Al Franken gets set up at CPAC

[sunnystarr]

It was titled "Franken Explodes in SwiftVet Fueled Rage on Michael Medved Show" and of course totally puts Franken in a bad light. You can see from this video http://www.thenationaldebate.com/video/FrankenRage01.wmv where Franken is not too happy with being seated next to John O'Neill. He was never told he would be pitted against him or that O'Neill would be on the show.

There's more but a "yuck" warning about the site:
http://www.thenationaldebate.com/blog/archives/2005/02/franken_explode_1.html

I don't know why Dems like Franken let themselves be set up. On the other hand maybe each and every Dem should be prepared to spar with the likes of a John O'Neill at the drop of a hat. However, O'Neill lives and eats his poison and is a one issue slime bucket where Franken deals with dozens of ever changing issues daily. Everyone needs the opportunity to be prepared.

Nonetheless, when Franken agreed to appear he set himself up to be ridiculed for both his obvious anger at O'Neil and a chair incident that's being twisted by the "right."

[NYCGirl]

1. Again, why do we worry what the ultra-right wingers think about us?

They don't give a damn what we think of them, or they'd never give scum like O'Neill a platform.

[The Sheik]

2. I think Franken handled the situation well and I would've loved to be in

is position.

[itzamirakul]

3. I hadn't heard anything about it and probably a lot more

Progressives have not heard about whatever it is you are bringing up....so what the hell do we care?

I could give a damn less whatever the Rightwing is talking about...Everything out of their mouths are lies and figments of imagination.

They would laugh at Jesus's pain on the Cross, despite their hypocritical "Holiness."

[K8-EEE]

4. Good For Al -- I Share His Anger And I Don't Give A SHIT

how it looks to these Bush supporting assholes.

[hlthe2b]

5. ditto. Did the original poster really want him to be a pushover?

While I don't know why he extends himself so much to these RW asses, in doing so, he does show them for what they really are.

[thecorster]

6. that was a rampage?

He looked like a guy who was passionate and upset, but I didn't see any rage like the story suggests. Also, if there was a camera trained on him that whole time, why didnt it capture this mysterious chair throwing? pretty lame attempt to make al look bad.

[Spiffarino]

8. There was a chair thrown?

I hope it hit O'Neill and wasted him. POS lying bastard.

[FreedomAngel82]

15. Why doesn't anybody

ever play the Nixon audio tapes of him talking about Kerry and making up O'Neil? Wouldn't that put a lot of this to rest?

[K8-EEE]

20. They Would Write It This Way No Matter WHAT....GO AL!

Don't you get it? Their version of "the truth" has nothing to do with what actually transpires, so what is the use caring about it.

[Spiffarino]

7. I think that it was not only appropriate

...it was freakin' awesome. He asked Medved re Kerry, "Yes he was a war hero. What was your war record?"

Outstanding, and good for Al. I don't always like his confrontations with righties because he can be kind of petulant. But in this case he showed he has the kind of guts that will help us take back the debate.

:D:thumbsup:

[RetroLounge]

9. I see nothing wrong with what Al did on that video

I think every time O'Neill appears anywhere he needs to get hit in the face with a cream pie.

He's lucky he doesn't get his ass kicked repeatedly every fucking day.

RL

[Spiffarino]

23. Hear hear. n/t

[JohnnyRingo]

10. I watched the vid twice.... I fail to see anything embarrassing

about Al's reaction.

Arm waving and loud anger was invented by RW radio hosts.

Kind of weird though, that it was obviously video taped in hopes of catching Al's fervor of O'Neil..... I guess they had to settle for what they got on tape and run with it.

[cestpaspossible]

11. You've got to be kidding. Go Al!

[Coltrane]

12. Boring clip

It was a boring clip and didn't show much. This is what conservatives think is outrageous behavior

[Protagoras]

25. They don't think it's outrageous

They want to define it as outrageous. There's a big difference, because it's yet another deliberate attempt to create an atmosphere of doublespeak by the fascist right.

Al did get a bit passionate but then again the guy next to him kept touching him which is also kinda bizarre and creepy :D I think I would have said "STOP TOUCHING ME" after the first time...the fact that Al just gave him a look and kept talking speaks volumes to the self control he was showing.

