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

[LiberalBuzz]

That's the best they got?

No wonder they are headed to the dustbins of history.

[KLordsha]

I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY........that nobody watches online ads.

[drizzt396]

Why? When 99% of Americans watch their taxes decrease, and they already know that the deficits are thanks to Reagan and the Bushes, if they saw this ad it'd make them less likely to vote Repub.

[nick1936]

Do the REPUK'S have any plans that will help the average American or are they the party of NO??

Why do the Repuk's Hate America and if not where is their contribution to the greater good?

[Shashi0224]

Their contribution......hmmmmmmmmmmmm.......war, hate, lies, ignorance, hypocrisy.......yep, they've contributed quite a lot.

[freethinkergirl]

The GOP cup runneth over..........

[hmmmmm]

Nice follow up ad, AL!! great work, and good luck!!

[Koreboomer]

"No Debate?"
Republicans are complaining about that?
Their RECORD NUMBER of Senate filibusters all resulted in NO DEBATE.
Disingenous phonies, trying to fool the people.

[Shashi0224]

It's too late to fool the majority of us. We lived through what they did and they took things to such a destructive limit that we cannot, we will not, forget.

[hmmmmm]

oh and don't you love how the music in this add sort of makes the GOP the "victims".

YOU KEEP LOSING, BECAUSE YOU KEEP LYING!!!!


I, for one, suggest you double down on the lying for 2010. Dems, lets get 70 seats!!!

[BobaFont]

Love how they just handed the deficit over to he Democrats as if the previous 8 years never happened. They are hoping an ADD epidemic occurs before 2010.

[kevman08]

And it probably will.

[frantaylor]

More like a NCLB epidemic

[Greywolf Borealis]

Perhaps a "last gasp," as in last breath, of the once great party of Lincoln, who if alive today would never be a republican.

[Forester]

I don't think Senator Franken needs any advice on how to handle these things. He has been through a trial by fire and has shown his stamina for the BS. His biggest enemy, as with all of us, will be his own ego.

[Cambridge9]

Why has it taken the RNC until June of 2009 to start being concerned that the Dems 'CONTROL EVERYTHING'? Surely they must realize that each one of them (in their own way) allowed it to happen.

I'm quite sure that if the 'party of NO' had worked more diligently to represent their constituents rather than the wishes of the last administration, big business, the religious right and their own greed they could have held some seats. Of course there were some who jumped ship too (retired) giving the Dems an open door - thru which they entered.

Don't get me wrong. I'm delighted the poor Rethugs are unhappy. I sat smugly (with a cup of coffee) to toast our newest Senator (from Minnesota) being sworn in around noon today. Go Al!!!

[KaPi]

Oh, what a sappy whinny video. Cry me a river.

As though this crisis was created in the less than 6 months since the new administration has been in control. It continues to amaze me how they just seem to dismiss any memory or recollection of the previous 8 years and how we got here in the first place.

[takeusaback]

It's about (actually 7 months late) Time !!!!!!!!!

[atomic]

The right wing is nothing but hate and lies.

[Diogenes08]

Watch out, Al! Now that they've been caught lying, the only recourse the Irrelephants have it to cool ya like they did Wellstone. Please stay out of private planes!

[LeftLeanWing]

"Irrelephants"

I like that

[LeeCalif]

The second tape ends with the Franken message of approval. Is that really legal for repubs to do that ??

It's past time for the end of the republican party. I'll do my part.