Franken's book bravely presents the truth (DOUBLE-MEGA-BARF ALERT!!)

St. Paul Pioneer Press ^ | 9/21/03 | Deborah Locke

[Lucretia Borgia]

Franken's book bravely presents the truth

by Deborah Locke, Editorial Writer, St. Paul Pioneer Press

At least two sections of Al Franken's book ought to grab the attention of people from Minnesota. In "Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them -- A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," Franken recounts the Paul Wellstone memorial. The chapter is a good example of the way right-wing pundits aided by their media outlets will distort the facts to the American people. A more chilling theme throughout the book is the way mainstream media organizations buy into the lies and report them as fact. In short, while Democrats grieved in October, Republicans handled. You know the outcome.

The other section -- and I call them sections because the book is strangely organized -- contains Franken's shrewd analysis of the Clinton administration's anti-terror program and the Bush administration's indifference to it once Bush took office. Franken does what no journalist or political analyst that I'm aware of has done -- connected the pieces into a troubling whole.

So far I may have given the impression that the book is a ponderous policy analysis. But come on. Most of you out there know Al Franken -- Minnesota-raised and a former Saturday Night Live writer and performer. Consequently the ample data in the book is balanced with biting, laugh-out-loud humor.

The book got its start when Franken became disenchanted with what he viewed as gross distortions from right-wing pundits whose comments fed right-wing news outlets, like the Fox network and the Washington Times. He began to see patterns of sheer nonsense reported as fact, such as stories that Al Gore "invented" the Internet.

Meanwhile, an intimidated and terrified mainstream press bought and still buys into the lies. For example, newspapers and broadcasters throughout the country merrily swallowed press secretary Ari Fleischer's reports of "vandalism" by departing Clinton White House staffers. (Guess what. It never happened.)

The lies take on a life of their own to a point where a largely innocent and moving event, like the Sen. Wellstone memorial, become tinged with disrepute. The Wellstone chapter describes "a story of pure cynicism in the pursuit of power," Franken wrote. "It is the story of how the lying liars took the death of my friends and invented a myth that changed the 2002 elections."

Franken, who knew Wellstone well, attended the memorial organized by the family members of those who died. He repeats parts of the three hours of moving tributes, including those of Mark Wellstone and David McLaughlin. Franken described Rick Kahn's eulogy for Wellstone as "dead-on" at the start. However, Kahn's emotional plea to Republicans to support Walter Mondale was "bizarre," wrote Franken.

Republicans pounced. Former Republican Congressman Vin Weber told the Star Tribune that the "memorial" was instead a "political event," and an "absolute sham." Republican policy analyst Sarah Janacek told reporters that the audience was prompted by screen messages on when to laugh and clap. (The screens provided closed captioning for the hearing impaired.)

The next day 20 million listeners heard Rush Limbaugh describe the memorial as a "sham" and "disgusting," with a "planted audience." On CNN's Crossfire, Tucker Carlson called the memorial "nauseating" and "hijacked by partisan zealots," even though he didn't watch it. Christopher Caldwell with the Weekly Standard called the memorial "twisted, pagan, childish, inhumane and even totalitarian."

Pagan? Totalitarian?

Franken wrote, "Once the right wing had created its myth about what had happened, it became a lot easier to report the distortion than to report the truth." He concluded that the right, not the left, tried to cheapen Wellstone's life by dishonoring his death.

"The right-wing media ... seized on an opportunity to use tragedy for political gain. It was Rush, and the Republican Party, and the Weekly Standard, and the Wall Street Journal, and Fox -- then it was CNN and MSNBC and all the newspapers that wrote hundreds of articles -- that got it wrong."

Through a great deal of investigative reporting by Franken's research assistants, "Lying Liars" gets it right. Yes, the "Operation Chickenhawk" chapter read like a bad SNL skit and I skipped the "Supply Side Jesus" comic. However, the book is like the Wellstone memorial in one sense. A small portion is bizarre, but doesn't reflect the whole. Franken does what many in my profession haven't done -- present the truth and expose the lying liars.

Contact Locke at dlocke@pioneerpress.com

[Timesink]

I like what Alberta's Child wrote in that thread you linked to:

The Democratic Party has become nothing more than a series of industrial accidents just waiting to happen.

