Clay Aiken Responds to Bill Maher Ripping His Failed Campaign

Josh FeldmanJan 16th, 2015, 9:08 pm

Remember when Clay Aiken ran for Congress? Yeah, probably not, but he did, last year, and lost, but at a press event today to promote the documentary based on his failed campaign, Aiken responded to some Bill Maher‘s pretty tough words about that very campaign.

Maher targeted Aiken and his campaign twice last year. First, he told The New York Times he really hates how supposed Democrats like Aiken were running far away from President Obama like he was giving people herpes instead of health care. Then, days before the midterms, Maher sent a message to Aiken about how cowardly that kind of political flight is.

Maher specifically referenced Aiken’s homosexuality and how he noticeably downplayed gay rights issues as one of the problems he had with Aiken’s campaign. When asked for reaction this week, Aiken first said, “I didn’t run with Bill Maher as a constituent, so I’m less concerned about his opinion than you might think I would be.”

As for downplaying gay issues, Aiken only had this to say:

“My position on same sex marriage, my position on gay issues, has been on the forefront since I came out. To imply that, as a gay man, I have to speak to gay issues only, or more than anything else, would be the same as implying that a Jewish candidate should only speak up for Jewish constituents, or that a black candidate should only speak up for black constituents.”

You can watch what Maher had to say about Aiken here, via HBO: