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Al Franken Flips Out on CNN
NewsMax.com ^ | 8/26/03 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

Posted on 08/26/2003 12:24:18 AM PDT by kattracks

Al Franken must be having a hard time these days.

The liberal media have been parading him on all the shows -- to claim that the liberal media is not liberal at all, but really a right wing propaganda machine.

These liberal media outlets (along with a silly lawsuit from Fox News), have helped to propel Al Franken's new book into the bestseller lists.

But it would only be fitting that when appearing on a liberal network Franken would complain he is being censored.

Decent folks were aghast at such chutzpah on CNN's Crossfire Monday, when Franken subbed for James Carville as the show's co-host, pitted against conservative Tucker Carlson.

As anyone who watched the program saw, Franken was given more than enough time to air his baseless complaints about a right wing cabal taking over the major media.

All was fine while Franken and ally, Joe Conason, also out with a book claiming -- you guessed it -- the right wing control the media -- monopolized most of the conversation.

No doubt they were reveling in the good old days, when a typical TV talk show had four liberals and no conservatives, or one token conservative who was rudely interrupted anytime he dared challenge the prevailing p.c. sentiment.

So when Carlson and fellow conservative, talk show host B.Q. Cullum, began challenging the notion that somehow the major media like the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, the three major networks, CNN, MSNBC, and practically every other media outlet in the country are and remain -- liberal, Franken clearly had a panic attack of seismic proportions and flipped out -- on air.

Franken's hysterics began as soon as B.Q. challenged his claim that the Clinton administration "were building the military that won the war in Iraq and that won the war Afghanistan."

B.Q. responded, accurately, that the Clinton administration was "not funding -- they were not funding the military."

Co-host Carlson tried to add his two cents, when Franken clearly became unglued and began screaming, no less than four times, "I am the co-host of this show. I am the co-host of this show. I am the co-host of this show. Let me say one thing. I am the co-host of this show. I get to say this. Now, Dick Cheney ..."

Franken's unusual behavior drew some nervous laughter from the audience, and even his co-host Carlson was taken aback, saying, "Al, your face is actually twitching, so you're starting to make me a little nervous."

Later, after returning from a commercial break, Carlson again noted Franken's freakish behavior.

Carlson said to Franken, "Your face is starting to twitch again, Al. You are making me nervous, I have to say. I love having you here, but ..."

When Carlson went to wrap up the show, and fade out for the final break, Franken started again, in his nasally high pitched voice, "No, no, no."

A baffled Carlson, who handled himself with great poise, looked at Franken and again tried to end the show.

Here's the transcript:

Carlson: "I know. I'm sorry. We're totally, completely out of time. I'm getting it in my ear. They're saying they're going to cut us off."

Franken: "No, no, no, no."

Carlson: "Yes. No. It's true."

Franken, unrelenting: "Because I've got to say this."

Carlson ". . . I'm sorry."

Clearly, after this show Franken has more evidence of conservative bias for his next book, "How CNN's Conservative Censored Me and Other Ways Right Wing Enterprises Silence Paranoid Liberals Like Me."

We're not finished with Franken.

Let's put aside his dramatics and review the subject matter at hand.

Is the press biased in favor of conservatives?

As Carlson stated, the evidence is not anecdotal. Studies show the press to be very biased, to the liberal side.

Carlson cited one study: "This is a survey from the American Society of Newspaper Editors. And it asked journalists to describe their own political leanings. This is self-reporting: liberal/Democrat, 61 percent; conservative/Republican, 15 percent."

Another baseless claim made by Franken:

"Now, Dick Cheney said that any secretary of defense fights with the military that was given to him by his predecessors. And he said that after the Persian Gulf War in 1991, the first person he thanked was Ronald Reagan. I think Bill Clinton is entitled to that same call from Donald Rumsfeld."

First, Bill Clinton needs to call America and explain how he allowed al-Qaeda to grow for more than a decade.

In the same call he could also apologize for emasculating the CIA and FBI -- to the point that 19 foreigners could penetrate our borders and hijack four jets on Sept. 11, 2001.

There is no question that Mr. Bush, just months into his presidency, truly did inherit this disaster from his predecessor.

More to the point, Clinton also needs to make a second call to Mr. Bush and explain why he reduced America's military capability by almost 50 percent during his eight years. Unlike you Al, the numbers don't lie.

