Jitters plague Franken during show's debut

TwinCities.com/Pioneer Press ^ | Pioneer Press | BRIAN LAMBERT

[veronica]

History will record that it was the celebrated author, comedian and Hollywood hobnobber Al Franken who sounded most ill at ease in the early going of his new radio adventure, while the kid from the provinces, former Minnesota Public Radio host Katherine Lanpher shined.

“The O’Franken Factor”, the marquee program of the new liberal network, Air America Radio, staring Minnesotans Franken and Lanpher debuted this morning. (It is heard locally, and temporarily, on WMNN 1330-AM from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays.) The first hour provided dollops of palpable, opening night jitters, satirical swagger and old-fashioned partisan invective in pretty much equal measure.

Franken, the “Saturday Night Live” alumus and conservative-bashing best-selling author of “Rush Limbaugh is a Big, Fat Idiot” and “Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them,” was clearly feeling the pressure of being the tent-pole of the much-publicized new network. His first few minutes, reading a script promising, “A battle for truth, justice and indeed America itself … not to be too grandiose,” was funny enough, but was read with enough tension in his voice you’d have looked away in embarrassment were he performing stand-up in front of you.

Fortunately, Franken acknowledged his unfamiliarity with the tricks of the talk radio trade and the value he places on Lanpher, who sounded reassuringly poised. At least for the time being, Lanpher is cast in a kind of Mother Hen/Voice of Reason role. She kept Franken on his cues, introduced and re-ID’d guests and cut to commercials. Happily, her trademark laugh, so problematic for MPR, appears to have been unfettered here.

By the second hour, when former 9/11 Commission member Bob Kerrey came on, Franken found a comfort level, although the interview itself was a slightly more informal version of what you’d get on public radio.

The show flashed more of the comic colors and tone the network has been promising when filmmaker-provocateur Michael Moore arrived. The sound of Franken and Lanpher trying to embarrass Moore into publicly apologizing to former Vice President Al Gore, stifling a laugh on the phone, hit the kind of mischievous-insiders tone the network’s listeners are probably eager to hear.

Sen. Hillary Clinton is scheduled for Thursday’s show. Former Bush administration counter terrorism expert Richard Clarke will be a guest on Friday

[N. Theknow]

Air America = Excrement In Broadcasting, the liberal EIB network.

[cardinal4]

A veritable whos who of losers...I give the network 6 months. You can get only so much mileage out of Bush bashing.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Getting all the heavy hitters out in a hurry. By next week, they will have run the gambit on their guest list.

[Howlin]

Former Bush administration counter terrorism expert Richard Clarke will be a guest on Friday

Gee, wasn't it this guy who said just this morning

"I just don't want to be used," Clarke told The Associated Press. "I don't want to be part of what looks like a political TV ad. I'm trying hard to make this not a partisan thing but a discussion of how we stop terrorism from happening in the future, keep this on a policy issue. I don't want this to become any more emotional or personal than it has already."

Clarke Asks Anti-Bush Group to Pull TV Ads (MOVEON.argghhh says NO!)

[Poohbah]

Jitters plague Franken during show's debut

Making excuses already?

Al, me boy...if you ain't ready to party down with the big dogs, you're better off just stayin' on the porch.

[cricket]

Not so easy huh Al? Seems he sounded like a 'big fat idiot'.

[ysoitanly]

Hillary wants to get on early so after it folds in a few weeks, she won't be able 'to recall' being on the show. I wish I could get this station somehow, just once to see how horribly awful it must be. I'm dying to hear it, but can't get it here.

[MCRD]

Wouldn't it be more accurate to call Richard Clarke the former Clinton administration counter terrorism expert, since he was there for 8 years and with the Bush administration about a year before his demotion.

[San Jacinto]

(It is heard locally, and temporarily, on WMNN 1330-AM from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays.)

LOL! You can say the same thing about all the station this crapola is on.

[threat matrix]

Oh my, Shrillary tomorrow?

[kingu]

Man.. That is dedication. Suffering through all three hours of that program just to write a story. I actually feel for the writer.

[TravisBickle]

My guess is that when the show dies, some management person will complain how difficult it is to compete against the subsidized shows on NPR.

And none of their listeners will recognize the irony.

[anniegetyourgun]

ROFL! You are so quick! And Clarke is SOOOOOO transparent!

