Ambushing Al

I've watched this a couple of times and I have come to realize that people like Jason Mattera aren't really journalists or authors, but simply second rate hacks that have a camera and a unique set of talking point.



This clip was featured over at Fox"Nation" recently and was allegedly there to show that Franken is somehow an unhinged liberal that treats his staff and "reporters" like trash.

The only problem with this poorly constructed thesis is that it shows Al attempting to answer the questions and Mattera using the tried and true tactic of firing off as many inane questions and accusations within a 60 second period in order to muddy the discussion - hence Franken's "you need to shut up" bit.

It's easy to see how people can become so easily frustrated with rank amateurs like Mattera, who's pimping his book about how people that voted for and support Obama are somehow "zombies", and the completely nonsensical questions they ask.

KingOneEye over at Daily Kos brings up an interesting point.

So now we see that Breitbart and his ward are just as opposed to safe schools and nutritious foods as they are to preventing child abuse. But I have to admire his tenacity. After making an ass of himself over the non-existent jungle gyms, Mattera plowed ahead with a complaint about language in the bill that provides new mothers with reasonable breaks for breast feeding. I thought Republicans were supposed to be the "family values" party. Not that they ever actually supported family values, but they have long sought to pretend that they did. But here the truth is revealed as Mattera berates Franken for supporting a bill that permits new mothers to care for their infant children.

I'm not of the mind to admire anyone's "tenacity" when it comes to wasting the time of people like Franken. Like it or not, people like Mattera should realize that he's not anywhere near the dim-witted comic that they pretend he is. And also, the shear ignorance that Mattera uses to base his questions on is beyond laughable. Are conservatives really this upset that a mother will have time to pump breast milk for her baby? Not only that, but so what if there is money set aside for a playground. Would conservatives rather kids play in the street?

This is all standard fare today - conservatives pretending to be journalists and running up to members of Congress with a mic and some really bizarre and ultimately pointless questions. No wonder Franken expresses his complete disinterest in Mattera's premise.

I will offer this caveat - his staffer that tried to push Jason away wasn't helping the situation at all. It's people like that that feed the conservative ideal that liberals love to silence them.

Objection Versus Obstruction

This is apparently the hot story of the moment, and it's fair to say that people on the Right are inflating this into more of a controversy than it really is. But progressives and liberals seem to be crowing a bit to much as well.



In terms of parliamentary procedure, Franken is most certainly in right in voicing his objection. And whether John McCain likes it or not, Franken didn't break the rules simply because he alleges that this hasn't happened in the entirety of his time in the Senate. And it obviously didn't bother Lieberman at all, as he laughed it off.

But liberals/progressives are missing a big point on this. While it's great that Franken is utilizing his right to object to Lieberman's incessant and ultimately pointless blathering, where have all the other Democratic Senators been? Why are they allowing members of the opposition to take control of this debate by being pure obstructionists? It's fine to laud Franken for his ability to speak with the voice of the majority that not only want but need affordable healthcare, but it's sad that not enough people within the Democratic caucus have the same passion and willingness to tell people like Lieberman to basically shut the fuck up.

The Distinguished Gentleman From Minnesota

Why can't Kentucky have a senator like Al Franken?



People like O'Reilly think they diminish Franken's knowledge and his abilities as a Senator by pointing out that he started out as a comedian. The reality of this is in fact, yes, he was a comedian and now he's a fantastic Senator that knows more about policy than a thousand O'Reillys.

I won't say that conservatives that continually downplay Franken's political acumen are afraid of him, but they certainly aren't going to admit that he knows more than them and does not fall prey to the trappings of inflammatory rhetoric and fear-mongering like his Republican counterparts.

Some Thoughts For Your Morning

- With the ever growing anger fueled by ignorance and fear of being proven wrong, the alleged "Climategate" non-story has taken on a more interesting tone as another break-in at the Canadian Centre For Climate Modeling. But an even more darker turn, as no reported by anyone in the mainstream American press - that's including you Fox"News' - is that the Russian Secret Service may be behind the initial hack/theft from England.

- In another example of how Senate Republicans are not taking the healthcare debate seriously at all, they have now introduced an amendment that would require the President, his staff, and all members of Congress to be part of the Public Option should it pass. Obviously stemming from the debunked theory that language in the initial legislation would not require any member of Congress or the President and his staff, Republicans thought they had won a small victory until they were called out on their trickery by Al Franken.

- Even after some of her most specious claims have been proven to be either false of severely misleading, I'm still aghast at the fact that so many conservatives are willing to follow this Sarah Palin. Her "book tour", nothing more than a chance for her to rebuff some of her critics in the media and those within the McCain campaign who are finally able to let the world know what it was like to work with her. Not once have we heard any sort of substantive policy argument from her, as she is literally nothing more than a talking-point vomiting puppet. Should she excel to the level of Presidential candidate, we are going to see such a divide within the GOP like we have never seen before, and it's already getting worse as the months go by.

The Comedian That Makes A Better Senator Than Most

The way in which conservatives attacked and attempted to besmirch Al Franken's bid for Senate is the halmark of conservative ideology - rely on gimmicky schtick rather than substance.

Turns out that Franken makes a better representative for not just his state, but this whole nation than many Senators that have held their position for years.

In respect to his amendment that would take a hard stance against companies that shelter rapists ( like KBR ) 30 Senators voted against it, thereby siding with the rapists.

To see Franken in action is something that everyone should pay attention to. This isn't the man that brought us Stewart Smally. This is someone that the Right ( for as many times as they claim that liberals and progressives are somehow afraid of the childish antics perpetrated by their apparent leadership ) honestly fears because he has the knowledge and the constitution to take on even their most arden of supporters.





