Real Time is back

The eigth season of Real Time with Bill Maher debuted last night on HBO, with a panel including former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, MSNBC Washington Correspondent Norah O'Donnell, and "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane. The panel discussed everything from Obama's inability to communicate to financial reform, to waterboarding, and Sarah Palin's son who has down syndrome. Spitzer meanwhile strongly criticized President Obama's obsession with bipartisanship:

Fundamental reform doesn't come from bipartisanship. And it seems to me bipartisanship has become appeasement. Barack Obama won an election based on a set of principles. Fight for them.

McFarlane agreed with Spitzer's bipartisanship criticism and believes that Obama needs to get tough and adopt Bush's attitude.

And Norah O'Donnell discussed how the Obama administration has continued and even strengthened many of Bush's policies regarding the so-called War on Terror, although Republicans have mocked the White House for being a "miranda-reading, soft on terror, professor-like administration".