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Listen to Al Franken as interviewed by Dan Susskind of Another Perspective on VoiceAmerica.com! Get the free Real Player
Al Franken, one of our “savviest satirists” (People), has been studying the rhetoric of the Right. He has listened to their cries of “slander,” “bias,” and even “treason.” He has examined the Bush administration’s policies of squandering our surplus, ravaging the environment, and alienating the rest of the world. He’s even watched Fox News. A lot.
And, in this fair and balanced report, Al bravely and candidly exposes them all for what they are: liars. Lying, lying liars. Al destroys the liberal media bias myth by doing what his targets seem incapable of: getting his facts straight. Using the Right’s own words against them, he takes on the pundits, the politicians, and the issues, in the most talked about book of the year.
Timely, provocative, unfailingly honest, and always funny, Lies sticks it to the most right-wing administration in memory, and to the right-wing media hacks who do its bidding.
Two-time spoken word Grammy ® award winner AL FRANKEN is the author of four previous bestsellers. A long-time comedy writer who rose to prominence as one of the original Saturday Night Live writers in the 1970s, Franken won five Emmy® Awards for his work on SNL.
After Harvard, Franken and a former high school friend, Tom Davis, toured the country as a stand-up team. Fate stepped in when Lorne Michaels caught their act and hired them in 1975 for a new sketch-comedy show based on the Monty Python premise. That show, of course, was the legendary Saturday Night Live. As writers and performers, Franken and Davis were instrumental in putting the edgy new show on the map.
Franken has had an on-and-off relationship with the show, leaving for years at a time to work on outside projects. When he returned to SNL in the late 1980s, Franklin created one of his most memorable characters, Stuart Smalley, the quintessential 12-step therapy optimist whose motto was "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me." Franken spun the Smalley character into a book in 1992 and a feature film, Stuart Saves His Family, in 1995.
In between stints at SNL, Franken carved out a career in the movies. In 1976, Franken starred in Tunnel Vision, an irreverent story about a typical day of programming at TV's first uncensored network. The film wasn't a big hit, but it helped launch the careers of Franken and his costars -- burgeoning comics Chevy Chase, John Candy, and Ron Silver. Franken teamed up with fellow SNL actors once again to star in the box office hit Trading Places (1983) with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. He cowrote the screenplay for the inspiring and passionate When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), and he was a guest celebrity voice in Clerks: The Animated Series (2000).
Outside of SNL, however, Franken is best known for his hilarious and engaging books, where his sense of humor is well served by his political background. When Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot: And Other Observations was released in 1996, it quickly established Franken as the top liberal satirist of American politics. A biting attack on conservative politics, it was also critically hailed as being uncompromisingly fair. Despite seeming to single out Rush Limbaugh, the book also blasts Republican leadership on subjects ranging from family values to Vietnam draft deferment. The success of the book helped Franken launch his own sitcom, Lateline, which ran on NBC from 1998-99.
After the success of Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot, Franken fans were delighted when Why Not Me? The Inside Story of the Making and Unmaking of the Franken Presidency was released in 1999. Why Not Me? is Franken's rousing mock-epic race for the White House, detailing how he entered the 1999 presidential race (and won) on a platform condemning unfair ATM fees. In 2002, Oh! The Things I Know!: A Guide to Success, or Failing That, Happiness has Franken referring to himself as Dr. Al Franken, dispensing life-affirming lessons such as "Oh! Are You Going to Hate Your First Job" and "Oh! The Weight You Will Gain." He also served as contributing writer to Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live (2002) and wrote the foreword for the third volume of the popular Bushisms series, Still More George W. Bushisms: "Neither in French nor in English nor in Mexican."
None of Franken's books has generated as much controversy as his 2003 release, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. Franken's fans waited seven years for another work of piercing political commentary, and this one more than delivered. Over the course of 43 chapters, Franken takes his battle straight to the top, criticizing the Bush administration and the scores of conservative pundits who, in his opinion, have distorted facts to support their political causes. Franken was sued by the politically conservative Fox Network for using the Fox slogan "Fair and Balanced" in the title of the book. Fox eventually dropped the case, but not before Franken got the last laugh -- he thanked the Fox Network profusely for boosting his book sales via the controversy.
In 1988, CNN hired Franken to provide commentary at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta.
Franken served as a Fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government at the Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, in 2003.
| A Note from the Author | ||
| Introduction | ||
| 1 | Hummus | 1 |
| 2 | Ann Coulter: Nutcase | 5 |
| 3 | You Know Who I Don't Like? Ann Coulter | 17 |
| 4 | Liberals Who Hate America | 21 |
| 5 | Loving America the Al Franken Way | 24 |
| 6 | I Bitch-Slap Bernie Goldberg | 28 |
| 7 | The 2000 Presidential Election: How It Disproved the Hypothetical Liberal Media Paradigm Matrix | 37 |
| 8 | Conclusion: A Lesson Learned | 51 |
| 9 | Five Get-Rich-Quick Tips the Wall Street Fat Cats Don't Want You to Know | 52 |
| 10 | Chapter for American Book by Kharap Juta | 56 |
| 11 | I'm Funnier than Kharap Juta | 57 |
| 12 | The Chapter on Fox | 58 |
| 13 | Bill O'Reilly: Lying, Splotchy Bully | 65 |
| 14 | Hannity and Colmes | 83 |
| 15 | The Blame-America's-Ex-President-First Crowd | 104 |
| 16 | Operation Ignore | 115 |
| 17 | Our National Dialogue on Terrorism | 123 |
| 18 | Humor in Uniform | 124 |
| 19 | Who Created the Tone? | 132 |
| 20 | Did the Tone Change? | 142 |
| 21 | Why Did Anyone Think It Would Change? | 143 |
| 22 | I Grow Discouraged About the Tone | 152 |
| 23 | I'm Prudenized | 165 |
| 24 | Paul Gigot Is Unable to Defend an Incredibly Stupid Wall Street Journal Editorial | 170 |
| 25 | "This Was Not a Memorial to Paul Wellstone": A Case Study in Right-Wing Lies | 177 |
| 26 | I Attend the White House Correspondents Dinner and Annoy Karl Rove, Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, and the Entire Fox News Team | 206 |
| 27 | The Lying Years | 217 |
| 28 | Bush Can't Lose With Clinton's Military | 220 |
| 29 | Operation Chickenhawk: Episode One | 226 |
| 30 | Fun with Racism | 252 |
| 31 | I'm a Bad Liar | 261 |
| 32 | Thank God for Jerry Falwell | 277 |
| 33 | Abstinence Heroes | 283 |
| 34 | Abstinence Heroes II | 287 |
| 35 | "By Far the Vast Majority of My Tax Cuts Go to Those at the Bottom" | 288 |
| 36 | The Waitress and the Lawyer: A One-Act Play | 304 |
| 37 | The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus | 313 |
| 38 | I Challenge Rich Lowry to a Fight | 324 |
| 39 | Vast Lagoons of Pig Feces: The Bush Environmental Record | 328 |
| 40 | I Meet Former First Lady Barbara Bush and It Doesn't Go Well | 336 |
| 41 | My Personal Search for Weapons of Mass Destruction | 342 |
| 42 | The No Child Left Behind Standardized Test | 349 |
| 43 | What Is a Lie? | 352 |
| Sources and Notes | 355 | |
| Meet TeamFranken | 369 | |
| Acknowledgments | 373 | |
| Endnotes | 379 |
Barnes & Noble.com: This interview is taking place a little earlier than expected, due to Fox News's lawsuit against you and your book, Lies -- a lawsuit that not only failed to delay its publication, but dramatically increased its sales. How badly did Fox screw this one up?
Al Franken: Very badly. Fox News Channel chairman Roger Ailes had to know that this case was a loser from the beginning but gave in to placate an out-of-control commentator who was in an infantile rage. He clearly underestimated how foolish they'd look and the damage it would do to the network. Everything about the way they handled this thing only corroborates what I say about Fox in my book.
B&N.com: Left-wing pundit Joe Conason has suggested that Fox News should adopt a new motto, based on the judge's lawsuit in your favor: "Wholly Without Merit." What new motto would you recommend?
AF: The judge did say that it is unlikely that Fox's trademark "Fair & Balanced" is even valid. And he said their case was "wholly without merit both factually and legally." So Joe then suggested the "Wholly Without Merit" motto. I really can't beat that.
B&N.com: You had a now-legendary run-in with Bill O'Reilly earlier this year. Any chance O'Reilly will ask you onto his show to discuss your book?
AF: The event was the BookExpo in Los Angeles. Molly Ivins, Bill, and I were there to tell the booksellers about our books. I was promoting Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right, and Bill was promoting his latest, Living with Herpes. Which, by the way, is very good. No, no. Actually, his book has another, even better, title.
Anyway, Bill forgot that it wasn't his show and went after me, so when it was my turn, I got up and told a story from my book that showed he was an egregious liar. Well, Bill went nuts, yelling "Shut up!" It was on C-SPAN, and someone said it was the most exciting C-SPAN since the impeachment. Anyway, Bill's tantrum eventually led to the lawsuit and to my being No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
Chances that Bill will invite me on his show? I'd say small.
B&N.com: Ann Coulter's newest right-wing screed, Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism, is selling quite well at the moment. What's your take on her?
AF: While researching my book, I talked to a lot of conservatives. Almost to a person, when I brought up Ann Coulter, the next words out of their mouths were, "Off the record, there's something wrong with her." She is a thoroughly dishonest writer, but you should really read the two chapters about her in my book. Personally, I love my country. I will be doing my fourth USO Tour this Christmas when I go to Afghanistan and Iraq.
B&N.com: You assembled a large research team -- dubbed "TeamFranken" -- to help put your book together and to make sure you got your facts straight. Does Bill O'Reilly employ a similar team? If he did, what name would you give his team?
AF: I don't know if there is a "TeamO'Lie-lly." But if there were, I'm sure they'd all hate him.
B&N.com: O'Reilly's Fox News co-worker, Sean Hannity, also comes in for a fair amount of abuse in Liars. In your opinion, who's worse: Bill or Sean?
AF: Hard to say. They're different animals. Hannity is more the movement conservative who carries water for the cause. He lies a lot -- again, documented in my book -- but some of it might be stupidity. O'Reilly has an almost deluded self-image. He talks a lot about coming from poverty and likes to crow about his hardscrabble childhood in working-class Levittown, Long Island: "You don't come from any lower than I came from on an economic scale." In fact, he grew up comfortably middle-class in Westbury, Long Island, a completely different village than Levittown. O'Reilly, however, while clearly conservative, does not toe the party line as much as Hannity.
B&N.com: What's your favorite George W. Bush lie?
AF: I think "the trifecta." When his budget started going into deficit, Bush claimed to have said during the campaign that he would allow us to go into debt during a national emergency, a war, or a recession. "I guess I won the trifecta," he joked inappropriately and kept using the line at fundraisers. Both Tim Russert of NBC and the Washington Post found that he had never said any such thing [during the campaign]. One candidate did, however. Al Gore.
B&N.com: How complicit is the media in the right-wing lie machinery?
AF: The media has been cowed into letting the Bush administration and the right-wing media get away with this. They're so afraid of being called liberal, that they bend over backward. After 9/11, they completely lost their peckers. Read all about in my No. 1 bestseller, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.
B&N.com: Has Bush used the country's anger and sorrow over 9/11 as justification for attacking Iraq?
AF: I think there was a case for the war with Iraq that could have been made, but Bush chose to mislead the American people into believing there was an imminent threat to us and a tie to al-Qaeda. If we continue to get mired down there, Americans are going to be a lot less forgiving than if he had been honest with us.
B&N.com: Is it true you had a run-in with Karl Rove at this year's White House Correspondents Dinner?
AF: I didn't have a run-in with Rove. We jibed each other a little. That doesn't mean I don't hate everything he stands for.
B&N.com: Do any of the current Democratic candidates for president excite you? Who would you like to see run, ideally?
AF: They all excite me. Actually, I think Bush can be beaten, and a number of these guys could do it. I think all of the top-tier candidates would make good presidents. I'd love to see Bill Clinton be able to run again, however. He'd squash Dubya. Actually, I had a plan to get around the 22nd Amendment. I run for president, Clinton for vice president, and as soon as I'm sworn in, I resign -- Clinton's president. It works. Read the amendment.
Anonymous
Posted October 27, 2004
I compared what he says to what others (such as Hannity, Coulter, O'Reilly) say and his evidence turns out to be more true than theirs. Sure sometines he lists the wrong pages and his abstinance only stunt could have gone better, but these are minor gripes.
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Posted October 3, 2004
If you've ever read Franken's other books or watched his SNL stuff, this guy is funny, which might make it hard to take him seriously sometimes. TeamFranken is an amazing group of talent, and independent verification of their stats will show that they are dead on with the numbers. I don't necessarily agree that his book is a 'fair and balanced look at the right,' especially coming from Franken who is definitely far on the left, but it does show many of the nation's conservative talking heads to be what they really are - unintelligent. My only complaint is that the book often strays from its analytical mission into what may be seen as Franken's personal vendetta against such personalities as O'Reilly, Coulter, and Hannity. Entertaining and informative none-the-less.
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Posted September 15, 2004
While on a flight to Florida, I began reading Al's book. I know that I disturbed the other passengers, because I could not contain my laughter! I had to stop reading just to catch my breath, and to wipe the away the tears of laughter. When we arrived at our destination, I passed the book on to my Republican husband. I found him at the pool, laughing as loudly as I did on that plane. Needless to say, he no longer watches Fox News, something that will cause Bill O'Reilly to erupt with even more splotches!! My 15 year old son has also read it, and now understands how the right wing distorts the facts and calls it news. Bravo to Al for 'outing' the liars, especially Airhead Coulter.
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Posted June 30, 2004
Eye opener for those who yearn to see. Humor for those who long to laugh and truth for those who seek.
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Posted July 21, 2004
Just as dumb as RUSH LIMBAUGH IS A BIG FAT IDOIT, he's back. He makes dumb comments like '...and this is from a Christian Science magazine. Not only are they Christians, there also scientists.' If he had done any research on the subject he would know that not every adherant to the religion of Christian Science (which is not Christianty anyway) IS NOT A SCIENTIST. He makes stupid comments like this throughout the entire book. Al Franken needs to go back to acting. What he was good at. BOO!!!!!!!
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Posted August 22, 2004
Informed and opinionated as he is humorous, Franken takes the conservate 'no spin' zealots to task. The highlight of this book for me was his beatiful tribute to the late great Senator Paul Wellstone, and how the conservative media totally distorted and trashed Wellstone's moving memorial service in Oct. 2003.
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Posted August 21, 2004
A special thanks to Bill O'Reilly and Fox News. Had they not sued Al Franken, I would never have known about this book. TeamFranken did such a fantastic job of confirming what my gut was always telling me about the right wing poster children. It is very well written, incredibly funny and does a great job of confronting individuals with their own lies. KUDOS!
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Posted July 30, 2004
I find it interesting how the neaive reviews of this book tended to be concentrated in the first few days after publishing. Perhaps some 'reviewers' didn't bother reading it first? This is satire. It won't go down in history as an equal to 'Gulliver's Travels', it drags in places, but it is still pretty darn funny. Can't the right take a joke? Although based on the filing (and ruling) of the Fox News lawsuit I guess they can't.
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Posted April 11, 2004
A must-read if you are to cast an intelligent, informed vote in November. Al Franken alternates between hilarity and appalling revelations. His research is impeccable, and his sources are named--unlike many stories we are being fed by a right-wing press. He lays bare the facts leading to 9/11, facts which are just now coming to light in the 9/11 Commission Hearings. The chapter 'Operation Ignore' is a jaw-dropping chronology to that tragedy. He has no qualms about uncovering half-truths and misstatements, whether unintentional or intentional. It would be irreverant if it didn't go directly to the heart of America's illness to effect change for the better. Al is a true patriot and cares deeply what is happening to us, as I and the vast majority of Americans do. At least, please read this great book, then make up your own mind as to how we got to where we are now and where we must go from here.
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Posted April 14, 2004
A++++++ Funny , Smart , Truthful,
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Posted March 1, 2004
I was never really into political books but this one seemed to be so interesting that I gave it a spin. Excellent points backed up with cold hard data to debunk that there is a liberal bias in the media. A real eye opener and a must read in an election year!!
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Posted February 5, 2004
Like any other work, this piece is nothing to worship. Some of the jokes are too liberally tinged, while some facts are faulty or misleading. Notwithstanding, this excellent and Hilarious work will charm its way into your heart. But it's important to be skeptical of Franken's claims and not join the bandwagon of leftist culture, for it's the very principle he's trumpeting. He encourages us to think critically and project the outcome onto our own moral template, and discourages (blank)-mongering of any kind, be it from the right or left. Best of all, this is a political piece that balances troubling facts with brilliant comedy; and Franken's delivery chimes in right as you're getting heated up, reminding you to be what these liars are not: smart, relaxed, and open-minded.