Almost a year later, and that statement is more true than ever.

[Archangelsk]

If Locke believes Franken as a news source, she's probably mentally ill.

Why not? The FCC believes Howard Stern is a news show.

[Mr Rogers]

Indeed. I watched the Wellstone memorial service - it was disgusting! And no spinning from Franken can change what I saw, or thought as I was seeing it.

The truth hurts - so Franken should be pain free.

[clintonh8r]

This book would be in the remainder bin by now were it not for all the free publicity generated by Fox's ill-advised and boneheaded lawsuit. You'd think they could afford real lawyers.

[Lucretia Borgia]

You have to remember that Joe Soucheray is the token voice of reason and sanity for the Pioneer Press. If it doesn't make sense in the garage, it will not make sense any where else.

[Roscoe Karns]

Hey Al, I didn't form my impression of the Welstone memorial based on what I saw on "right-wing media."

Exactly. I watched the whole thing live on Cspan and didn't need Rush Limbaugh to tell me how disgusting it was.

[weegee]

Franken recounts the Paul Wellstone memorial. The chapter is a good example of the way right-wing pundits aided by their media outlets will distort the facts to the American people.

The unedited broadcast of the political rally that way the Wellstone funeral did more damage than Rush Limbaugh or Fox News could ever have done. The public saw with their own eyes unrestrained hate and pontificating at a funeral.

Wellstone Memorial on C-SPAN2 NOW!

***RALLY ON A CORPSE: DEMOCRATS TURN WELLSTONE MEMORIAL IN TO FIERY CAMPAIGN CALL!***

Here's a blog entry I found where a Rat defended the booing of Trent Lott at the Wellstone funeral. Dick Cheney was told not to attend. These are the facts that people on the left "forget" or try to spin.

Bubba (and Fritz) got some laughs in:

Of course he always does at funeral:

[optimistically_conservative]

The retreating Clinton staff vandalized the White House complex. The report is at http://www.gao.gov, Report Number GAO-02-360.

[weegee]

I wonder if there is any reference to the dubbed cheers at the NYFD - NYPD(?) rally where Hillary was actually boooed and MTV presented it with only cheers.

Now now, SeeBS-MTV-VH1 are owned by Viacommie and had to protect their investment as Viacom's publishing arm, Simon and Schuester, paid Mrs. Bill Clinton $8million for her book.

That edited version of the concert is all that is available on DVD too. Rather than cut the offending speech altogether or letting it stay, warts and all, they have lied about the way that event happened that night and left in the overdubbed cheers.

I pointed this out on some DVD review sites and a few critics thought that this was bad, but not bad enough to avoid buying the disc. Of course, these are the same geeks who will throw a hissy fit if a song on the soundtrack has been changed on the DVD version, a director like David Lynch optically darkens a scene so that an actress' pubic hair will not be visible in the home video version of Mulholand Drive, etc.

Yeah. I know all about lying liars, Al.

[weegee]

"The other section -- and I call them sections because the book is strangely organized -- contains..."

Is "strangely organized" a kind euphamism for "poorly organized"?

[weegee]

Who needs a "NEWSPEAK" category on FR? When the libs come back into power, this site will be shut down, books and libraries will be banned, and the newspapers will purge their archives every night so that the "new" truth can be disiminated the next day.

[weegee]

If there were tender and quiet moments of respect, they chose not to show it to me, or the rest of the nation.

Maybe the quiet "respectful" moment came when they played "Love Train". I doubt that it was when they booed Trent Lott. Certainly "the fix was in" in the planning stages when they told Dick Cheney not to come. Hey, funerals of dead politicians, it's what VPs do. Just ask Albert Gore Junior (the real Jr. in election 2000).

[Eva]

That's what I was looking for. It would be great if we could make a list of the lies in this book and the proof. This is a great start.

[Valin]

Franken recounts the Paul Wellstone memorial. The chapter is a good example of the way right-wing pundits aided by their media outlets will distort the facts to the American people.

Who you gonna believe Al Franken or your lying eyes?

[Rummyfan]

His book may be selling but I can't believe anyone is actually reading it.