[ysoitanly]

When I first saw the headline, I thought maybe Ted Kennedy was holding the mike after a long night.....

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Well, he can have that little guy from North Korea as a guest. That will extend his radio show for about a minute.

[Poohbah]

And none of their listeners will recognize the irony.

Of course they won't. Limousine liberals send their shirts out to a service.

[capt. norm]

"Franken, the “Saturday Night Live” alumus"

Now we find out he is an alumus.

Sounds like a nickname for an aluminum oxide compound.

Or perhaps an aluminum oxide based laxative, since that's what he amounted to on Saturday Night Live. He brought out the excrement in other liberals on the show.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

...Hollywood hobnobber Al Franken...

Typographical error. It should read 'Hollywood knobgobbler'.

[kittymyrib]

Bet it warms the heart of you who subscribe to XM satellite radio to know that your dollars are helping Al Franken's new show. I was thinking of subscribing myself until this happened.

[small voice in the wilderness]

The sooner franken gets a kiss of death phone call from algore the better off he'll be. Oh, he may not admit it at first, but in the long run, it's better to blame it on gore than look in the mirror. If not, within 2 weeks, he'll be interviewing phil donahue for ratings. BWHAHAHAHA!!

[Dolphy]

By the second hour, when former 9/11 Commission member Bob Kerrey came on...

Kerrey is no longer a member?

[Recovering_Democrat]

By the second hour, when former 9/11 Commission member Bob Kerrey came on, Franken found a comfort level, although the interview itself was a slightly more informal version of what you’d get on public radio.

Oh, you mean the bipartisan 9/11 Commission??? What a joke. Bob Kerrey ought to resign from that commission, after going on a blatantly anti-Bush show. What a jerk Kerrey is. And so is Kerry.

[HenryLeeII]

Air America = Excrement In Broadcasting, the liberal EIB network.

LOL!!! I almost swallowed my bite guard on that one!

[Recovering_Democrat]

He's still a member. And I do mean MEMBER.

[capt. norm]

When Franken talks, he reminds me of a kid in elementary school whose nose was always running with stuff hanging out of it and we always wondered what he'd sound like if he would just clear his nose...maybe take a Dristan or something.

It's no fun listening to someone when it sounds like they're about to blow a big old booger on you.

[Vision Thing]

...although the interview itself was a slightly more informal version of what you’d get on public radio.

The point being that Air America is Public Radio Version 2.0.

I have no doubt that when Air America finds itself on the verge of bankruptcy, it will continue to follow in Public Radio's footsteps by seeking taxpayer-funded subsidies.

[MamaLucci]

Sen. Hillary Clinton is scheduled for Thursday’s show. Former Bush administration counter terrorism expert Richard Clarke will be a guest on Friday.

Gee, between this and Jesse Jackson getting his own radio show, watch out, Rush! /sarcasm

[Ole Okie]

I thought maybe Ted Kennedy was holding the mike after a long night.....

Man, talk about your big fat drunkards idiots!

[job]

noe kneed to pruuf reed

[Khurkris]

algore called in today. Look for BaBa Streisanosaurus to by hyped and do a visit soon.

[CMailBag]

Air America should read Error America

[Petronski]

Err America: Day One

Host: Okay, we're back. Still hate Bush?

Co-Host: Oh yeah. You?

Host: You bet.

[pregnant pause]

Host: Well, let's...uh...let's take some calls. Caller number 1, you there?

Caller: Yeah, I wanna talk about hating Bush?

Host: Go right ahead. Do you hate Bush?

Caller: Yep, I hate him.

[pregnant pause]

Host: Tell us about it.

Co-Host: Yeah, caller, tell us about it.

Caller: Well, it's just George Bush....I hate 'em....

Co-Host: Oh, me too...[crosstalk]

Host: I hate Bush so much....

Co-Host: ...I hate 'em.

Host: Caller, how much do you hate Bush?

Caller: A lot.....I hate him a lot....

[Argus]

Franken...was clearly feeling the pressure of being the tent-pole of the much-publicized new network

But a few years honing his skills on a small station in the sticks are beneath him, so what the hell. The leftwing dummy audience isn't interested in professionalism anyway - Franken's juvenile name-calling will do until the plug gets pulled in November.

[RightWhale]

I give the network 6 months

Hmm. Mar + 6 = Oct

They need to make it through the first week of Nov unless a recount gives them fresh material.

