ludicrous, who are ridiculous for one reason or another, and we think there is no lack of entertainment value among sitting members of Congress."

Read Maher's full New York Times interview here, and read CG Roll Call's article here.