Dodger, of course, taking pot shots at Al Franken on the other side where he thinks he can avoid rebuttals.

So, Dodger, want to come in here and discuss Franken face to face with us?

That's SENATOR Franken now.

How old are you?

I am here skep. What would you like me to say that the assclown Franken hasn't already said that is already made a fool of himself.
He is also making a fool of the state of Minnesota.
I don't take "potshots". A potshot was lobbed at one celebrity and so I lobbed one back at another, and yes, Al Franken IS a celebrity, be it as it were, even if he is a "senator" temporarily for now.
Mc74: middle age would be appropriate.

"and yes, Al Franken IS a celebrity"

And so was Ronald Reagan.

Touche!
A bad B movie actor he was, but he at least TRIED to learn politics. You and I may not have agreed with what he decided on, but he attempted and brought great thought and seriousness to his political career.
What has Al Franken done to make ANYONE compare his political chops?

Actually, I've rethought that.
With Ronald Reagan being the Father of the second Republican Great Depression, maybe celebrities SHOULD stay out of politics.

Now that we can agree on!

You may not like Al Franken's politics which is fine. But you should know he is hard working fellow. When he was broadcasting on Air America, he spent many hours preparing to do his job. When he had a book author on, he read all or most of the book. He also voraciously read many periodicals: newspapers and magazines.

Al Franken was on The Ed Schultz Show yesterday and he reported that he is traveling around Minnesota meeting with mayors while he is in limbo.

I have no doubt that Al Franken is a very hard-working guy, and I don't doubt that he will represent the people of Minnesota well.

My issue with him is his blatent partisanship. I don't know if there is anyone, Republican or Democrat, House or Senate, that hold the opposite side of the aisle with such contempt and disdain. Obama is pushing for bipartisanship, and to rid Washington of the pervasive attitude of taking sides in the best interests of your constituents, instead of working together in the best interests of the American people.

Al Franken is not a solution to that problem, I am afraid that he will only add to the problem. He is a guy that the GOP can totally use as a rallying cry, a poster boy of the "big bad Democrats."

I sincerely hope that Franken is above that. Given his track record, I doubt it.

Dodger: A bad B movie actor he was, but he at least TRIED to learn politics. You and I may not have agreed with what he decided on, but he attempted and brought great thought and seriousness to his political career.

So you think writing several books about politics and doing a political talk radio show for 2.5 years aren't attempts to "learn politics?" You think Reagan giving paid speeches for GE around the country was a better approach?

Have you even read any of Franken's books?

Brianl: I have no doubt that Al Franken is a very hard-working guy, and I don't doubt that he will represent the people of Minnesota well. My issue with him is his blatent partisanship.

Huh??? Brian, the guy is a politician who ran for US Senate as a Democrat. All candidates for political office last year were partisan. That's part of the game.

When you are actually in the Senate, creating and voting on legislation, you can think about being a legislator and being bipartisan. Franken isn't there yet. Even then, you will always be somewhat of a partisan. Name me any US Senator who isn't and I'll show you one who isn't running for re-election when his/her term is up.

Interesting perspective Brianl.

I actually have no problem with Al being partisan. He's absolutely left leaning, and will go to bat for the people with that perspective. This is subtle, but important:

If we have somebody who has a strong ideology, but applies it toward solutions for the people, and considers their general state, that's just somebody wanting to do a good job and believing they have the right tools. After applying the ideology to find solutions, they watch the state of the people and adjust accordingly.

On the other hand, we have somebody with a strong ideology, but applies it in ways that strengthen it, believing the state of the people then will improve because of that, we've got trouble!

Al isn't the latter.

Where the GOP is going to go just bat shit nuts over Franken, I'm sorry but that's a good thing! Anything we can do to highlight and then marginalize that faction of the party --actually, both parties have those factions, so highlight and marginalize them all --is a good thing!

All of those people are the latter kind of representative and they are no good for anybody, right or left, or no matter what ideology they embrace.

I mangled that--sorry.

LOL@Andrew! Reading even ONE will communicate Franken's political cred.

Al Franken is a blatant liberal - just like Ronald Reagan was a blatant conservative. I don't think reading Franken's books will change people's ideas about his politics. But Franken clearly can formulate political ideas, even if in a humorous way (which I think is quite effective way to get them across). His books aren't all jokes, either - there's actually a grave seriousness to them, under the jokes. The point is, here is an intelligent guy, not just a comedian.

I know that partisanship is part of running for the office, and you want to set yourself aside from the other guy. I get that.

You still have to work with the other side though once you get there. Even with the majority the Democrats enjoy in the Senate, there still has to be SOME bipartisanship. Take the stimulus package that just passed, for example: You know damn well that a GOP senator would filibuster that thing until the end of time if there wasn't a compromise reached, one that can get at least three moderate Republicans to vote for it.

Do you really see Al Franken as a guy that will sit there and be diplomatic in reaching a compromise? In doing what's best for the people, not only of Minnesota but the United States? Given all the rhetoric he's said, and his blatent lack of respect at least shown and perceived for those to the right of him politically, I doubt that.

I KNOW that Franken had to paint himself as a Democrat, I get that. And I respect his views. I don't doubt or question his credentials. All I am saying is that I don't see Franken being a solution to what Obama is trying to reach, even though they are of the same party. I see Franken adding to the problem ...

