That time Al Franken joked about McCain's war hero status

CNN ^ | 7/20/15 | Jeremy Diamond

[jimbo123]

Before Al Franken was a U.S. senator, he was a comedian and political satirist -- one who joked about Sen. John McCain's status as a war hero.

"I have tremendous respect for McCain but I don't buy the war hero thing. Anybody can be captured. I thought the idea was to capture them. As far as I'm concerned he sat out the war," Franken, a Democrat who now represents Minnesota, quipped to Salon for a 2000 article about the stakes of that year's presidential election.

Franken's comments are getting new life 15 years later amid the controversy surrounding Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's comments this weekend that McCain -- who was tortured for more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam -- is "not a war hero."

Standing alone, Franken's comments could seem insensitive to POWs and their families, but an episode of Franken's radio show four years later that included McCain as a guest made it clear that the comments were intended to be received sarcastically.

"I mean, I consider you a hero, tremendous political courage, not, you know, the thing about five years, or five and a half years at the Hanoi Hilton; as far as I'm concerned you just sat out the war. I don't consider that real heroism. Anybody can get captured, right?" Franken said to McCain during the 2004 show, according to a transcript provided by Franken's office.

Franken also wrote in his book "Lies: And the Lying Liars who Tell Them" that the McCain joke is "called irony" and got "big laughs" when he told it at the 1999 White House Photographers Dinner.

[Cowboy Bob]

I like watching the MSM squire to try to differentiate the statements made by Trump and Franken.

[Cowboy Bob]

Squire = squirm

[jimbo123]

Did John McCain accidently fire his missile causing the USS Forrestal disaster?

http://blog.nj.com/njv_john_piserchia/2008/10/did_john_mccain_accidentialy_f.html

[henkster]

What is the bigger joke: Al Franken as a United States Senator, or the idiots who elected him?

[Steve_Seattle]

"I like watching the MSM squire to try to differentiate the statements made by Trump and Franken."

Just curious - have they even tried? Have Franken's comments been remembered by the MSM?

[altsehastiin]

No.

[SamAdams76]

When will John McCain apologize for playing video games on his phone during an important Senate hearing?

[ETL]

"I appreciate your inviting me. But what I don't understand ... (pauses) ... you're suppose to have a committee of "12"

____________________________________________

John Mccain Exposed By Vietnam Vets And Pow's Youtube video (10:39 mins)

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[skimbell]

As I read it, McCain was being a hotdog and wet started his jet causing the plane behind him to accidentally fire a missile across the deck and drop several bombs at the same time. The ensuing fire burned for several days and nearly sank the Forrestal, 134 sailors died in the incident and 64 more were seriously injured.

McCain has been associated wit responsibility for the event since it happened.

Coincidentally, McCain is the son of one admiral and the grandson of another.

[jimbo123]

Did McCain ever apologize for killing the 134 sailors on the Forrestal?

[flaglady47]

“Did John McCain accidently fire his missile causing the USS Forrestal disaster?”

Very interesting information. Thanks.

[altsehastiin]

McCain’s plane was on the port side of the aircraft with its engines facing out. The plane that fired the rocket, which caused the fire, was on the opposite side of the deck. The two planes were facing each other, at an angle, from opposite sides of the deck. Therefore, McCain’s “wet start” could not have “cooked off” the rocket, since McCain’s engines were pointed in the opposite direction.

Moreover, the Navy found that a power surge causes the rocket to launch.

Moreover, the Navy found that McCain’s aircraft did not drop any bombs.

I’m no McCain fan, but engaging in McCain troofferism is dumb.

[jimbo123]

Navy findings? Where?

[skimbell]

Yeah, that's one explanation.

I've seen others.

[litehaus]

Franken fits in perfectly with the Obumster folks..all triple A rated

A ffirmative
A ction
A nus

AND PPP rated too

P eter
P rinciple
P ersonage

[altsehastiin]

You can download and read the Navy’s voluminous findings on the Forrestal fire here: http://www.jag.navy.mil/library/jagman_investigations.htm.

Or you can uncritically accept the opinions of internet keyboard warriors with axes to grind.

[nhwingut]

Actually he was serious in the Salon magazine in 2000. As serious as Stuart Little can be.

But then when he met him face to face, he made it into a joke.

Total rewriting of history.

[Charles Martel]

I’m no McCain fan, but engaging in McCain troofferism is dumb.

Agreed. It's enough that John is 3/5ths of a North Vietnamese ace.