Minnesota Republicans Attack Franken For Dirty Jokes
Besides the usual Republican attacks on Al Franken's policy positions and overall goofy comedic personality, the contents of his old comedy routines have now been declared fair game by the Minnesota GOP. The state party has now put out a scathing attack on Franken, specifically citing graphic sexual humor in a piece he once wrote.
The state party's press release specifically cites a piece Franken wrote for Playboy in 2000, entitled "Porn-O-Rama," about a visit to a fictional sex institute.
The press release resents the idea that the subject matter at hand can be declared funny: "We believe there is a pattern in your writings and words that seem to suggest you believe you can continue to represent women as playthings and objects and then scurry behind the defense that it is simply 'comedy' or 'satire.'"
Anybody remember Scooter Libby, and the book he wrote?
Sex between minor human female and bear?
And then there is the incredibly long list of Republicans who have gotten caught having all kinds of sex they call "deviant," and not a few got caught in public places.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Right Wing Republican!
May 23, 2008 9:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Republicans are right. There is absolutely nothing funny about having your mistress with whom you have a child pick you up from jail after your DWI arrest. Al Franken ought to be ashamed.
What? That wasn't Al Franken?
May 23, 2008 9:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
O shit - I left out Lesbian soft porn author Lynn Cheney.
May 23, 2008 9:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
What next? Will they start spreading the rumor that Franken is diddling a nice Christian girl? Oh, wait Franni is a nice Christian girl! Maybe they can start spreading the rumor that he's a LIEBRUL! Dood!
May 23, 2008 9:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Two words: Wide Stance.
May 23, 2008 9:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
While I agree it's hypocritical, I think this shot at taking out Coleman is spiraling down the drain. The main hope is that there is a Democratic tsunami that will carry Franken to a win. His campaign just seems to be always on the defensive.
May 23, 2008 9:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, this is totally off topic, but an awesome read. Check it out and it is soooo true.
http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html
May 23, 2008 9:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting, but I disagree that being a woman helped Clinton. I think being a Clinton helped Clinton.
You know what really gets my goat, though, and please do not take this to mean I approve of misogyny in any way, shape or form, but her complaints of sexism are presented in such a totally disconnected way from reality. What I mean is, she seems to think Obama has had smoooooth sailing and that racism has, at worst, been a minor annoyance for him, while sexism has been a complete stone wall that her campaign has run smack into and died from the injuries. She had all the advantages, every single one. From an early lead in supers, to financial, to being married to the most popular Dem president in modern memory, etc. And Obama managed to overcome all that, but the problem is sexism. Not her shitty campaign. It really bugs me.
May 23, 2008 10:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm way less than thrilled with Al Franken and his campaign - don't get me wrong.
But this is a stupid goddamn attack - an 8 year old article for Playboy?
So the hypocrisy is more than fair game here - but it's not because I think Al is such a great candidate.
May 23, 2008 9:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'll be waiting for their press release urging Gov. Arnold to step down for once playing the role of an evil human killing robot in Terminator. Surely, he wasn't just acting and really is homicidal. Or a robot.
May 23, 2008 10:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Remember how they knocked Webb out of the race by caterwauling about how he'd written smutty passages in novels? What happened to Webb anyway, I know they really nailed him with that? ;)
May 23, 2008 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's a great irony, since the GOP itself is a the biggest dirty joke out there.
May 23, 2008 10:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
I love the avatar!
Is it a picture of you standing on McCain's lawn? ;)
May 23, 2008 11:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
How dare a humorist write humor. He must be punished!
May 23, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Franken would be well-advised o point out that GOP Senators fly to Minnesota to have gay sex in public bathrooms. He's just trying to fit the politics of his home state.
May 23, 2008 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Franni WAS a nice Christian gals . . . She has been a tribe member for decades now AND EVEN SHOCKING . . . Both of their kids are Jewish.
May 23, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wait until Franken gets the nomination and then see how this plays out. Everything they've hit him with can be paid back in spades. The Minnesota Republican Party had the nerve to attack Franken for paying taxes to the wrong states. But, that only turned the spotlight back on them for the FEC complaint filed against them for concealing their massive debt prior to the 2006 campaign, in violation of campaign disclosure laws. When Franken, who grew up in Minnesota, first announced his run for the Senate, the horse's ass in charge of the MN Republican Party put on a little show with a gift basket for Al, containing a map of Minnesota. Norm Coleman, who grew up in New York and never had any ties to Minnesota is the one who needs the map. He was off by a long shot when he tried to guess which Minnesota city the Mall of America is in and didn't guess right on which one of the Great Lakes touches Minnesota, either.
I'm pretty sure that, unlike the heroes of the Republican Party, Al won't be telling anybody to go fuck themselves on the floor of the Senate. Or anywhere else for that matter. He's not the angry, foul-mouthed jerk that other GOP senators tell us McCain is. And, Norm Coleman? He's just a slimy little reptile whose only purpose in running for office, ever, was as a career move, not to serve constituents.
May 23, 2008 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Coleman looks pretty desperate to me. Right about now, he'll probably get caught with his pants down (literally).
May 23, 2008 11:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
"...women as playthings and objects..."
That sounds like the whoremongers of the GOP to me.
"...then scurry behind the defense that it is simply 'comedy' or 'satire.'"
Oh, you mean like Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter do EVERY TIME THEY'RE TAKEN TO TASK FOR IT!
Tell us, Minnesota Republicans, how do you feel about it when someone "jokes" about killing a Supreme Court Justice or blowing up a building in New York or torturing and massacring innocent people in the Middle East? Pretty funny stuff? That's your brand of comedy, judging by the kind of assholes you love so much.
May 23, 2008 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, considering the rumors around town that several hospital workers have reported Mrs. Coleman coming into their E.R.'s (different ones each time) with a beaten face, I don't think Franken has too much to worry about.
Coleman's a wife-beater. You read it here first...
May 23, 2008 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Furthermore, Al hasn't even started campaigning in force yet. It's not even June yet..... I'll be worried if these numbers are the same, or worse, in 3 months. Until then, not so much.
May 23, 2008 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I find it very laughable when I have personally heard Mr. Bush use religious names in order to swear. I guess this guy complaining about Franken's language is equally disgruntled about PRESIDENT Bush'a language also. Remember when Bush turned the air blue once, on mike when he thought it was off. Oh, I guess the answer is no. Republicans seem totally unable to face up to the horrors of this President. Poor things. But it is probably the only way to maintain any hope so they can protect themselves, Bush is so really, really BAD. Then again for them to be embarrassed by the double standard presupposes that that bunch is fair.
May 25, 2008 3:54 AM | Reply | Permalink