Posted on 12/07/2005 10:59:51 AM PST by BurtSB
A noted author and media watchdog has decried a decision by the Armed Forces Network to carry the first hour of "The Al Franken Show", a cornerstone program of the liberal Air America Network. Alan Skorski, author of "Pants on Fire: How Al Franken Lies, Smears and Deceives," says from the leftist talk-radio host's "so-called satirical skits that accuse our troops of torture at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo, to his accusing talk-show hostess Melanie Morgan of conducting a 'propaganda tour' to Iraq this past summer because she was determined to report 'the truth about our troops' accomplishments,'" the addition of Franken's program to the AFN line-up is "an outrage." "Our troops have a difficult enough job combating terrorists without being forced to hear from people who say things like 'they are dying for no reason … because of President Bush's lies,'" Skorski said. He says AFN's programming decision is akin to "forcing little children learning to swim to be forced to listen to the theme song from 'Jaws.'" Air America CEO Danny Goldberg told Radio Ink: "We are very grateful the Armed Forces Network] has recognized that Al Franken is a profound and unique American voice with a significant following and that it is appropriate for his program to be one of the listening options for those who serve in the armed forces." In a statement, Franken said he was "absolutely thrilled" to be carried on the network that broadcasts to U.S. troops overseas. He added that, because of the nature of the network, "of course, that means I will have to stop criticizing President Bush. After all, he is our commander in chief." Radio Ink also reported that Franken would soon be making his sixth USO tour later this month, to include stopovers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Air America is heard on 86 stations nationwide, according to its website,and carries programs hosted by Jerry Springer, Randi Rhodes, Rachel Maddow and John Nichols. Armed Forces Radio and Television Programming provides shows "with the look and feel of a commercial network affiliate service from the United States," says the network. The network has been criticized by some Democrats and so-called "progressive" radio hosts for failing to broadcast liberal programs. In October. Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., said she met with colleagues Steve Israel, D-N.Y., and Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D. "to discuss the lack of political balance" on the network. "Our message was loud and clear ... censorship of political views in the United States of America is not going to be tolerated, especially not at the expense of some of our bravest citizens," she said in a blog post at The Daily Kos. As to Franken, he lambastes the president regularly. In a typical incident, Franken – in a speech at Yale Law School Sept. 26 – said the president was "not the most curious man in the world" and described him as an "intellectual sloth." He also repeated the oft-used accusation by opponents of the White House's terror-war strategy that Bush "lied to us, and he lied to the world" about the need to depose Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein over his past desire to develop weapons of mass destruction that could be employed in terror attacks against U.S. domestic and international targets.
Bush is an intellectual sloth but he is cunning ad crafty enough to0 get a bunch of bed wetting liberal Senators to authorize the use of force? Which is it?
The decision is foolish from a market perspective. Can that many servicemen really WANT to hear Franken?
I think it's a good idea-let our guys judge Franken for themselves. (They're not going to be happy.)
This could really backfire on Franken. Maybe be the final nail in the Air Amerika coffin!
Maybe the military figures the boys can tell the difference between a REAL American and a PILE of !@#$%%^&* like franken. See the respect I offer franken his name is in small letters. If I knew how they would be very small letters.
It will only solidify military support for the Republican Party. ...and not last.
Did Rush every get on?
For example:
If I type - This is a paragraph.<P> This is another paragraph.
...it will look like this:
This is a paragraph.
This is another paragraph.
I'm sure it will go the way of Air America and all the other shows all the liberals tried to float but failed. It's OK...let him speak his mind or let him speak his NO MIND. He'll be shown for what he is. I'm glad he's on. They are trying to be Rush Limbaugh. That AINT gonna happen. ;)
Are you kidding me? That assclown Franken is your best entertainment value. No serviceman I've ever met in my 18 ½ years thinks Al Franken has the intellectual capacity of a lima bean.
For a `Harvard man', he's as dumb as a bag of hammers.
I've seen `C' students at land grant universities
and community colleges that could hand Al his a**.
This is so lame!
Yeah - fairness and balance, this is going to cause moral to cave. If we can ban conservatives and military recruiters from schools, why do peaceniks have to be carried by AFR?
What is he going to tell them? Yeah, we support you - we just think you're baby killing, tools of a corporate capitalist system and spreading evil and terrorism around the globe.
The left is so galling. To even question them makes you a racist, sexist, homophobe but an outright protest of something conservative makes you open minded.
Profound?I can think of many words with which to describe Al Franken,but profound certainly isn't one of them.
Al Franken has a show? And what exactly is an 'Air America'? Is it an airliner or something?
There's gonna be a lot of shot up radios out there.
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