[JimSEA]

former 9/11 Commission member Bob Kerrey

Did he quit the commission, did the commission quit him? I must be out of touch. Actually, I find it difficult to read about or listen to the commission over long. I must however, admit to having listened to the "radio program" for almost exactly 7 minutes this morning while Moore was spouting off and implying that Bush conspired with the Bin Laden clan. That was all my blood pressure would allow. If you want to test your medications, it can be heard at www.airamericaradio.com

Hope any listner has better luck than I.

[NYCVirago]

By the second hour, when former 9/11 Commission member Bob Kerrey came on, Franken found a comfort level, although the interview itself was a slightly more informal version of what you’d get on public radio.

Former? Kerrey's still on the commission!

[samadams2000]

Prediction: They will lie about the growth in listenership for the first 1 to 1.5 years then the whole thing will collapse when their sponsors learn they were duped.

[Cinnamon Girl]

excerpt from Frankenfraude's Hot Air America debut:

"So, um, the guy's an idiot. He's a total dumbass, rearend talking, stupid, frat boy. Right? I mean, what a total idiot... The guy's just dumb. What a stupid idiot. Who could vote for this guy? How dumb is this guy? This guy is so dumb... he's the biggest idiot in the world. And he's a liar. Check your facts, Republicans. I've just given you tons of solid reasons why George Bush's record stinks... How can anyone argue with that?"

[APFel]

I listened to about ten minutes of it here on the local Minneapolis station. The segment I heard was a bit where they had "Ann Coulter" (a voice impersonator, duh) locked in a room and was upset about being unable to get out. She then spouts some racist stuff about the guy who locked her in there.

About as funny as removing a contact lens with a power drill.

APf

[BushisTheMan]

Someone needs to record the Clarke interview. I'm hoping he says something stupid that he could be brought up on perjury for soon.

The more Clarke appears, the more the chance that he will slip up and be caught in his lies.

Ignore the losers. Hopefully no one but McCain will appear from the Pubbie side. Soon they will tire of slappig themselves on the back.

Besides, Liberals only want to prove others that they consider less smart than themselves wrong. How can they do that if it is only Liberals.

Can one Liberal liar be less smart than the other Liberal liar?

[woofie]

I cant wait for Craig Livinstone to appear on his show

[Socratic]

"Franken...the tent-pole"

He's more of a pole than that. "juvenile name-calling" - yep, I can do it too. Takes no real talent.

[Inyokern]

I listened to segment when Kerrey was on. It was pathetic. Franken kept trying to goad Kerrey into saying that 9/11 was all Bush's fault and Kerrey kept resisting.

Kerrey would say that both the Clinton and Bush administrations made mistakes and Franken would reply, "Yes, but let's talk about Bush..."

And, by the way, this "O'Franken" crap is going to get old REALLY fast. I predict that, if this station lasts more than a couple weeks (which is no sure thing) they will drop that stupid name.

[chilepepper]

it only wants to last until november. just think of it as 24/7 "Hate Bush Radio", a tricky way to spend media money for Kerry... it will disappear the second week in november when soros stops funding it (it won't make any money on its own).

[Army Air Corps]

He is a Pitbull with the heart of a Yorkshire Terrier and the brain of a gnat.

[Pharmboy]

I was in the car and able to listen to about 40 minutes of his second hour--the interview with Kerry. He was not as wild-eyed and crazy as I thought he would be, but whenever he tried to get a bit out there with Kerry, Kerry would not bite and brought him back.

All in all, it was just more of the mainstream media run by a guy who always was the class clown and wise*ss. No big whoop.

They're doomed.

[Choose Ye This Day]

LOL!!!

That is EXACTLY what Franken's show sounded like today. Ugh.

[Richard Kimball]

bump for later

[TexasCajun]

I like to hear Rush & Hannity address the "The O'Franken Factor" as the "The Stewart Smalley Show".

Stuart Smalley is a caring nurturer, a member of several twelve-step programs, but not a licensed therapist. His show "Daily Affirmations" is on a cable access channel. The show is geared to help people with mental disabilities, such as overeating, drug abuse, and alcoholism.

Stuart himself grew up with a dysfunctional family. His father was "a big stinking drunk" who called chubby Stuart, "a waste of space." Stuart's mom is "a total loon and in complete denial about Dad's drinking," while his brother is a dope addict. Still, Stuart maintains a good and positive attitude throughout his show, while helping people solve their problems