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January 10, 2009

GOP public enemy #1: Al Franken

"Republicans are gritting their teeth and bracing for the arrival of a new senator whose every utterance will sound like nails on a chalkboard to them," says Politico's Alexander Burns. I don't for a second doubt that he's absolutely right about that. But why?

Burns lists several reasons why Republicans so viscerally loath Franken, and I'm not necessarily disagreeing with any of those reasons. I just feel the list is incomplete with respect to one particular reason. And that reason is absolutely central to why I no longer vote for or trust very many Republicans.

By early 2004 I had long since become deeply frustrated with George W. Bush, who I'd never liked or supported. But I still maintained my self-identification as a "centrist" and relied heavily upon a variety of specific and less specific beefs to justify not turning to Democrats with open arms despite my long-standing problems with the GOP. One of the big beefs that I had with Democrats at that point in time was the shamelessly politicized Paul Wellstone funeral a year and a half earlier. Nevertheless, I was fed up with Bush, wanted him out of the White House, and besides, by then I'd become a fan of Howard Dean.

So it was that I found myself frequently reading and commenting on a blog called Value Judgement that I'd found through another blog by and for political Independents (like me) who supported Dean's candidacy.

Along came a post on Value Judgement one day which mentioned Al Franken and I chimed in since I was a fan of his from his Saturday Night Live work. Interestingly enough that post is still there along with the comment thread I'd participated in. Here's the fateful exchange:

Franken is a riot! Very funny guy! I really enjoy listening to his show.

Posted by: Kevin@TIV at April 3, 2004 03:46 PM
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Kevin - be sure to read Lies and the Lying Liars; it's great. If you don't want to buy it, just go read the Wellstone chapter in the bookstore.

I haven't had the opportunity to listen to any of Air America yet; alas..

Posted by: J at April 3, 2004 06:46 PM
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When I read J's reply I immediately thought to myself, "Aha! Finally a Lefty is going to call a spade a spade and not make politically expedient excuses for what happened at Wellstone's funeral!" Afterall, at the core of my beefs with both major political parties was the issue of trust, or rather the lack thereof. And so I promptly purchased a copy of Franken's book thinking that I'd get the honesty that I so craved. I still have it on my bookshelf.

Turns out that I and the rest of America had been sold a near total fabrication (aka - a lie) by Republicans - thus the very appropriate name of Franken's book. In fact, one of the GOP examples Franken dissects in the book is Christopher Caldwell's The Weekly Standard editorial viciously slamming the Dems for the Wellstone funeral.

The thing is... Caldwell perpetrated several outright lies in the editorial. And he did so having NEVER ATTENDED OR EVEN WATCHED the very funeral he attacked with such vengence - as Franken proves in the book. And Caldwell's was far from the most egregious example!

And on whose behalf did these reich-wing liars perpetrate their 100% politically motivated fraud? You got it! The very same Norm Coleman who had been running against Wellstone and who ended up winning against his last-minute replacement - former Vice President Walter Mondale, and who Franken is in the process of forcibly retiring... once the court appeals have run their course.

I submit that the GOP's visceral hatred of Al Franken is based on his having exposed them as the lying liars that they have proven themselves to be.

Update: It seems Minnesotans are getting tired of Norm Coleman.

Posted by Kevin at January 10, 2009 04:52 PM