For the full story behind Jamie Leigh Jones, check my diary on Daily Kos from December 2007 about her horrible ordeal and how conservatives reacted to it.

Franken's Position

In which I present, without comment, how Al Franken - freshman Senator from Minnesota - shows how it's done.



Check out more from Mnplsliberal's diary and the fantastic comments section at Daily Kos

Some Thoughts For Your Day

- If reporters, news anchors, and radio show hosts know ( not think ) that someone killed another person, why on earth do they say “allegedly”?

- Considering the very real fact that conservatives are always acting as if they are in the minority when it comes to media, wouldn’t it make sense for them to welcome The Fairness Doctrine?

- And speaking of conservative media, since Fox”News” enjoys such high ratings, why do they continue to talk down about the “mainstream” media? After all, when more people gravitate towards a certain person, place, or thing, that is what makes it mainstream.

- If it costs more to make a penny than what it is worth, why are they still being made?

- Has there ever been a scientific experiment to see if God does exist?

- If Christians are supposed to be compassionate and emulate the life of Jesus, why is it that so many are racists, some even advocating the death of Obama?

- Why is it that conservatives love the batshit loony Michelle Bachman, but they have SERIOUS issues with the wit and intellect of Al Franken?

- If people are so willing to have their state secede from the Union, then why don’t they? Perhaps they don’t realize how tremendously ignorant they are.

- Meghan McCain would likely be taken more seriously if she weren’t John McCain’s daughter.

Franken's Parlor Trick

I'm not sure if this would qualify as having more passion and understanding for your country - that one can draw the continuous 48 states freehand - or if it is just really cool.



And he's now drawing Alaska and Hawaii too, after people continually asked him why he hadn't.

U.S. Sen. Al Franken has acceded to a formal request from Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) that the Minnesota senator add Alaska and Hawaii when he draws freehand maps of the United States as a parlor trick. Franken, whose 2007 campaign-trail performance of the stunt is on YouTube (see it after the jump), promised Begich that “henceforth, my marvelous hand-drawn map of the United States will include the forty-ninth and fiftieth states, which are either Hawaii and Alaska or Alaska and Hawaii.”

More from the Minnesota Independant

Somewhere, Bill O'Reilly Is Violently Shitting and Vomiting Simultaneously

Congrats Senator Al Franken.

The Grand Obstructionist Party

From Manu Raju @ Politico

Texas Sen. John Cornyn is threatening “World War III” if Democrats try to seat Al Franken in the Senate before Norm Coleman can pursue his case through the federal courts.

Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, acknowledges that a federal challenge to November’s elections could take “years” to resolve. But he’s adamant that Coleman deserves that chance — even if it means Minnesota is short a senator for the duration.

A three-judge panel is expected to rule any day now on legal challenges to the November election.

Coleman attorney Joe Friedberg has predicted that Franken will be on top after the court rules, arguing that an appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court could swing the election back in Coleman’s favor.

But what if that doesn’t happen?

Nobody really knows

And while this circus of ideology, on Coleman's part, the voting populous of Minnesota are being denied their second vote in the Senate.

Coleman appears to have lost any desire to represent his are of the state - if he ever had any to begin with - in an attempt to make Franken look like a fool. Perhaps that was Franken's initally want as well - but I seriously doubt that now.

I'll conceed the point enough to admit that Franken was initially a comedian, but it also must be pointed-out that the man has an intelligence and a passion to make his area of Minnesota better. He seems to genuinely want to represent the people there. But the comedian label is going to be hard to shake until he gets seated and can prove that he's got the chops.

At times, it seems as if Coleman is wanting this case to press on to the SCOTUS. But, after the mess they created in 2000 with Bush vs. Gore, they aren't going to come near this one.

In Honor Of What Appears To Be A Win For Al Franken

Supply-Side Jesus

( also featured on the great blog SwiftSpeech )



Let's see Bill O'Reilly call him "Senator Franken" now.

Awesome.

Who Would Jesus Vote For?

Honestly, I don't know a single thing about Norm Coleman. Don't really care to, as a matter of fact. Well, perhaps if I lived in Minnesota I would.

I've only followed the highly publicized recount between Coleman and Al Franken - whom I happen to think is a brilliant comedian and satirist. But, would be make a good Senetor? It's possible.

But, is it possible that The Big J is on Coleman's side?

From Politico:

“I feel fairly confident. In the end, the good Lord’s going to decide,” Coleman told the local Fox affiliate. “The numbers look good to us. Certainly there’s uncertainty. I’m not worried about it. I’ve done everything I can do. I’m not really agonizing about the outcome.”

Coleman went on: “Life goes on, regardless of what your job is. I certainly love what I do. If I can keep doing it, I’ll be thrilled, and if not, I’m sure we’ll do something else.”

Coleman made the comments at a Hanukkah celebration in St. Paul last night (make sure to watch the end of the video to see Coleman dance the hora).

Coleman was much more confident about his chances the day after the election when he declared himself the winner. Both Franken and Coleman have largely remained out of the public eye since the recount began.

The invocation of "the Lord" by any politician either means one of two things: they are in some serious trouble - like losing your Senate seat, or they are trying to cover-up that "meeting in the bathroom stall".

The Republicans Last, Best, Hope

You know, I think Governor Pawlenty just might have something here. When Hannity throws accusation at you, just demand proof.



Even though I don't agree with the bulk of Republicans, it's relatively easy to see that Gov. Pawlenty would have been a better choice as VP to John McCain. Would have been interesting to see how the numbers would have shifted had he been on the ticket.

Even though he didn't take it to Hannity as he should have, he didn't just lay down like most Republicans on the show and agree with each and every word that dripped from his mouth