Throwing the book at 'em - Al Franken's best-seller out to prove the right is wrong

Rocky Mountain News ^ | October 14, 2003 | Erika Gonzalez

[garmonbozia]

It's nice of the RMN to let us know where he'll be and when:

Al Franken

• When and where: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Tattered Cover LoDo, 1628 16th Street Mall.

• Cost: Free tickets available starting at 6:30 p.m.

• Information: 303-436-1070 or www.tatteredcover.com

[Support Free Republic]

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Places like Free Republic drive the left batty.

Please donate. Thanks for your consideration.

[Steel Wolf]

Al Franken, bravely leading the liberal counterattack. And why? Because he's good enough, and smart enough, and doggone it, nobody else wants to. Go get em, champ.

Don't get me wrong, as an entertainer I do find him mildly amusing. I find it HIGHLY amusing, however, that the liberals have given up on intelligent discourse as a means to sell their ideas, and are instead trying to package them as entertainment via washed up laugh hacks like Al Franken and Michael Moore.

For all of his humorous, 'cutting edge' appeal, Al Franken is a baffoon. The liberal rank and file may be frustrated with soaking up defeat after defeat, and may find solace and escapism in his works, but he is not a serious standard bearer. He's comedy. Sulking critics simply do not appeal to people like true leaders.

Sadly, the only people in the Democratic power with unshakable vision are the Clintons and Dean. Neither side will be able to defeat Bush. Franken merely speaks to the angry masses who face enemies they can't defeat because of friends they can't get rid of.

[Stultis]

It should be clear to all conservatives by now that the left intends to demonize us. They don't just disagree with us, they hate us.

The wierd thing about Franken is that it may be virtually all hate with him. Does he actually "disagree" with the right? About what, specifically? Has anyone ever heard him articulate any sort of left-wing rationale for any substantive public policy issue (apart from mere naysaying attacks)? I haven't. It's not at all clear to me that he actually is a leftist, in any positive, prescriptive sense.

Admittedly I haven't read his books, but am drawing my impression just from interviews and speeches. I can't detect any coherent (or even incoherent) complex of convictions behind his attacks on the right. It's almost as if he's a pure cynic who only happens to direct his cynicism against the right out of some vague, and unexamined, peer group indentification.

Anyone else get this impression?

[Huck]

He's the left's Ann Coulter.

[rcocean]

The poor left. We get Anne - good looks, witty, funny, and well informed and they get a Al - an ugly hate filled clown

[metalboy]

Number 1? Between Al 'cocaine' Franken and Hitlery 'sociopath' Clinton, it seems the public is on a fiction kick. Maybe people just like a good comedy as the best comedies are the ones that say the most ridiculous things. I like this quote; "Even Bruce Springsteen plugged Lies on his recent world turn and introduced Franken to 50,000 cheering fans at Shea Stadium in New York." It seems Bruce is turning more French every day. If he isn`t calling for the impeachment of Bush at just about every concert, he`s cursing out cops by screaming his "41 shots" song. Hey Bruce, how about cursing out cop killers for once? How about cop killer Mumia Abu Jamal who was recently made an "honorary citizen of Paris" by the mutt French? Hey, but all the cops who died on 911; lets cash in on that and write an abortion of an album called "The rising" NA NA NA NA--God, I am so sick of that song. Since I can`t understand a word of what this "working class" Beverly Hills resident sings, I assume "The rising" refers to the "rising" of Al Qaida? What a mutt. Ship him down the toilet, which is another word for France. Freggin` moron. I knew I guy who drove a limo for this idiot and he told me he`s a complete flake. This was back in `86. It seems he still is.

[driftless]

I'm always amused by libs like Franken who wish to "take back" the country. The fact is that the whole lib program is built on a foundation of lies and errors. Proven errors like all their welfare, crime, school, and other programs that failed miserably. (Now where have I heard that word lately?) For the zillionth time libs simply saying that one cares for people does not make ones actions any less disastrous than if one said they didn't care. The road to hell is paved with....oh what's the point....libs are the living breathing definition of obtuseness...like Franken who is not even funny enough to make up for his "lying lies".

