Franken to be guest host on 'Crossfire'

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 22 August 2003 | Caroline Wilbert

[demlosers]

CNN refuses to be left out of the media bonanza Fox New whipped up last week by suing liberal comedian Al Franken.

Atlanta-based CNN is bringing Franken on as a guest host on "Crossfire" Monday and Tuesday. He'll take the liberal chair across from regular conservative commentator Tucker Carlson for the half-hour debate show.

Fox last week filed a lawsuit against Franken and his publisher, the Penguin Group, to stop them from using Fox's trademarked slogan, "Fair and Balanced" in the title of Franken's new book.

Related: • Are these guys fair and balanced? You decide

The book, called "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," hits stores this weekend. Due to the publicity, the publisher ordered extra copies and moved up the release date.

Oral arguments begin today in the case. This is the latest round in a public battle between Franken and Fox News' conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly. It is a battle that both sides appear to be winning -- at least if, as some cynics argue, media attention is the aim.

And CNN, which has been losing the ratings battle to Fox for more than a year, may yet be able to wrangle itself a sliver of the publicity pie.

[Huck]

They were the lowlights of that very funny show; two scumbags wholly and completely unfunny. Even back then, I turned the channel when they were on.

Back then I was lucky if I could stay awake passed "Fantasy Island". You may be right. Maybe Franken and Davis sucked. But that's not how I remember it. It was dry, obnoxious humor as I recall. Too bad there aren't more humorists out there with the sense to be on the right.