Clinton could also tell him why military stocks had been so depleted after his war in Kosovo and bombing aspirin factories that the Pentagon's arsenal was practically depleted of smart bombs or cruise missiles when Mr. Bush arrived at the White House.

A little story the press has not fully reported: it took more than a year for the Bush administration to go to war against Iraq, partly because it had to keep munitions factories running 24/7 for a year to rebuild stocks depleted during the Clinton years.

Yes, America "won in Iraq and Afghanistan," as Franken says.

But we won because of smart bombs and hi-tech equipment developed largely during the Reagan build up of the 80s -- a build up so vociferously opposed by Franken and his ilk.

We also won because of the greatness of our troops and their commanders -- many of whom persevered during the 90s to serve their country under a commander in chief they did not respect.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alfranken; bucktoothedmoron; cnn; conservativebashing; dummycrats; goshpeoplelikeme; hadafit; leftistloons; leftwingnuts; looser; mediabias; threwahissyfit; waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa; whereshismeds
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To: kattracks

Al Franken as a child.

21 posted on 08/26/2003 3:29:15 AM PDT by csvset
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
>>He has a reputation for being unable to control his temper, and for nearly getting into physical confrontations with people

My husband loves people like that...They give him an excuse to knock their teeth out almost from the word "GO"

22 posted on 08/26/2003 3:33:23 AM PDT by Wondervixen (Ask for her by name--Accept no substitutes!)
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To: kattracks
Is there any way I could see this? This was great. for once a mantra spouting, factually oblivious lib comes unglued on national TV. Where can I see a tape of this?
23 posted on 08/26/2003 3:38:06 AM PDT by The_Media_never_lie
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To: kattracks
I heard most of joe conason's appearance with Micheal Medved. Medved has got to be the smartest person in the media and his command of history and current events is equalled by no one else. But Medved tolerated way too much from joe. In fact, most media tolerate way too much from extreme leftists. Where is the public outrage about the Texas democRATS? Why isn't someone every day ridiculing the sabotage of the electoral process? The missing Texas legislators have nullified the votes of Texas residents who put the Republicans into a majority role.

Politicians act as if shame were real and a factor in voting, otherwise they wouldn't cover up their faults and level charges against opponents. Non-leftists ought to recognize this fact and go after the traitors.

24 posted on 08/26/2003 3:45:42 AM PDT by RWG
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To: kattracks
This is the actual picture CNN uses to advertise Franken for Crossfire:


25 posted on 08/26/2003 3:58:37 AM PDT by SkyPilot
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To: kattracks
Crossfire transcript HERE
26 posted on 08/26/2003 4:01:52 AM PDT by SkyPilot
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To: patj
I didn't see Brit but E.D. Hill lambasted Al FRanken yesterday! She says he indirectly referrs to her as a "drunken woman" in his book. The incident that Franken bases this on was at some journalists dinner that many media personalities attended. Thing is though, E.D. is trying to conceive and hasn't been drinking. And wasn't that night.

She called him an idiot and other names on air! I was surprised at that.

Prairie
27 posted on 08/26/2003 4:24:26 AM PDT by prairiebreeze (The UN got a wake up call. And has chosen to go back to sleep.)
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To: RandallFlagg
If they really wanted to boost ratings, they'd have put Frankenstein against Ann Coulter. Frankenstein would have gone Jerry Springer on them all.

Now that would be fun to watch.

On second thought, Franken would probably punch Ann in the face, so maybe it wouldn't be such a great idea.

28 posted on 08/26/2003 4:41:41 AM PDT by alnick
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To: kattracks

Al needs some time with Stuart Smalley. He needs some affirmation.
29 posted on 08/26/2003 4:52:15 AM PDT by smith288 (For every column Ann Coulter writes, liberals worldwide experience shrinkage)
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To: kattracks
Anybody else have a problem with the results of ADA?
Anybody?

Ahhhhhhh...
The beauty of unintended consequences!

30 posted on 08/26/2003 4:55:38 AM PDT by Publius6961 (californians are as dumb as a sack of rocks.)
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To: patj
Missed Brit last night. Can you elaborate on the Tumulty exchange?
31 posted on 08/26/2003 4:56:46 AM PDT by babaloo
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To: Bonaparte
It's been obvious for years that Franken is seriously deranged.

