Al Franken (AP)
Earlier this week, I emailed Minnesota blogger Chad Doughty (Fraters Libertas) to find out how he felt about having to call Al Franken "Senator".
He was busy and feeling ranted out, so Chad directed me to his post-election blog post.
It's worth quoting here, in part:
I was so confident that my fellow Minnesotans would do the right thing that I never seriously considered the possibility that Al Franken would be elected to the U.S. Senate. This was Minnesota after all. While we might be predominantly liberal, there were still enough rational, independent-minded voters out there who would realize that Franken was unfit for the office, unfit to represent the people of Minnesota in such an important position.
Now, with Franken joining the exclusive Senate club no longer a question of "if" but "when," I have to look around and wonder just what the hell has happened to my fellow inhabitants of the North Star state.
I chronicled some of Al Franken's dubious behavior and background here earlier this week.
There's more of course. I share Chad's surprise that Minnesotans, with their down to earth reputation, would elect a guy to the Senate who hadn't even made a show of humbly running for a less vaunted office his first time into the electoral ring.
Indeed, Franken's only previous political experience consists of mocking those who've actually run for and held public office.
While serving as a fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Franken wrote fake letters on Harvard stationery to high-profile advocates of abstinence-only sex education, such as Attorney General John Ashcroft, asking them to share their own personal “abstinence experiences” for an inspirational book for teens to be called Savin’ It! Franken’s targets saw through the unfunny ruse, and some complained to Harvard, leading Franken to apologize. Even then, Franken seemed most apologetic that he had been caught in the act, and his apologies to Ashcroft and other targets of his hoax were less-than-gracious.
The trouble with Franken’s résumé went beyond his unfunny, off-color jokes, his leaden pranks, and his ill-controlled temper. Franken’s problematic relationship with the truth has long been a matter of public record. For example, he once suggested that National Review’s Rich Lowry had dedicated his new book to his male lover, when, in fact, the “Robert” in question was Lowry’s brother. Confronted by Lowry over his ad hominem remarks, implicit homophobia, and shabby research, Franken challenged Lowry to a fistfight.
This litany of misbehavior has been duly chronicled in easily obtainable magazines, newspaper articles, and books, some authored by the candidate himself. Yet, none of this seemed to matter when many Minnesotans cast their vote for the U.S. Senate.
If Al Franken survives all of opponent Norm Coleman's court challenges and does indeed take his seat in the Senate, all I can say is: Minnesota, and America, is in for an, er, interesting couple of years ahead.
Comments
Franken is not fit for care taker of a cemetery.
Caroline Kennedy-Al Franken-Hillary Clinton-Barry Obama-Leon Panetta etc. Is politics the only job where you need absolutely no experience whatsoever to be hired??
All my observations of his politics shows him to be an obsessive partisan ideologue who becomes morbidly combative and unethical if his ideas are challenged.
He needs to stop listening to Stu Smalley's crack-fueled egotism mantras and get some manners and humility.
I'm really POed his rampage at Fox didn't net him the well deserved punch in the mouth his personal politics deserve.
Al Franken is a leftist thug of the highest order. He demonstrates all the signs of a man with a psychopathic narcissistic disorder.
He is also prone to violence. I will enjoy seeing him treading water that is over his head in the senate.
I think he will continue to make a fool of himself and of the democrats.
The best we can hope for from our politicians nowadays is some entertainment value. It's looking good on that front.
"All my observations of his politics shows him to be an obsessive partisan ideologue who becomes morbidly combative and unethical if his ideas are challenged."
Yes you're right - about just about any major player in the neocon movement. Or possibly Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, Rush. Franken's a lefty, but he's intelligent and informed - which puts him ahead of so many people with political power in this country.
Thank God for Franken! Neocons had no problem with electing Palin to office have a problem with a Harvard educated, brainy, fighter like Franken? Here is a man who will fight for what is right for the people. There is nothing wrong with having a sense of humor. Go, Franken, go!
there is an old saying. If you can't take the heat get out of kitchen. If you can't take a joke, get out of the Senate. One good thing about political jokes, is that they act as a way of highlighting the absurdness of certain political positions.
The last 8 years the real absurdness has been the way Republicans have ran the country. If Al Franken is absurd, he is not nearly as absurd the positions supported by Bush and Coleman that have hurt America.
If you really don't like someone like Franken then next time I would suggest you vote for more qualified people to run the country.
I love Al Franken. This is a great seat anyway. Coleman never deserved the Wellstone seat anyway.
Writing prank letters? Didn't Ronald Reagan straight up cap people from the back of a horse? I thought Schwarzenegger drove a truck into a police station in an attempt to stalk and kill some woman. None of this seemed to bother anyone when those guys ran for office. Could it be that their political opponents were ... not idiots?
Al Franken is most assuredly, how do you say, equivalent to a big, steaming pile of feces the size of which would put a plowhorse to shame! Electing Franken to the U.S. Senate will be a painful reminder for those who love liberty that the revolting fragrance produced by the self-absorbed gasbags that infest that institution of Democracy will continue to pollute America for years to come.
indoctrinated = "Harvard Educated"?
paranoid schizophrenia = "brainy"?
I do wonder what version of Roget's Thesaurus graces your bookshelves.
Frankly, I look forward to Democrats explaining why they accept Frankin's legitimacy as a Senator, while rejecting the much less controversial appointment of Roland Burris to Obama's Seat. Why, the casual observer might think that skin tone might be a factor...
Right-wingers, get over it! We already seen what the dynamic duo of Bush/Cheney have already done to the country. Is it the intend of the Republican party to bankrupt the country? So they won't have to pay social security and medicare? At least Frankin has a sense of humor, unlike most conservatives. Stop whining!!!
