Inhofe On Franken: "We Are Going To Get The Clown"

UPDATE: A week after calling him a "clown," Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) embraced new Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) on the Senate floor.

Inhofe said he and Franken "physically embraced'' in front of a number of people not long before the Minnesota Democrat took the oath of office on the Senate floor.

"He introduced me to his wife, who couldn't have been nicer,'' Inhofe said.

Of his previous comment about Franken, Inhofe said neither one brought it up. "But believe me, he knew. He kind of looked like a clown when I was talking to him."

* * * * *

In an interview with Tulsa World, Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe said confidently that a climate change bill wouldn't pass the Senate.

Democrats wouldn't be able to hustle up 60 votes to stop a filibuster, the Republican said. "I'll tell you what a lot of people are thinking, and that is it looks like things are going to be over and we are going to get the clown from Minnesota ... They are not going to get more than 35 votes."

Asked if he was referring to Al Franken, Inhofe confirmed that he was. "I didn't mean to be disrespectful. I don't know the guy, but ... for a living he is a clown. That's what he does for a living."

Inhofe has previously compared people who believe in global warming to Hitler's Third Reich and called "An Inconvenient Truth" a "science fiction" movie.

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Comments

[Bitsko]

Hope Al got himself sprayed with lye afterward.

[Liberalforsure]

Franken has a degree as a mathmatician from HARVARD. I wouldn't quite call him a clown like gwb or palin are.

[Hank10303]

True but do the republican ever get bogged down with facts.

[LoriAnn]

exactly... extremely well read , well traveled, progressive with humanity and a little humor here and there....h­e just has the brains to know when to use it !

[Passenger57]

That's the Republican M.O...
Too much education and you're one of the "elites"..­.they don't like "em too edumacated 'cuz then they can see right THRU ya!
How Bush managed to become The Exception To The Rule is beyond me.

[We-Are-The-Ones]

Franken is a classy grown up. Inhofe . . . not so much.

[BlueFloyd]

Wasnt Inhofe filmed on the floor of his hotel room, drr. u.nk and babbling, drooling cheeseburger??

oh wait, that was HASSELhofe.

[oncethere]

Ah yes, the man who puts complete faith in an unseen deity, but doesn't believe the science of global warming.

[BlueFloyd]

Inhofe also is a clown. that is what he does for a living.

[ZenBastard]

Typical two-faced Republican coward's reaction. Call someone names when they're not there to defend themselves, but when that person is in the same proximity they're all smiles & handshakes.

[quiviran]

The purpose of a handshake it to make sure the other guy doesn't have a knife. I'd be very worried at letting Inhofe get his free hand behind me where I couldn't see it.

[Angrygrrl]

Plus, what was the crack about "opposites attract" when he met Mrs. Franken?..­...Inhofe is no Cary Grant...ho­w dare he judge by looks
...and he's on the Native People's committee?
I'd be embarrassed if I were from OK.

[Grunty1]

Maybe Inhofe has a clown fetish?

[AirForce Vet]

The fond embrace of the two, I can only imagine. Are you sure In-Hoof-And-Mouth didn’t have a hidden dagger? Be careful Al, you know the old saying. Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies even closer. I wouldn’t trust In-Hoof-And-Mouth for one second. Good luck Senator Al Franken.

[offred]

Inhofe hugged Franken, huh?! Then his calling Franken a clown must have just been phony posturing for his Republican constituency.

[Jamie Kowalski]

Not only that, but the hug was a phony gesture as well. I would love to see Inhofe call Franken a clown to his face.

[helonias]

Frankin attended Harvard College and graduated cum laude in 1973 with a bachelor of arts degree in political science. Franken has written five New York Times best-selling books, three of which reached #1

Inhofe received a B.A. degree from the University of Tulsa in 1973, at the age of 38.
In his business career, Inhofe was a real estate developer and became president of the Quaker Life Insurance Company. That company went into receivership while he managed it; it was liquidated in 1986.[6]

[quiviran]

Send in the clowns. They'll probably do a better job.

[ThermoChemist]

Actors going into politics:

[REP/Lib] Clint Eastwood - Mayor, Carmel California (movies)
[Reform] Jesse Ventura - Governor of Minnesota (wrestling movies)
[REP] Ronald Reagan - California Governor, U.S. President (various movies)
[REP] Arnold Schwarzenegger - Governor of California (various movies)
[REP] Fred Thompson - U.S. Senator (TV)
[REP] Fred Grandy - U.S. Congress (Gopher; Love Boat))
[DEM] Jerry Springer - Mayor, Cincinnati (TV)
[DEM] Ben Jones - U.S. Congress (Dukes of Hazzard))
[REP] Sonny Bono - U.S. Congress (Sonny and Cher)

"Adult film stars" going into politics:
In 2003, Marey Carey running for Governor of California as an Independent.
In 2004, Marilyn Chambers ran for Vice President on the Personal Choice Party ticket.
In 2006, Mimi Miyagi filed as a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state of Nevada.

Cheerleaders going into politics:
[REP] George W. Bush

Beauty pageant contestants going into politics:
[REP] Sarah Palin

So, what does Inhofe have against CLOWNS...!

: )

[Grunty1]

Wasn't Springer the other way around? I thought he was the Mayor first, and the train wreck carnival barker second.

[LaFlow]

Yes... I guess he considered the Jerry Springer Show to be a promotion from Mayor of Cincinnati. I guess I can see that.

[BambooHarvester]

INBRED !
~

[ALittleClarity]

Send in the Clowns!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CAX3aJCoDg

[wendy82551]

Inhofe needs to remember that in medieval times, the court jester was the only person allowed to tell the king the truth. It's a noble profession, and Al Franken has always been a noble clown--the kind whose humor sweetens the telling of hard truths. He'll make a great senator.

Inhofe, on the other hand, is a circus clown.

[Ipanemagirl]

Yes he is a clown by his own stupidity, not by gift or talent.

[Passenger57]

Well put, wendy82551!
But I don't think Inhofe is a circus clown.
He's a circus peanut.