Posted on 01/19/2017 4:29:52 PM PST by markomalley
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R., Ga.) came to the defense of Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price (R., Ga.), during his Wednesday confirmation hearing after Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.) criticized Price for owning stock in tobacco companies that he also owns.
Franken informed Price during the Wednesday hearing that smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States, which led Price to note that he lost his father, a lifelong smoker, to emphysema.
Franken continued with his questioning by asking Price why he would choose to hold stock in tobacco companies knowing the health risks that come from smoking.
“You personally benefited from tobacco sales,” Franken said to Price. “How do you square reaping personal financial gain from the sale of an addictive product that kills millions of Americans every decade?”
Price defended himself from Franken’s accusations, noting that his financial holdings are mostly organized through mutual funds which contain a variety of stocks from across a spectrum of industries. Price then suggested that Franken most likely holds stock in a tobacco company through pension funds or mutual funds.
“I find it very hard to believe that you did not know you had tobacco stocks. I find it a little hard to believe in the questions of your stock portfolio that you did not know things,” Franken said, interrupting Price’s answer.
Later in the hearing, Isakson used his time for questioning to inform Franken that he owned stocks in tobacco-related companies.
“Any of us could make the mistakes that are being alleged,” Isakson said. “I’m sure Sen. Franken had no idea that he owned part of Philip Morris when he made the statement he made about tobacco companies.”
Isakson referenced Franken’s own financial disclosure, which shows that the Minnesota Democrat has a Wisdom Tree equity fund as part of his investment portfolio. This fund includes holdings in Philip Morris, the same tobacco company that Franken criticized Price for owning stock in.
Isakson explained that because most members of Congress invest in mutual funds through financial advisers, they might not know what specific industries they hold investments in.
BWAAAA! Franken played himself in Trading Places!
Put the diaper back on Sen. Franken.
He’s beginning to leak in public.
The only time Franken is funny is when he’s trying to be serious.
Franken will claim that the Russians hacked his mutual fund.
The FedGov collects more $$ from the sale of tobacco products than the tobacco companies. How do square that Frankenstein?
Wonder if Lucille could talk sense into Stuart Smalley...
It’s one of the biggest embarassments of our time that a fool like Franken is in the US Senate. He is a disgrace.
It’s all politics, all political theater.
Every bit of it. Feminism, environmentalism, civil rights, political correctness, “workers rights,” “consumer rights,” LGBT, everything. Top to bottom. All theater.
Totally phony. The battles were won long ago, but the causes go on, having transmogrified into conveyor belts for liberalism. The more, the merrier.
A “normal person” is bombarded with this theater of the absurd from every angle, every waking moment. Certainly if one is a student, or works for a large corporation, or has media exposure.
“senator” Franken!!??
Is this an early OFST??
My favorite image of old Al is him duck-walking across the stage.
Nobody does the duck-walk like old Al.
I heard the exchange on
Mark Levin. We can never let our guard down against fake accusations.
“Put the diaper back on Sen. Franken.”
I’m happy to say that I didn’t see the diaper movie. But in Trading Places, he played an idiot, which he is!
Franken is not a legitimate senator. He stole the election with DNC help.
Speaking of smokers...
Yesterday, I saw a tabloid photo of the Olsen twins, Mary Kate and Ashley, smoking cigarettes outside their corporate HQ building in New York.
They are 30 years old, ultra-wealthy, and seriously reckless about their health.
You might want to reconsider that judgment.
Franken was on the varsity wrestling team in high school in Minneapolis.
High school wrestling is life-and-death competition in that part of the world where every talented wrestler is trying to win a coveted scholarship to one of the Big Ten universities.
Yea. OK.
He attended a small private prep school in St. Louis Park. He probably made varsity because he joined the team.
Sorry, The Blake School is in Minneapolis. He lived in St. Louis Park.
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