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Lies and The Lying Liar Who Told Them: An Objective Look at Al Franken
By Matt Margolis | August 21, 2003
So the nimrod Al Franken, who’s upcoming “book,” “Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right,” has been caught lying himself.
I’m not talking about his book yet, for it has not been released, I’m talking about his recently publicized attempt of deception of John Ashcroft:
Franken, a satirist and former writer for “Saturday Night Live,” admitted in a letter last month that he deliberately tried to mislead Ashcroft when he sought personal information from him.
For someone who’s upcoming “book” is trying to make claims that The Right are the ones who are liars, this doesn’t quite support his theory, and it certainly doesn’t help legitimize his views.
Al Franken wrote in his letter of apology to John Ashcroft:
In the letter, I indicated that I wanted your story for a book about abstinence-only sex education entitled ‘Savin’ It!’ I claimed that I had already received testimonies from several conservative leaders, which I had not.
To put it simply, he’s a lying liar who told a lie. Not only did he lie, but he also was deceiving by using letterhead from Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center for Press and Politics at the Kennedy School of Government. Franken, although a “fellow” at the school during the last spring semester, did not have permission to do this and the school was not pleased.
Al Franken’s letter addressed this specifically:
My biggest regret is sending the letter on Shorenstein Center stationery, I can assure you that no one at the Shorenstein Center had knowledge of the letter before I sent it. I am very embarrassed to have put them in this awkward and difficult position, and I ask you not to hold this against the Center, the Kennedy School, or Harvard in general.
Al Franken is not really concerned about the school. He’s just sorry he was exposed for the lying liar that he is.
Franken, however, did not admit to lying:
I regret wasting your time on what as an imprudent attempt at satire.
In retrospect, I hope you will take my original letter with a measure of the humor with which it was intended.
Satire? Is that what he calls it? I call it lying and deceiving.
Al Franken is the kind of person who thinks that the Left is always right, and the Right is always wrong. He thinks that conservatives only win arguments because they cheat. Al Franken is the kind of person who writes a “book” calling others liars, but clearly doesn’t lead an honest life himself.
It must be nice to have the opportunity to hide behind the label of “satirist” in order to get away with lying. When Franken is in a position where his views or actions backfire on him, he can just claim “I’m a satirist, you shouldn’t take me seriously,” and when he builds momentum, or has no opposition, he claims to be bastion of truth and objectivity.
In my book, that is what I consider cheating. Franken has clearly attempted to absolve himself of accountability for his lying and deception by claiming satire.
This is how he operates. This is how he’ll continue to operate. His “book” should have been titled “Lies and the Lying Liar Who Tells Them: An Autobiography.”
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August 26th, 2003 at 12:34 am
Get a grip. As Franken said, nobody fell for the spoof. There were plenty of cues in the letter that made it clear that it was bullshit. Clearly, you wouldn’t know satire if it bit you on the ass.
August 26th, 2003 at 7:21 pm
My Friend, take a chill pill. Franken’s letter to Ashcroft was funny as hell. Oh, wait, hell isnt funny!!! Seriously–loosen up.
August 27th, 2003 at 2:01 am
Seriously, man. Half of Franken’s point in the book is that he’s willing to admit fault. When he does lie and when he does screw up, he admits it. He writes letters. He says, “Hey! That’s my bad.” And all of his various oponents on the right just yell and hiss and try to cover themselves up.
August 27th, 2003 at 10:20 am
Know who else was a big liar? Alan Funt of Candid Camera. He would do stuff like pretend to be a dry-cleaning clerk and tell customers that he sold their laundry. What a big lie!
In another huge lie, Alan Funt deceived a driving student by pretending to be a blind driving instructor. He even told the guy he was blind–what a huge lie!
Jay Leno also told a lie last night. He said that illegal aliens moving to Phoenix have been told by the mayor to bring some gas. That’s a huge lie; the mayor never said any such thing!
Are so desperate to smear Franken that you’re gonna actually try to say that his hunorous letters to Ashcroft and others prove he’s not to be believed? That’s pathetic. After the Fox News frivolous lawsuit, I hope you guys now go on record as seriously saying that Al Franken is a liar because of his letter to Ashcroft.
Why don’t you guys take out some full-page ads exposing the lying liar Franken?
August 27th, 2003 at 12:31 pm
Joe C, please include your e-mail next time you post a comment, or all future comments will be deleted.
September 8th, 2003 at 12:31 am
What hubris to comment on a book one hasn’t read. The extent to which “the right” has lied, politically, to the voters and citizens of the US, and the detriment this has paid the United States and its reputation, justifies what I consider investigative tactics. When in pursuit of “lying liars” who’ve been caught lying, one must be….inventive. Lying for the sake of satire or humorous non-fiction is one thing, but you cannot compare it to lying for the sake of invading soverign nations, removing civil-liberties, or corrupting the democratic process.
Nice try though…
December 26th, 2003 at 4:34 am
“One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.” President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998.
“If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.” President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998.
“Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.” Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998.
“He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.” Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998.
“[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.” Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998.
“Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.” Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998.
“Hussein has … chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies.” Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999.
January 13th, 2004 at 3:40 pm
it a shame that you will burn in the hell of your own creating …you support someone e.g (exemplia gratia) “dubya” that is clearly a buffoon… your conservative views are reminiscent of that stalwort of double standards the hideous “queen” victoria…i hope your children end up sweeping chimneys to the tune of dixie… please remember that america is a nation of immigrants… the people that are currently being abused by quite frankly obscene foriegn policy are your brethren… most the numeric systems we use today are arabic, the basis for all modern metallurgy, medicine, science we inherited in part from them to… i understand that across the world things have to change but for the love of God - please dont support the idiot that you are…find a right leader with a sense of perspective and morals …having trouble there? don’t say we didn’t tell you…do you know why you attack all the time … we smell your fear, your darkest secrets, and rather than tell people, release all that fear, then receive love, compassion, respect, because you’d done something truly noble…you’d rather have everyone killed to save your embarrassment…enjoy this choking world from your pit…
Love, Peace and Respect …Charlotte
January 18th, 2004 at 3:20 am
Al Franken is a lying liar.
http://www.lyingliar.com