NRSC Distorts Franken Video To Make New Senator Look Angry (VIDEO) [UPDATED]

[UPDATED, below.]

The GOP is running this ad online, lamenting the fact that the Democrats now have the sixtieth Senate vote in the form of Al Franken. "It's finally here, with 60 Senators, the Democrats have total control." And thus, the logic goes, you can blame them for everything, because there will be "NO DEBATE", not even where negotiating with terrorists! I mean, should anybody want to start doing that! No senator, Democratic or otherwise, has made that suggestion, but now HOW WILL BRAVE MITCH MCCONNELL FILIBUSTER IT? Why, he can't! He can only stand by, helplessly, as the Democratic Senate majority passes the Let's Set Kentucky On Fire Act of 2009.

[WATCH]

Anyway, it just goes to show, no one is more naively optimistic about Democratic Party discipline than Republicans. But here's an astute catch from Dave Weigel at the Washington Independent: you see that gesture that Al Franken is making, over and over again, that makes him look angry? Turns out, it's all just part of a bit he does while telling a story about the late former Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone.

[WATCH]

Weigel notes that "Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) repeatedly used the video in ads to make Franken look like a madman." And Coleman lost! And now the National Republican Senatorial Committee is basically doing the same thing. It's all a part of the same awesome strategy that's helped the GOP achieve nearly 40 votes in the U.S. Senate.

I'll point out again, for the 100th time, that the NRSC could have made the point they are trying to make without including this distortion that was readily caught out by people on the internet.

UPDATE: Greg Sargent has a statement from the NRSC about this ad, in which spokesperson Brian Walsh makes the "tongue-in-cheek" suggestion that they use a photo of Franken wearing diapers, instead. It's a bizarre suggestion, given that the photo in question is just ONE MORE EXAMPLE of a well-reported fake. It's weird. It's like Brian Walsh is saying, "My heart wants to make a legitimate critique of the Democratic Party's Senate majority, but body says no, let's act like we're disingenuous fakes who have no idea what the internet is."

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Comments

[dspencer3491]

I do recall the year 2008 was when the debate took place.

[darker]

REPUBLICANS = LIARS and THIEVES.

That's ALL that America can expect from these creeps any more.
They are vomitous.

[PuddyKatz]

They are severely censuring the comments on that video. They are all submitted "pending approval" and only 12 or so are up right now. I am guessing a lot more have been submitted and are not getting through. Someone needs to post a counter-video where comments can be made at Yahoo. As a moderate Republican I have grown disgusted with much of my party. It prefers propaganda to policy at this point.

[flash LI]

Hopefully this will get through... I've tried to post three times and it never appeared. The United Soviet States of America have started early! lol

[bcantrll]

The GOP is either going to blame or steal credit for whateverhappens in this country until a Brand New GOP arises, until then, let's do what we know the country needs and wants, and see how that goes.

[RickCoMatic]

They should have included the audio.
The left-off the audio because the GOP didn't want that message delivered.

One Republican stuck 94-Million on the Stimulus Package. One guy. The GOP told President Obama NO about the spending. Then, they added 9,000 Earmarks. Nine Thousand. Billions in Pork. The Senate agreed to a No Earmarks on the Stimulus Package then added billions. The GOP is wasting money on Covers for Country Club Swimming Pools and Irrigation Systems for their home town courses. You should be angry. You should be beside yourselves calling the Republican Headquarters. Are you kidding me?

[Wiseronenow]

The Rethug's can't even produce good political ads. Is that first ad supposed to scare us? Actually, it gave me a warm-fuzzy feeling. 60 votes, oh, yeah.

[lazercat2008]

Coleman used this in Minnesota it failed Big. Probably lost him 312 votes.

[Imzadi]

Yes, it did. These ads ran everyfreaking 15 minutes....


Consider me anti-cOLEMAN.

[lockewasright]

Desperate losers. That's what the GOP is. Their ideas have been tried. Everyone has seen what a catastrophe it's been. They've got nothing left but lies and distortion.

[iplaw]

If you can call primitive scare tactics "ideas"

[juanjo]

Herr Goebbels would be proud of such a bald faced manipulation of media.

[iplaw]

GOP could learn a lot from Goebbels, he was an artist. Of course the Germans may have been more intelligent than the target audience of this ad and thus required a more subtle and well formulated propaganda machine.

[iplaw]

Republican have turned being simultaneously stupid and evil into an art form.

[levibatgirl]

The melodramatic violin music in the background goes well will the rethug's bitter tears.

[HoracePManure]

The debate was last November.

[Whinger]

Desperate people do desperate things, GOP continues to prove its inability to change and evolve!

[MontanaSouth]

Knowing how much Senator Franken loves Paul and his family, it must be so difficult for him when the GOP tries to use things like this to discredit him. My guess is that this will just make Senator Franken put his great mind to work for his state with more and more determination.

[solarian]

gop likes using dead people how low can they go

[Terrence0258]

This video should be titled "The Death of the Republican Party" and at the end it should have said 'Please donate, a dollar a day can help a Republican afford upkeep on his Mansion or help fund his relationship outside of his already costly marriage.'