And Missing, I agree that the GOP needs one hell of a shake-up. My concern is that, say this doesn't work as intended, and we have an economic mess on our hands in two years like what we have now, that the Republicans will at least make a major dent in the Democratic majority WITHOUT addressing the glaring issues, and coming more to the center as a party. Right now, the GOP is IMHO out of touch with what Americans need, and want. In order to get back in line with that, they're going to have to take their lumps, and become more moderate as a group. You better believe that if this doesn't go to plan, Al Franken will be the first and foremost bulletin material for the GOP, they would love nothing more than to shove it to this guy.

Is there anyone left of Al Franken??? Mabey "REV". White.

I don't think Franken is all that far left; it depends upon the subject of course. For example, initially Al Franken was for the invasion of Iraq; he turned against it when he learned we were misled by the Bush admin. about WMD.

The GOP was saying the same exact thing about Hillary Rodham Clinton. When she ran for the US Senate in New York, they tried to paint her as a deeply partisan Democrat incapable of working across the aisle. And it was garbage. HRC worked extremely hard to reach across party lines and developed good working relationships with her GOP colleagues. To summarily dismiss Franken as a partisan hack flies in the face of convention. In order to get things done with any degree of certainly in the US Senate, you’ve got to work with your colleagues across the aisle.

If anyone in this whole Franken situation has been partisan, it’s the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee and its current chair John Cornyn of Texas. The GOP thought they had this seat in the bag, and they blew it. Rather than critiquing their own failings, they’ve attempted to call out Al Franken for trying to steal the election. It's total BS. If Coleman was such a great US Senator, why is behind by 225 votes?

Al Franken is a very bright person with a great mind. Stupid people never make it as comedians and writers.

There has to be a balance available between " History will judge his administration " ( a promise that has been made by so many Republicans ) and " Let's see what he actually does before we can call him good or bad at his new job."

Tal - I'd LOVE to be proven wrong about Franken. Trust me.

I'm just skeptical (Sorry Skeptical), that's all. I know he's a bright guy. I am just leery of him, that's all, because of what he has displayed before.

As for the GOP botching this up, assuming that Coleman had it in the bag, you're spot-on. I think the same might be said for Gordon Smith, and a lot of other Republicans who lost out. The GOP collectively has to look at itself and reinvent itself, if they are to make inroads anytime soon.

The political spectrum is always on a yo-yo. Up and down. Right and left and back and forth. Until the GOP comes more to the center, they aren't going to make inroads. Plain and simple.

Brianl: Do you really see Al Franken as a guy that will sit there and be diplomatic in reaching a compromise?

Absolutely yes. He seems like an extremely reasonable guy, having listened to him on his radio show for a while. But I don't equate "compromise" with caving your key values, either, and I don't think Franken will do that.

Stevethedj: Is there anyone left of Al Franken??? Mabey "REV". White.

Sounds like you don't know much about the man.

Actually, even though I don't agree with him on everything, I respect his basic sensibilities more than many other current and former Air America talk show hosts, by comparison. Franken never endorsed the "looney left" and the conspiracy theories so easily embraced by other hosts. For example, the day after the 2004 election, he refused to entertain the idea that Bush had "stolen" the election in Ohio (I didn't think so either) even though most of the other AAR hosts were immediately taking that line (without what I thought was real evidence).

Not that Franken isn't a die-hard liberal, but he's more of the traditional type, the old-school Walter Mondale/Teddy Kennedy type, rather than of the Dennis Kucinich school. Franken supports action through government, not radicalism. He was also a great admirer of the late Paul Wellstone, and Norm Coleman's winning of Wellstone's old Senate seat was one of Franken's motivations in running in the first place: taking that seat back.

And to be honest, I love the fact that someone with a great sense of humor will (probably) be in the US Senate, unlike so many of the stuffed shirts we have now.

Thank you for a well written, well thought out post. Andrew. Glad to hear he is not as extream as I thought. Regards, Steve.

Andrew2's assessment of Al Franken is spot on. He came of age when the most prominent Minnesota politician was Hubert H. Humphrey. It’s clearly reflected in his worldview. Franken, like the late Hubert Humphrey, takes social justice very seriously. Plus he's visited Iraq on more than one occasion and takes the needs of soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines to heart.

Franken didn't just visit the soldiers in Iraq - he entertained them. On more than one trip, he was part of a tour of entertainers. That may sound trivial, but you can bet the troops appreciated his visits more than some visiting bureaucrat with an agenda. (I think Franken is funny when he wants to be - not so much on his radio show, unfortunately, but that wasn't his purpose then.)

Hey Dodger, shall we bring up Sonny Bono?
Actor? Singer? Republican? Conservative? Congressman?

I'm just skeptical (Sorry Skeptical),

Actually, people need to be skeptical about everybody and every thing, not just Al Franken.

Anyway, anybody that reads just a chapter in any of Franken's books will come away with how smart he is and the grasp he has on issues facing America -- conservative or liberal, we are in dire need of some brains in our leadership. Franken has it.

TRIED to learn politics.

Uncle Ronnie should have stuck to acting...

My personal favorite Al Franken piece:

"The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus"

Anyone that can produce that, will make an absolutely FINE senator.

Great stuff. Thanks Amus!!

Two of Franken's books are standouts in my opinion:

"Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations" (from around 1995)

and

"Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them" (2003).

The others have been kind of so-so. "The Truth (with Jokes)" is OK. The premise of "Why Not Me?" was amusing (where Franken tells the story of what would happen if he was elected president - a bit ironic given that he's almost a US Senator now), but the book itself was sort of forgettable.

"The Truth (with Jokes)" is OK.

Of course by then, the destruction to our country by George W Bush was well underway and finding humor in politics was a tad bit more difficult than in the "Lying Liar" days.