[driftless]

I actually started reading his book on Limbaugh, and there was absolutely no refutation of conservative assertions or arguments. For instance he quoted Rush on help for the needy ridiculing Limbaugh's self-help prescriptions by saying that it was easy for Rush to say when he weighed over 300 pounds.

So that was Franken's argument...a smart-ass rejoinder. The rest of what I read was mostly the same. No logical refutations just wise-cracks. ( A disclaimer: I didn't read the whole book.) Not as full of incoherent babbling as Jabba the Hutt's (Michael Moore) "Stupid White Whatever" but just as insipid nevertheless.

[TigersEye]

Anyone else get this impression?

Absolutely! You nailed it.

RMN: "Crafted with cutting wit, the book skewers some of the right's highest-profile voices. Fox News Channel personalities Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity fall prey to Franken's pen, along with political pundit Ann Coulter and nearly every top official in the Bush administration.

Consider the former Saturday Night Live scribe's portrait of White House adviser Karl Rove: "A man whose fleshy and formless physique belies a heart as cold and steely and deadly as a discarded refrigerator with the door still attached."

To drive the point home, Franken adds in a footnote: "In an elementary school playground during a Minnesota winter." "

Where is the substance? His "cutting wit" insults but there is not one word to back up his "ascerbic" assessment of Karl Rove's character. Erika Gonzalez chose that to make her point so she must feel that is an excellent example of Dum Dum's work. When it comes to insulting I had much wittier friends in the fifth grade. As far as I know they have long since moved on to an adult life and tell jokes to amuse rather than to cast them as baseless defamations.

[Thebaddog]

How's Ed Asner been doing lately. He's not an actor anymore and Al isn't funny anymore. Never was.

[Defendingliberty]

I haven't read it cover to cover, just parts....1 It's not funny, Art Buchwald was funny. 2. The real premiss of the book is ...ta da...Those Rich-religious-right-wing -fanatics are trying to takeover the world...And the world is to stupid to notice...The book is a waste of time...by the was doesn't a lieing lier tell the truth...

[TigersEye]

How's Ed Asner been doing lately.

In honor of Franken's style and wit let me say this about that - Ed Asner is only capable of doing one thing at a time. (and that not very well) So he has quit trying to act in order to give his full attention to knitting sweaters from his back hair. For assistance with this endeavor he supplies Mary Tyler Moore with just enough booze to keep her loyal but not shaky while she mans the shears. /Franken style

[Thebaddog]

Good one. The truth to the lie in your parody is the back hair.

[TigersEye]

Oops! That was quite an oversight in my impersonation. Good catch!

[TigersEye]

I was going for the flavor of his innate meanness by attacking irrelevant and imagined physical traits and personal tribulations without mercy. Even though I let a fact slip in I think I captured his essence quite well, don't you?

[Devil_Anse]

Dog Training Tip:

When housebreaking your dog, pick a word or phrase to use while the dog is doing its business. Repeat this word or phrase as many times as possible when you see the dog doing business, so that the dog comes to associate the word/phrase with doing its business.

This way, you need only stand outside for a short time, before your dog does his business and you can take him back inside.

My dog is trained to do his business upon hearing the words "Al Franken". Thanks, Al!

[tsomer]

he has quit trying to act in order to give his full attention to knitting sweaters from his back hair.

Are you talking about those hair shirts he's making in honor of the fallen Nicaraguan peasants?

[bushfamfan]

I will never buy one of his books, but it would be amusing to go through it and see what he says are lies from the conservatives and Republicans. I'm sure Ann Coulter could have a great time doing a book regarding Franken and pointing out his numerous lies. The man doesn't have facts or humor on his side. He couldn't even face Laura Graham, so afraid is he for real debate. Same thing with Michael Moore. They stay away from conservatives in debate because their lies can be confronted and exposed when people are informed.

[Lancey Howard]

He's the left's Ann Coulter.

LOL, yeah, a homely, bitter, less-concerned-with-facts-and-truth version of Ann Coulter.