Bill Maher Mocks Occupy Wall Street: Says Stop Camping, Start Participating (VIDEO)

Bill Maher To OWS: Stop Camping, Start Participating

In a segment that's bound to ruffle the feathers of some progressives, Bill Maher had some strong, sarcastic words for the Occupy Wall Street movement on Friday's episode of "Real Time."

His overall message: it's time to leave the parks and get in the game. After citing some upcoming OWS plans, including an event on July 4 that will "facilitate a visioning process" as well as a gathering of the OWS "guitarmy" (i.e. a guitar army), Maher explained what OWS' next step should actually be:

Instead of organizing interstate hootenannies, maybe it's time for Occupy Wall Street to actually participate in the American political process. That means, boring stuff like canvassing neighborhoods, raising money, running candidates for office, manning phone banks and making a baby with John Edwards.

He went on to explain why this new course would help OWS have a greater impact on the political process: "Three years ago the Tea Party was just a few hundred retired diabetics angry at blacks and gays for making them feel old, but now they have 62 seats in congress."

The Occupy movement has been criticized by many who otherwise support its basic principles for its lack of organization and reticence to actively participate in government, but Maher's statements, coming as they do from the left's leading satirist, could prove more influential.

Watch the full clip above and let us know what you think about the direction of the Occupy movement thus far and how it should (or should not) change moving forward.

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