The headline was just silly, and trying to make this event news would be silly except what they realize and capitolize on is the fact that their reader ONLY read the headline. It doesn't have to have any bearing on the truth, in fact it's helpful to them if the truth is the opposite...that's how we get "Clear Skies" iniatives and "No Child Left Behind" and how they are going to "SAVE" social security.

Orwell pegged it, but the problem is that instead of seeing it as a warning, the Neocons are using it as a playbook.

[Touchdown]

13. The commenters on this site must have seen a different vid.

I saw no chair throwing, no "rage". No "seething anger" in Franken.

What I DID see was a camera trained ONLY on Franken, as if to catch him in a compromising situation. The mere exiostence of the video, and what it DOESN'T show is obvius that Medved did set him up. How very "Christian" of him.:eyes: Franken once again told the truth.

[Vinnie From Indy]

14. I agree about not giving a SHIT what the right wing lie factories put out.

Frickin' Nazi bastards!

[Protagoras]

26. I very much give a shit...two shits in fact

not because there is Truth in it that challenges me, but because their lies are infectious. If we let them lie unchallenged, then the sheeple will pick up the headlines and devour them as truth.

I'm for weighed, intelligent, and resoned response...which is far different from expressed apathy. And I suspect that while it's easy to say we don't give a shit, we actually do care very much...because we're seeing a crime, and we have a desire to have that addressed.

[Toucano]

16. Franken Rage?

If that's rage, they don't wanna get anywhere near me.

Interesting that there are cuts in the video and also interesting that they focused exclusively on Franken the whole time. Talk about an ambush!

But it got them nothing. Dumb asses.

[Downtown Hound]

21. That's exactly what I was thinking

If that's what they think is rage, man they are even bigger pussies than I thought. They don't know what rage is. If they want to find out put me on the Medved show. Then they'll find out.

[Ashamed_American]

17. Looks to me

like Al was holding his own. Go Franken!


www.BlackEyedSundays.com

[FreedomAngel82]

18. I think Franken did very well

And I loved how he called Kerry a war hero because he is one. O'Neil is just an ass. Sometime if Franken goes to any of those things he should get the audio of Nixon talking about Kerry and making up O'Neil. I think that would put a lot of this to rest. Franken sure is brave going there. I know if that was me I'd be so pissed off. You can tell he was too but he knows how to handle them. Good for him. :toast:

[union_maid]

19. The right twists everything, especially the truth, so big deal

Rage is the only proper repsonse to the Swiftvets. If Al threw a chair, I think he showed great restraint. Those people contributed to smearing the better man and giving us four more years of Bush. There's no way I can even express my rage at them, so if Franken did it for me, thanks, Al.

[pacalo]

22. I don't get it...how is this supposed to make Franken look bad?

Reading your post, which speaks of ridicule toward Franken & plays up John O'Neill like he was a force to be reckoned with, I expected something different.

I couldn't make out what Franken was saying due to the poor sound quality, but I can assure you, sunnystarr, that he was likely to be repulsed & disgusted at having to sit next to such a disgusting "human being" as John O'Neill. Integrity & character are two virtues prized by Democrats.

So what's the point in posting a video we couldn't even hear? Your comments were more scathing than the video itself.

[CatWoman]

24. if that's what you consider to be a "set up"

I'd hate to see your example of a pow wow.

[zulchzulu]

27. Al said what he needed to say...and where was O'Neill anyway?

I'd love to see Al bite O'Neill's lying head off...and he certainly deserves to be angry at Medved for trying to set him up.

O'Neill needs to be taken down once and for all and Al could certainly hold his own giving the lying bastard a good spanking. Hopefully, O'Neill can be taken to the shed and given a nice big can of whoopass.

[buddysmellgood]

28. Yes, that was extreme. Franken is finished. That clip of him is damning.

The way he touches his brow and speaks with emphasis is just too much. It's just shocking that he would dare call anyone for the liar and desperate fool that they are. Great audio too! He'd better be careful from here on out. Next they might catch him blowing his nose or something.