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I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, wish he would try to do that with me.

What a schmuck.

It's just a question of time before he ends up in prison, or the nut house.

If anyone else pulled the crap he gets away with, they'd already be incarcerated. But FrankenStein gets a free pass, because he's a foamy mouthed leftie.

Indeed!

I wonder how he tackles himself when he blathers on like a volcano spewing hate and filth on some TV program that he's on simply b/c he enjoyed some early career success on SNL prior to dropping off into the abyss of anger and nonsense!

SO which is it?

Body slammed?
Grabbed legs?

I wish someone got this on tape.

It Came From the Left ***AL FRANKEN HOPES he's good enough, and smart enough, and that--doggone it--people will like him. The "Saturday Night Live" comedian and creator of the classically co-dependent Stuart Smalley plans to host a talk show on the new Progress Media radio network. Slated to air in the prime noon-to-3 Eastern slot opposite Rush Limbaugh, the politically liberal show will be a mix of listener calls, comedy routines, and interviews.

Mr. Franken forthrightly seeks to affect the 2004 elections. He states, "My goal is to change the political landscape in this country, get rid of the radical right-wing president, and serve as a beacon of hope for Americans who work hard and play by the rules."

Alas, Mr. Franken himself is occasionally rule-challenged. He recently apologized to Attorney General John Ashcroft for writing a letter on "borrowed" Harvard University stationery asking for Mr. Ashcroft's personal premarital abstinence story for a nonexistent book titled "Savin' It!" Ethics, anyone?

But the real question is whether Progress Media and Mr. Franken can mount a credible liberal challenge to the con-servative jabberfests that have dominated the airwaves since Mr. Limbaugh hit the big time. With a following of 20 million at-least-occasional listeners, Mr. Limbaugh has been Numero Uno since 1991, setting the pace for other conservative talkers such as Sean Hannity and G. Gordon Liddy. The tone of these shows is contentious and often lowbrow. Incivility is rife, and the hosts seldom admit to gray areas or explore nuances.

But that technique may be inevitable. A Western Washington University professor, John McClendon, tried in 1994 to establish a serious, liberal talk show that would, incidentally, provide a forum for reasoned debate. Two months later, he threw in the towel, telling the online newspaper NorthWest Citizen that "on talk radio, dialog doesn't work, tirades do."

Thus, Mr. Franken may make a go of his show. Certainly he pulls no punches: One of his best-selling books is titled "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot," and he calls President Bush a "lying liar who tells lies." But will his program advance the truth? Can he offer substantive commentary in addition to his usual no-boundaries satire?

Democracy works best when citizens have access to a wide range of opinions and ideas. If Progress Media enriches the mix, kudos. The liberal position ought to be heard on the AM dial. But if Mr. Franken merely frees his inner child and fails to discipline his wit, then Listenerland simply will be getting a different flavor of junk talk.

Date published: 1/25/2004

"I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, wish he would try to do that with me."

I dream about things like this. Franken could benefit from a vertical butt-stroke with an M-14 rifle.