On Friday's broadcast of HBO's Real Time, host Bill Maher sounded a little like—forgive me—Pat Buchanan.

Discussing immigration and multiculturalism in America with guests Jon Meacham and Fareed Zakaria, Maher said immigration was a topic "worthy of debate," particularly since the United States has had difficulty assimilating immigrants in recent decades.

"One of the first things I said on my old show (ABC's Politically Incorrect) is if you're going to come to the melting pot, melt a little bit. You've got to melt a little," Maher said. "You can't take a driver's license photo in a burqa. We have to see your face."

The line got a laugh from Maher's audience, but the discussion as a whole was a serious one and touched on some important cultural and political issues.