Franken may be the perfect senator for the Trump era a deadly serious funnyman.

[Cattledog]

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=.2f5d39df6c8a

It 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 Franken’s 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 Minnesota’s 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 Minnesota’s 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]

1. I agree. Al is my man. Franken/Newsom or Newsom/Franken 2020! nt

[Jonny Appleseed]

2. Is there a reason why I haven't seen "Franken 2020" floating around anywhere

he's probably the only sitting democratic senator that I truly get impassioned by.

[shenmue]

5. I like him too

[Wellstone ruled]

3. With out a doubt

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]

7. Speaking of not messing with someone

Why doesn't 45 endless do insulting tweets about Stephen Colbert? He hits 45 every night.

[Wellstone ruled]

9. Does't this all go back to Maher and

his law suit brought by Trump. Was not Colbert and others writers for Maher.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. My Senator!

He's first-rate. Wicked smart. I met him in 2002 right after Paul Wellstone was killed - he came to a campaign office where a bunch of us were phone banking for Mondale, who was substituted at the last minute but unfortunately lost to that snake Norm Coleman - the guy Franken defeated six years later. He was very friendly and encouraging and I'm so glad he represents us in the Senate now. I'm looking forward to what he has to say in the upcoming hearings.

[Lotusflower70]

6. Ah yeah!

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]

8. Franken is way above average

in areas that matter.

[Gabi Hayes]

12. hey! didn't see your post.....how insane have things become?

note the date on this:



http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028222296

[malaise]

13. Unbelievable

Nice bro - we were warned

[Gabi Hayes]

16. we were warned back at the beginning of reagan, on SNL:

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/81/81bbizarro.phtml

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]

18. Thanks

Off to read

[Gabi Hayes]

10. I started at least one thread on this last year, citing other

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]

11. this isn't the one I was looking for, but last year there were

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]

14. I don't know his philosophy but he is super intelligent

knowledgeable and smart = he's also very funny and communicates with ease.

[Gabi Hayes]

15. he's become a bit MOR with age, but he was SAVAGE back in the day....

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]

17. O'Lielly is a first rate lyin' LIAR

[Gabi Hayes]

19. if you have 18 minutes to spare....if not, get the book!!! it's the best

[malaise]

21. Thanks

[Denzil_DC]

20. Here's Franken vs. Ann Coulter in 2007:

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.