According to Laughing in the Shadows by Patricia Wynn Brown, Michael O'Donoghue -- one of the original writers on Saturday Night Live who died in 1994 -- "hated Al Franken and once threw a script Franken had written out a 17-story window." (Evidently getting any respect has been a long time coming for poor Al. Ironic that the same Franken who's been adopted by the far left was, before his recent rantings and right-hating tirades and books, most famous for his SNL Stewart Smiley skit that parodies the new agers.) ;)

A bit off topic for this thread, but if you're curious, you might want to read Michael O'Donoghue's How to Write Good. That piece was written as humor, and although it was written in the 1970s, it is still spot-on about some of the journalism techniques used to slant the news. (Note: I set the How to Write Good link to open a new window so that it doesn't take you off of this thread.)
32 posted on 08/26/2003 5:00:04 AM PDT by Fawnn (I think therefore I'm halfway there....)
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To: Angelus Errare
Ping.
33 posted on 08/26/2003 5:04:35 AM PDT by Green Knight (Looking forward to seeing Jeb stepping over Hillary's rotting political corpse in 2008.)
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To: kattracks; All
I read somewhere that E.D. from Fox and Friends is upset with Franken about something he put in the book about her. (Referred to her as being the "drunken blonde" at an event; the event he mentions took place when she was either pregnant or trying to get pregnant and therefore wasn't even drinking.) I didn't catch that show. Anyone know about it?

I followed a link on another thread and read a part of Al Franken's intro to his newest book. Based on the incident at the LA Book Fair televised on booktv.org/CSpan-2 where Franken confronted O'Reilly and that book intro look into his thought patterns, the kindest conclusion I can reach is that Franken is a scary, sad demon-haunted being. (I can't quite bring myself to call him either a person or a man.)
34 posted on 08/26/2003 5:09:04 AM PDT by Fawnn (I think therefore I'm halfway there....)
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To: kattracks
Franken was interviewed on CNN yesterday by some women I can't identify (I rarely watch CNN). She asked him about the infamous shouting match with O'Reilly. Al responded that he was just casually pointing out to Bill what a "pathological liar" (actual statement by Franken about O'Reilly) he was. The interviewer then pointed out some of Franken's own lies including something about stolen material from Harvard and a few other things...something about Ashcroft I believe. You should have seen the stuttering and ers and ahs coming from Franken then. Why it was all just a joke he exclaimed. "But they were lies" repeated the interviewer "weren't they?" Remember this was CNN grilling the Great Unfunny One.
35 posted on 08/26/2003 5:09:51 AM PDT by driftless ( For life-long happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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To: kattracks
Never mind about the E.D. incident. Answered in this post while I was posting my question.
36 posted on 08/26/2003 5:12:36 AM PDT by Fawnn (I think therefore I'm halfway there....)
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To: alnick

Somehow, I don't think Ann Coulter would take kindly to being punched in the face.

37 posted on 08/26/2003 5:13:47 AM PDT by xrp
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To: Fawnn
Prariebreeze mentions the show in #27. I saw the segment yesterday morning. E.D. had just arrived on the set for the 6 am (central) program. She was furious as someone had just told her about Franken's comments in his book. You could tell Steve and Brian were leery about her getting into it as E.D. is known to get a bit excited. Apparently, Franken describes events from the Washington Correspondence dinner. He walked up to the Fox table and started harrassing the guests. He claims that a drunken blond (E.D.) took his picture. E.D. explains that she wasn't drinking but she knows he's referring to her. She called him a liar several times and an idiot. She went on to say anyone who bought his book was an idiot as well. Although Steve and Brian were whincing, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
38 posted on 08/26/2003 5:17:47 AM PDT by Quilla
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To: kattracks
Anybody giving this NOBODY a forum or a mention is in for a ratings dive. Franken is a lose/lose situation.
39 posted on 08/26/2003 5:20:52 AM PDT by PGalt
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To: driftless
The interviewer then pointed out some of Franken's own lies including something about stolen material from Harvard....

In her article posted on this thread, MICHELLE MALKIN mentions how "[t]hanks to Court TV's Smoking Gun Web site www.thesmokinggun.com, we now know that the Saturday Night Live leftover abused his position as an 'academic fellow' (now that's funny) at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government's Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy in a puerile attempt to trick Attorney General John Ashcroft into publicly sharing his personal experience with abstinence...." (Franken sent letters to Ashcroft and others using Harvard stationery; the letters contained lies about the replies he said he'd received.)

In the introduction to his book, Franken mocks how the research for his book was actually done by his Harvard "students."
40 posted on 08/26/2003 5:22:57 AM PDT by Fawnn (I think therefore I'm halfway there....)
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