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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFranken may be the perfect senator for the Trump era a deadly serious funnyman.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/al-franken-has-found-a-new-role-in-the-trump-era/2017/03/18/247737bc-0b54-11e7-a15f-a58d4a988474_story.html?utm_term=.2f5d39df6c8aIt was a half-hour before one of the sparsely attended committee hearings that take place almost every day on Capitol Hill in this case, a session on energy infrastructure so dry it would not merit even the presence of a C-SPAN camera.
But in Al Frankens suite of offices in the Hart Senate Office Building, the man still known best as one of the early stars of Saturday Night Live was going through an intense rehearsal with four aides.
How much, Franken wanted to know, are the Chinese spending on clean technology research? Where do things stand on the University of Minnesotas study of torrefaction, a roasting process that produces better fuel for biomass energy production? And might there be a chance to ask a question about one of his favorite causes, loan guarantees for Native American reservations?
I just want to keep bringing it up, so they keep hearing it, Franken said, with a trace of a sigh.
Everyone is hearing a lot more from Minnesotas junior senator these days.
At the dawn of a presidency that stretches the limits of late-night parody, and at a moment when an out-of-power Democratic Party is trying to find its voice, the former comedian and satirist may be having a breakout moment as a political star.
He is also finding it safe to be funny again.
Kahuna7
(2,531 posts)Jonny Appleseed
(960 posts)he's probably the only sitting democratic senator that I truly get impassioned by.
shenmue
(38,506 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)one of the Brightest as well as one with endless wit. And yes,he is the real deal. And Trump does Hate Al. BTW,you will never see or hear Trump try doing a number on Al,the last time he did,he lost his butt.
AJT
(5,240 posts)Why doesn't 45 endless do insulting tweets about Stephen Colbert? He hits 45 every night.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)his law suit brought by Trump. Was not Colbert and others writers for Maher.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)Lotusflower70
(3,077 posts)So proud of Senator Franken. He is my Senator and represented the state of Minnesota so well. Trump can't stand him because Senator Franken is intelligent and funny.
malaise
(269,187 posts)in areas that matter.
Gabi Hayes
(28,795 posts)note the date on this:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028222296
malaise
(269,187 posts)Nice bro - we were warned
Gabi Hayes
(28,795 posts)I posted this recently. nothing I could find vidwise, but read this.....it captures what's happening now. a bit heavy handedly, to be sure, but if you watch it, that aspect fades away, doing to the video presentation. It still carries an impact, over thirty five ffffing years later!!!!
malaise
(269,187 posts)Off to read
Gabi Hayes
(28,795 posts)web sources. others at du did the same
very little response to any of them
check it out at your leisure, bro......
he would have destroyed trump in the election that the russians handed to him
Gabi Hayes
(28,795 posts)several articles positing that franken would have had a much easier time against trump, especially when comparing the relative baggage both brought to the fight....all they had against AF was his supposed drug abuse way back when....no emails, no 25 years of lies dogging HRC....no nothing, basically
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/06/why-al-franken-makes-a-weird-amount-of-sense-as-a-2020-candidate/?utm_term=.60fd0ceb6361
malaise
(269,187 posts)knowledgeable and smart = he's also very funny and communicates with ease.
Gabi Hayes
(28,795 posts)he needs to update Lying Liars and the Lies They Tell, which went a long way to the sort of unmasking of OReilly
if you recall his joint appearance with him when that book came out (resulting in OR's trumplike lawsuit, which was laughed out of court), chronicled on cspan books, he's quite capable of reaming psychotic, habitual liars like OR/DT, making them look like the ludicrous imbeciles that they clearly demonstrate them to be to all but the low information feebs that support the fourth reich
this is why franken v/Trump, or more likely Pence, or, even possibly, with luck, Ryan:
&t=29s
malaise
(269,187 posts)Gabi Hayes
(28,795 posts)malaise
(269,187 posts)Denzil_DC
(7,266 posts)A few years ago, I absolutely inhaled Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them (which describes this encounter). It's a fantastically well-written and well-researched book (and yes, often very funny). Absolutely devastating. It also showed that he could coordinate a staff - he gave full credit to his Harvard students who helped with his research.