Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Al Franken In Sorry State (Smoking Gun)
Smoking Gun ^

Posted on 08/20/2003 12:21:43 PM PDT by Republican Red

Comedian apologizes to Ashcroft for "imprudent attempt at satire" AUGUST 20--Comedian Al Franken last month wrote an apology letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft, admitting that he was not truthful when he previously sought Ashcroft's views on abstinence.

In June, Franken wrote to Ashcroft seeking the AG's story for "Savin' It," which the performer described as a book "about abstinence programs in our public schools." On its face, the letter (which you'll find below) reads like a joke, with Franken advising Ashcroft to "share a moment when you were tempted to have sex, but were able to overcome your urges through willpower and strength of character. Be funny!" Franken also asked, "Did a young woman ever think you were homosexual just because you wouldn't have sex with her? Be serious!"

Franken's missive, written on letterhead from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, claimed that he had already received abstinence stories from other prominent Republicans, including Condoleezza Rice and Senator Rick Santorum. However, in his July 11 apology, Franken admitted that he had not received those abstinence stories and called his solicitation to Ashcroft, "an imprudent attempt at satire."

The comedian also apologized for writing on Harvard letterhead: "My biggest regret is sending the letter on Shorenstein Center stationery. I can assure you that no one at the Shorenstein Center had knowledge of the letter before I sent it." Franken, who was a fellow at the Kennedy School this spring, added, "I am very embarrassed to have put them in this awkward and difficult position, and I ask you not to hold this against the Center, the Kennedy School, or Harvard in general."

While an embarrassment, Franken's Ashcroft miscue will probably only help him move more copies of his new book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," scheduled for release this week. Franken was sued earlier this month by the Fox News Channel, which claims that his use of the term "fair and balanced" in the book's title infringes on the network's trademarked slogan.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: apology
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-53 next last
Old news, I know. New twist is that Smoking Gun has picked it up with a copy of the letter sent.

What a lying idiot.

1 posted on 08/20/2003 12:21:43 PM PDT by Republican Red
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
Franken is getting way to big for his britches.
2 posted on 08/20/2003 12:25:13 PM PDT by sarasota
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
Wire fraud?
3 posted on 08/20/2003 12:25:24 PM PDT by thoughtomator (Are we conservatives, or are we Republicans?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
Sincerey,

Al Franken
Total moron, Liberal a-hole.
4 posted on 08/20/2003 12:26:14 PM PDT by smith288 ('This time I think the Americans are serious. Bush is not like Clinton.' - Uday Hussein)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
Franken needs professional help. Seriously.
5 posted on 08/20/2003 12:36:09 PM PDT by jam137
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
Al Franken is Mentally Unbalanced.
6 posted on 08/20/2003 12:37:08 PM PDT by syriacus (Chuck Schumer belongs to a group which excudes women from full membership)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: smith288
As soon as there is a demoncrat admin, he's gonna claim that he was afraid of Ashcroft,, as if he was a modern day "McCarthy".

This is just a ploy to keep his pathetic career going in the future. He can always say how he survived the "Ashcroft years", eventhough there was no threat to him in the first place. He'll milk this for all its worth, as if he was placed in some gulag.

-your friendly neigborhood correctthought

7 posted on 08/20/2003 12:40:51 PM PDT by correctthought
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/presspol/
8 posted on 08/20/2003 12:41:48 PM PDT by syriacus (Chuck Schumer belongs to a group which excudes women from full membership)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
Franken and Michael Moore, two pathetic losers.

The left deserves these two in their midst.

9 posted on 08/20/2003 12:42:36 PM PDT by OldFriend ((Dems inhabit a parallel universe))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: correctthought
Sorry, furthermore, he's setting up the papertrail for his "victimhood" so he can "prove" his crack pot allegations.
10 posted on 08/20/2003 12:43:01 PM PDT by correctthought
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
I wonder if anyone fell for this obvious scam. If they did they would have to be naive or stupid.

I doubt anyone did fall for it.

11 posted on 08/20/2003 12:46:11 PM PDT by yarddog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thoughtomator
Using the U.S. mails for fraudulent purposes. Big no no! I'm sure there are some other federal laws that we could throw at this fatuous piece of garbage. And to think he used to write some funny stuff nearly 30 years ago - the skit with Akroyd playing Nixon, asking Kissinger/Belushi to get on his knees to pray in the Oval Office, was classic SNL. I guess Franken fried himself with all the acid he did...
12 posted on 08/20/2003 12:51:56 PM PDT by HenryLeeII
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: syriacus
Al Franken is Mentally Unbalanced.

Is this the working title of your book? Maybe you should get some Wm. Jefferson Clinton letterhead and write to him, asking for his deepest fantasies, history of drug abuse, and if he's currently holding...

13 posted on 08/20/2003 12:54:30 PM PDT by HenryLeeII
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
This letter represents the deceitful nature of al Franken. In no way does he plan to print a book on abstinence for CHILDREN. Now he can print it as a satire for adults to read, but he has no real plans to promote abstinence.

He is trying to scam John Ashcroft. I wish they would file fraud charges against, and the Harvard School should excommunicate him.
14 posted on 08/20/2003 12:59:38 PM PDT by Abynormal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
As I see it, the problem with liberals is that they cannot convince anybody of anything without lying. So they do it. This is because they are wrong on the issues and have no concept of marality as it has been traditionally understood. Instead, morality seems to consist of agreeing with their current opinions.

Somebody convince me that I am wrong
15 posted on 08/20/2003 1:14:16 PM PDT by chesley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
If the actual letter has been shared who gave it to the Smoking Gun? I bet this is the start of something including material to be used in the Fox case that could not be given to Fox by the attorney general.
16 posted on 08/20/2003 1:20:14 PM PDT by q_an_a
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jam137; dighton; aculeus; general_re; Paul Atreides; sauropod
Franken needs professional help. Seriously.

He needs an original idea, too. Seriously. Don Novello (aka Father Guido Sarducci) did this about twenty-five years ago; wrote goofy letters to all sorts of public figures, and then published the letters and their replies in a book. I remember that it was pretty funny too, unlike Al Franken...

17 posted on 08/20/2003 1:21:35 PM PDT by hellinahandcart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
What's the fuss? All ultra-left wing, neocommunist, liberal democrats are lying traitor, scum sucking weasels. A letter from Franken is, by definition, a demonstration of some sort of deceeption/misrepresentation. And, there could be no greater confirmation than Harvard letterhead. Well, maybe one, it could have been on New York Times stationary.

Were I Ashcroft, I'd have the letter carefully checked for prints and DNA (future use and reference) and traces of illegal substances (prosecution).

I am really looking forward to Franken's liberal talk show on CNN. I won't watch it, either.

18 posted on 08/20/2003 1:23:07 PM PDT by Tacis
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Republican Red
Certainly no one was fooled by this silly letter. I know Ashcroft never took it seriously, right?
19 posted on 08/20/2003 2:07:41 PM PDT by TankerKC (If I can take Creative Writing, why can't I take Creative Spelling?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TankerKC
Franken claims a few people fell for it. He says he isn't going to put it in the book, so who knows.

His last book, he tricked a bunch of conservatives into naming government programs that they thought worked, by telling them he was also asking liberals to name programs that weren't effective.

20 posted on 08/20/2003 2:10:22 PM PDT by dogbyte12
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-53 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson