Al Franken

Al Franken is a radical liberal comedian and former radio host for the Air America network. Franken is best remembered as a writer and performer on the television program Saturday Night Live and the star and screenwriter of the motion picture Stuart Saves His Family. He announced that he would run for a Senate seat in Minnesota in 2008 as a Democrat. Franken's rudeness, vulgarity, and his tendency to make outrageously offensive comments have led to questions about whether or not he will alienate himself from the important undecided swing voters.

Franken calls conservatives "nasty, hateful people" but once told told the Harvard Crimson (April 16, 1976): "I dislike homosexuals. I was glad when that [Harvard] homosexual got killed." [1][2][3]

His radio show was originally going to be called "The Liberal Show." Upon debut, it was known as "The O'Franken Factor," a name Franken chose to parody Bill O'Reilly and taunt him into a lawsuit, getting his show free publicity. When the lawsuit failed to materialize, the show was renamed "The Al Franken Show."

Books by Franken

• Oh The Things that I know! A Guide to Success, or Failing That, Happiness,
• Why Not Me, (a "journal" kept through the fictional "Franken for President" campaign)
• I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough and Doggone it, People like me. (In Character as Stuart Smiley)
• Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot (a satirical look at ad hominem attacks in political debate)
• Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right (examining what he believes are inaccurate and misleading statments made by right wing pundits, particularly Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity)
• The Truth (with jokes) (a look at how George W Bush beat John Kerry in the 2004 Election with what Al Franken calls the "Fears, Smears, and Queers strategy").

Links

• Al Franken at the Internet Movie Database
• Al Franken at National Public Radio