Bill Maher Heads to D.C.! See Snakkle’s 11 Fave Maher Moments

What is the sound of one hand clapping? The late Christopher Hitchens seemed bent on finding this out when he went after Bill’s audience with insults and middle fingers blazing. When Bill compared the Iranian Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to President George Bush, his audience responded with support. To which Hitchens pointed out “Your audience will clap at anything” and proceeded to flip them the bird.

What happens when you film in front of a live studio audience discussing potent political issues of the day? In Bill’s case, you get the Wild West of TV. When a group of 9/11 conspiracy theorists started heckling his panel, Bill went old-timey sheriff on them. “I’m actually defending President Bush,” protested Bill, infamous liberal. “I don’t think President Bush brought down the World Trade Center [on 9/11].” When his hecklers responded with mumbled boos from the audience, Bill concluded, “And cows disagree with me.” Yes they do, Bill. Yes they do. Want some more crazy quotes? Click through this gallery for some of Ann Coulter's craziest...

Unhappy with President Obama’s at-times Zen-like reactions, Bill urged the President to quit smoking. Why? So he can experience the emotion known as human anger. And that’s not all. Bill wanted car alarms going off on Pennsylvania Avenue every night until AIG gives back the taxpayers’ money. He wanted bad grades for Sasha and Malia, and he wanted Michelle to stay out late with an old boyfriend who is going through a tough time. No word on whether Bill wanted the President to be Incredible Hulk-like, throwing Ford Pintos at the Secret Service.

After the General Motors bailout, Bill used the opportunity to weigh in on future production designs for the auto giant. As a taxpayer, he’s entitled to offer input, right? And so he demanded tail fins back on cars. “At the rate the polar ice caps are melting, we’re going to need fins,” quipped Bill. Two wrongs make one retro right.

Bill blended live action and animation with a debate on religion. Arianna, Brian, and comedian Dana Gould discussed the place of religion in politics as Bill looked on, moderating an increasingly absurd conversation. So what happened when Queen of the Internet Arianna Huffington pissed off Family Guy’s opinionated atheist pup Brian Griffin? Hint: It involved the f-word and accusations of a Zsa Zsa Gabor impersonation.

Before there was HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, there was ABC’s Politically Incorrect, which ran from 1993 to 2002. Frequent guests included Arianna Huffington, Ann Coulter, Carrot Top, and a young, pre-politics Christine O’Donnell. So when Christine O’Donnell made her senatorial bid in Delaware years later, Bill was happy to remind her of her “time” on Politically Incorrect circa 1996. Note: One can never have enough Edie McClurg. Ever. Here's an ABC Highlights Scoop from TCA: There's A Whole Lotta B*tchin' Going On!

Ultimately, how do you make Bill completely uncomfortable on his own show? As comedian Tracey Ullman discovered, try to get him married with children. While Bill and his panel discussed the next generation of voters, Tracey suggested domestic bliss for our Bill. But Bill visibly recoils, saying he’s “not a fan of the children.” He followed with a sarcastic “Thank you, mom!” tossed at Tracey. No, thank you, Bill—we’ll see you next time!

Fed up with the Republican right’s assault on Obama’s health care agenda, Bill stepped up to the plate. Swing: “Stop calling it Obamacare. It’s not like Obama will be the doctor on your next prostate exam.” And hit (or miss?): “That’s just a common fantasy of Republican men.” Getting a Real Time audience to groan nervously at a joke is like watching Kim Kardashian in a wedding dress—you know someone’s crossed the line, but you still can’t help but laugh.

While Bill certainly takes a strong stance on the issues, he can embrace compromise. “You should be laughed at if you don’t understand that humans and monkeys came from a common ancestor in the 21st century,” offered Bill during a panel on evolution. But in the end, he lets comedian D.L. Hughley have the final word—and a different opinion. “What we do on this show is to bring people together,” laughed Bill, making like a benevolent Oprah of the evening airwaves.

Bill is also at his best when roasting the most roast-worthy celebrities. (See: The Great Charlie Sheen Meltdown of 2011.) Bill, who has called Charlie Sheen a “9/11—ahem—scholar and a freak,” laughed at mania comparisons between Charlie and actor Gary Busey. “Charlie acts like that after a Scarface mountain of cocaine,” shared Bill. “Gary Busey acts like that after yoga.” Well played, Bill. Check out our hot photo gallery of Charlie Sheen: Before He Was "Winning!"

“Don’t be a dick when you’re dead,” said Bill to his audience during a 2011 taping. He was speaking about a rash of recent obituaries in Texas that requested, in lieu of flowers, that mourners please send money to anyone running against Barack Hussein Obama. Is taking such political discourse to the grave a good or bad thing? As Bill weighed in, “The good news is that this proves his death panels are working.”