The World According to Bill Maher
COOPER: Tonight, authorities say that Faisal Shahzad, the suspected Times Square bomber, continues to cooperate with investigators and has actually waived his right to a lawyer. As we reported at the top of the hour tonight, the breaking news, a law enforcement officer with knowledge of the questioning of the accused terrorist has confirmed to CNN that Shahzad made a dry run the day before he allegedly tried to blow up an SUV in Times Square. Also today, the government began telling airlines to check updated no-fly lists within two hours of when they're issued instead of 24 hours. Now, that change in procedure is meant to prevent what happened on Monday when Emirates Air didn't even notice that Shahzad's name had been added to the terror watch list and, of course, they let him board -- onboard that plane. Meantime, in Washington, the Senate held a long-scheduled hearing on a loophole that allows suspected terrorists to buy guns legally, even if they're on the government's terror watch list. "Digging Deeper" here's Drew Griffin.</s>DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The report says over the past six years, suspects on the government's terror watch list attempted to buy firearms or explosives 1,228 times. And 9 times out of 10, those potential terrorists bought them. That's right: 91 percent of the sales went through. Fresh from a near-catastrophe in Times Square and armed with a troubling report about potential terrorists buying guns --</s>MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: Well, good morning.</s>GRIFFIN: -- New York's anti-gun mayor, Michael Bloomberg, urged Congress to close a loophole.</s>BLOOMBERG: We have certain regulations, you can't sell -- they're federal regulations -- the courts have said they're appropriate. You can't sell guns to convicted felons. You can't sell guns to people that are -- have serious psychological problems. You can't sell guns to minors.</s>GRIFFIN: Bloomberg was one of several lawmakers backing the terror gap bill, a bill that would give the attorney general the discretion to deny the transfer of a firearm when a background check reveals the purchaser is a known or suspected terrorist and believes the person may use the weapon in connection with terrorism.</s>SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: Oddly, strangely, in this case, though the Department of Justice may be informed that your name is on a terrorism watch list, they can't stop you from buying a gun. That's what we're trying to -- a gap we're trying to fill here with this legislation.</s>GRIFFIN: It sounds simple, except for one rather major obstacle: the constitutional right for American citizens to own guns. Senator Lindsey Graham also pointed out the problem with the watch lists themselves, so fraught with mistakes that CNN reported two years ago, even 8-year-old boys can be listed as potential terrorists. (on camera): Are you a terrorist?</s>JAMES ROBINSON, EIGHT YEARS OLD: I don't know.</s>SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: There's a disconnect here between what we're saying in reality. The watch list, when you look at the numbers, has so many problems with it that I think is not appropriate to go down the road that we're going, because a constitutional right is involved.</s>SUNNY HOSTIN, TRUTV, "IN SESSION": Everyone can agree, I think, that we don't want terrorists to be able to purchase guns. But the real issue is -- is how does one get on the watch list, because we know now, you know, the government has released several reports that about 35 percent of people that are on the watch list are Americans that are placed on there, based on, you know, faulty information.</s>GRIFFIN (voice-over): Bloomberg and others are trying to use Faisal Shahzad's attempted bombing in New York as momentum to push the bill through. The Times Square terror suspect bought a rifle just this March. (on camera): And he did so legally. Faisal Shahzad had no criminal history, and CNN has now confirmed he wasn't on anybody's watch list. But backers of the bill say, even if he was on a watch list, the government report shows he would have a 90 percent chance he'd still be able to buy a gun. Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.</s>COOPER: Tonight's "Big 360 Interview," Bill Maher. In a recent "Vanity Fair" article, when asked to describe his current state of mind, he answered cautiously pessimistic. Bill Maher joins me now. Bill, so should people on the terror watch list be able to buy guns?</s>BILL MAHER, COMEDIAN: Well, you know, this is America, Anderson. Everyone should be able to buy guns, as many as they want, as often as they want, to use wherever they want. That's the American way. You know the most important amendment is the Second Amendment. Everything comes after that. I'm kidding of course. No, I'm for gun control. You know, that would be controlling guns to a degree. It's an interesting question that sort of catches the right wing, because I mean, they're against terrorism but then again, they're for guns.</s>COOPER: Well, and it's interesting. The GAO said, like, 91 percent of those on the no-fly list, you know, could pass background checks and get guns. I think it surprises a lot of folks.</s>MAHER: Right. I also think we should change the no-fly list to the no-getting-on-the-damn-plane list. I think they need to make that a little more clear to people.</s>COOPER: Be more specific? You know, the initial reaction that New York's mayor and some other politicians had, was that this was a lone wolf, a one off. Do you think they were being too politically correct?</s>MAHER: I don't think it matters, you know. I think what matters is that there are a lot of young Muslim men in this country and overseas who are on the edge here. I mean, this guy, like a lot of the terrorists we find out about, wasn't poor. You know, he was living this middle-class life. And then, you know, the backup plan, terrorism. His wife left him or the house was underwater or something. And then, you know, I know I'm a broken record about religion, but you know, when that stuff is in your head, it just gives you this neurological disorder, and, you know, anything is possible. I don't think the problem is that guys like this hate America. I think the problem is that they like America, and they feel guilty about it. You know, they come here, and they like eating at Chili's. And they like the water slide. They like going to the strip club. And then they get on their Jihadi Web sites and they feel terribly guilty about it. And they decide, well, if things go bad -- or maybe they don't decide -- this guy didn't look like he had much of a plan. But it just hits them, you know, yes, visiting a painful chastisement on the infidel. Yes, that's appealing, too, or I might go home and watch "Nip/Tuck".</s>COOPER: It's between those two?</s>MAHER: Yes, it seems like that.</s>COOPER: Bill Maher is just getting started. More from the interview, ahead. Also, we want to hear from you. Join the live chat right now at AC360.com. We'll talk about the oil spill with Bill in a second, also about Islam.