He's a loon. Perfect for this day & age of North American politicians of every stripe. To think the Eurabians are worse, is just mind boggling. Yet people continue to take this abuse from the nut farms.
We deserve a dark age.
JMO
I'm a little fuzzy on why you're so surprised that Minnesota would elect Al Franken to the senate. This is the same state that elected Jesse Ventura as governor.
Back i nthe late Seventies, when I was a teenage "Saturday Night Live" fan, how did I know it was time to turn off the TV and go to bed? Easy- when Franken and Davis came on! Even the most easily amused teenage boy could tell those two idiots had no talent.
William Claude Rhaines said
"indoctrinated = "Harvard Educated"?
paranoid schizophrenia = "brainy"?"
Seems like you're the one with the faulty thesaurus.
It sounds as if Al Franken doesn't subscribe to the tyranny of nice either. What's your problem with him other than policy? Do you see yourself in his books? I didn't really want him elected either. The world needs more comedians who are genuinely funny and witty rather than just another senator. Chad needs to hang it up ( that's a Florida joke).
What Pefunktory said.
Our experiment in democracy has reached the sad and sick point where the court Jesters become the Kings.
Corinated by 500 fools that had no clue how to mark a ballot, and Crowned by a commission of educated idiots that found art in the monkey splatters.
This is exactly what I would expect from my conservative southern brothers. You should actually pick up one of Franken's books and, instead of trying to lynch it, read it.
These books basically highlight all of your extremely odd idiosyncrasies that scare us in the North oh-so-very-much. Let us know when you mellow out and get a bit more normal. Even just a little bit...
Oh, don't worry - Franken will just bring to mind the honor senators are due, as opposed to the honor they think they are due.
It must have been really difficult to craft this piece without including the name Nasser Kazeminy. Because everyone knows that writing fake letters on Harvard stationary is far worse that taking bribes.
Ad T: So AD T you don't like the south so much huh, and you and you're insignificant northern state is normal, yeah right. Well for your information you backward hick the south and the west are the fastest growing regions of the country idiot. As a former and long time Florida resident we used to make fun of hypocrite losers like you all the time. Here they would come with their fish-belly white skin and nasal accents telling us all how great it was back north. Usually we would tell these creeps take I-75 or I-95 north a**hole! So AD T stay in your decrepit rust-belt state we don't need your words of wisdom in the south. Hey maybe you can repair that crumbling state you live in?
Dirty Harry, the South is a changing! Look a Virginia and North Carolina. Gone Blue. Watch the rest---maybe us Northern can change the South from being welfare states. Check the Office of the Budget and find out where our federal dollars end up---in the South! C
Damn Byron thats probably from the large African-American population in the south and cities in the north like Detroit, Gary,IN, East St Louis, Baltimore&DC etc. Go get a tan.
Byron please, you can't even change the rust belt. As far as North Carolina going blue, well thats because of all the hypocritical liberal white flight from the northeastern seaboard into NC. North Carolina has become this decades Florida. Whats a matter your wonderful northern states are just too good to be lived in anymore.
"Go get a tan."
HAHAHAHAHA
So Minnesotans feel so much more secure in electing a senator under investigation for laundering 75 K thru a defense contractor , into home improvements.. We also learn Coleman lives well beyond his means and has remortgaged his home and will likely sometime be applying for federal mortgage bail out funds. I think Minnesotans have more sense than California pundits .
I enjoy the dialogue with all of you. Glad I can have this conversation online. Yes, I live in the North. Already had over 6ft of snow this winter. I live in a county with one stop light and am 80 miles from the closet divided highway. But,even where I live the world's becoming more liberal. Thank all those baby boomers and their good paying jobs. Once they are gone, the labor force is screwed! No more unions which are good for the middle class. Coleman never impressed me, not too quick on the wit.
Byron: That is what is great about living in the US, we can voice our opinions. Even though I don't embrace your liberal ideology I would fight for your right to have the freedom to express it. While many leftist wish to censor any type of speech that disagrees with their doctrine. Most of our universities and colleges are filled with extremist left-wing professors preaching their false doctrine to young and impressionable minds. You think that it is a accident that most professors are leftist extremist, that there are no conservative professors. You say that you live in a small community in a northern state. I've noticed that some of the biggest multicultural promoting liberals always live in homogeneous states such as the entire New England area. Oops forgot about Boston, well Boston was all about diversity until forced busing hit home in 1975, right Boston. If you truly believe in your cause Byron stand up for it and more power to you. It is my opinion that most liberals aren't authentic with their beliefs at all, example; the liberal who lives in an exclusive gated community, their kids attend private school, you know kinda like the Clintons.
I am sure you like other conservatives did not think Al Franken would become your state senator, but what you never considered quite "Frankenly" is the fact that he is a man who has gone up against great giants in the media business.
He has one fights with producers, writers, unions, and other people that have disagreed with his approach and work for over twenty years.
You were thinking politics and Mr. Franken was thinking country first, that's why you can't get the fact he was elected.
"Mr. Franken was thinking country first"???? Was he thinking "country first" when he didn't pay tens of thousands of dollars in TAXES due to the government?
We live in a land with Michele Bachmann on the one hand and Al Franken on the other. We elect a wrestler to be Governor with less than 40% of the vote! What do you think we do up here all winter, sit around and agree on things and wait for somebody's car to start?? Hell, no! We always have one big snowball fight or something going on. Minnesota Nice? A myth. We fight more than families do during Christmas
Litany of misbehavior? Your opinions are small and the opposite of what people have decided. Isn't that how you people operate? Challenge with the most polar opposite, mostly for fun and ratings. Rush and Savage would laugh at Al's "deeds" and brag about how lame HIS crudness is.
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