Bill Maher Calls GOP 'The Party of the Apes,' Says Allen West Belongs in a 'Padded Cell

Ripping Republicans is old hat for Bill Maher, but he certainly didn't hold back when he called the GOP "the Party of the Apes" on his blog this week.

In a Monday post titled "The Right Shift," Maher argued that the reason for political gridlock in Washington rests solely on Republicans' shoulders.

"The idea that the blame for our government’s dysfunction is equally shared by the parties just is a giant, steaming mound of horsesh-t and anyone who has paid attention to politics over the last 20 years knows it," Maher wrote. "Or as I like to call it, 'The Rise of the Party of the Apes.'"

He quoted from a Washington Post op-ed that made waves back in April titled, "Let's just say it: Republicans are the problem," and went after Richard Mourdock, the Tea Party Senate candidate who defeated veteran Indiana Republican Sen. Richard Lugar in a primary last month. After he won, Mourdock said: "I certainly think bipartisanship ought to consist of Democrats coming to the Republican point of view."

Maher then went on to single out Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), who said in April he believes about 80 Democratic members of Congress are communists:

Or take Allen West. Seriously, take him to the padded cell and give him 20 CCs of the high test. Ornstein and Mann start off their Post op-ed by noting that recently Rep. Allen West said that there are “78 to 81” Democrats in Congress who are members of the Communist Party. And not one Republican said, “Allen, come on. You’re making us look dumb.” Not one of the Republican candidates for president said anything. Because in today’s Republican Party, that’s not even edgy anymore. They probably saw him later on and were like, “Word, Allen. Word.” Because that’s how they think black people talk.