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Posted February 12, 2004
After reading this book I have one question? Why isn't Franken's picture on the cover? Possibly the most misguided dribble I've ever read. Funny he doesn't mention the 'Harvard stationary' incident. This 'gem' should sit along side Ann Colter's ideologically driven Edsel in the 'sorry I didn't get all the facts straight' section! If I could rate this a '0', I would. By the way, I recommend this book so that you can identify the 'left' wing kooks as well as the 'right' wing kooks!
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Posted March 29, 2004
Al Franken's wit and humor are amazing in this book. His wit pales in comparison only to the well researched topics he expounds upon. Highly recommend this for anyone looking for a humorous way to find out what this administration is up to.
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Posted March 31, 2004
Although I am admittedly conservative, I do respect the views of thinking liberals like Bill Bradley, Alan Colmes, Chris Matthews, and others. However, I find Franken's work to be creative yet 'ultra-smearing' and downright hateful. Though some might believe his 'documentation' of fact is convincing, I find little accuracy among his 'documentation.' I am 'turned off' that such a dynamic and intelligent person has chosen a path of destructiveness that may sell books, but clearly is not winning converts in the real arena of ideas. I was disappointed with the book and would describe it as 'candy for the liberally biased.'
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Posted January 26, 2004
This is a good book. The conservative critic would be careful and not try to dispute the facts [see, e.g. spinsanity's remark that it is basically well researched and accurate, just too snarky and a bit sly in its 'satire'], since he has a crack research team to check them out. Anyway. It's funny. It's well written. It knocks down his opponents cleverly and in neat fashion. Sometimes it is even touching. What more do you want? One, cut the two in bad taste short stories ... not funny. Two, spend a bit less time on easy targets like Ann Coulter. And, three, maybe a few more notes. Still, superior stuff. The guy is not just a humor writer ... he's smart and it shows.
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Posted January 15, 2004
This book literally had me laughing out loud! Franken's writing style mixed comedy with fact, and certainly made it enjoyable for the reader. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to see some of the right wing lies exposed truthfully, but with high entertainment value. As a response to one of the other reviews...most 'Dubya' haters aren't communists. We just don't like being lied to (very anti-American) and also don't enjoy being hated in the International community (even more anti-American).
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Posted January 26, 2004
Al Franken is a comedic genius. 'Lies' is obviously not written as a 'fair and balanced look at the right.' It is extremely left-winged, liberal, and I love it. If anything, the chapter on Jerry Falwell, 'Thank God For Jerry Falwell', had me rolling on the floor laughing. Franken sheds light on a number of political topics and commentators that most people do not know about, which I personally thank him for. A stellar read, highly entertaining and informative for any moderate or liberal American. I recommend those who do not hold these political views to check out something else, perhaps 'Slander' by Ann Coulter, even though her humor pales in comparison to Franken.
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Posted January 14, 2004
Not just because laughing is a healthy outlet, but because Franken shames those of whom are most deserving--our government leaders, their advisors and media henchmen, and the lazy pundits who choose to forego the commitment to truth necessary to not only honor their respective professions, but to serve the American people well.
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Posted January 12, 2004
Al Franken does an excellent job of presenting his information fairly. This is not a book to 'bash' republicans on false pretenses, this book tells true stories of the American governement and lets the reader decide what stance to take on the issues. The book opens the eyes of the readers and suggests that our President is not a bad man because he is a republican, but rather, he is a bad man because he is dishonest and misleading. Also, it has to be the funniest political book I have ever read. Al Franken's humor makes the book extremely entertaining.
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Overview
Listen to Al Franken as interviewed by Dan Susskind of Another Perspective on VoiceAmerica.com! Get the free Real Player
Al Franken, one of our “savviest satirists” (People), has been studying the rhetoric of the Right. He has listened to their cries of “slander,” “bias,” and even “treason.” He has examined the Bush administration’s policies of squandering our surplus, ravaging the environment, and alienating the rest of the world. He’s even watched Fox News. A lot.
And, in this fair and balanced report, Al bravely and candidly exposes them all for what they are: liars. Lying, lying liars. Al destroys the liberal media ...