Oppose Bush's Vulgar Lies and Pornographic War: Send Money to Al Franken
It is a minor journalistic cliché to call former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson "a gifted wordsmith." That he is. Gerson is the devout Christian (just ask him) whose presidential speeches contained subliminal messages to evangelicals ("wonder-working power", "an angel rides the whirlwind," etc.).
Gerson used these dog-whistle techniques to help persuade followers of the Prince of Peace to embrace an unjust, unwise, unwarranted war. A man who would contort the language of Christ and His followers to promote a war would, you'd think, have a high tolerance for how others use words. But not Mr. Gerson.
In a pompous, preening, prissy, preachy op-ed in the neoconservative Washington Post, Gerson excoriates, of all people, Al Franken. Why Franken? Well, Franken has committed a sin far more egregious than Bush, who, using Gerson's words, led thousands to a certain and unnecessary death. He told some dirty jokes.
Goody-Goody Gerson has the guts to cheer the Bush-Cheney war machine. But when Al Franken tells a poopy joke or a booby joke, Mikey gets all woozy. Someone quick get this frail flower a fan. He has the vapors.
Franken, more than most people I know, has thrown himself into supporting and comforting the soldiers whom Gerson's boss has used and abused. I can't count the number of USO trips Al has made, the troops he has entertained, the men facing death who had a brief laugh (maybe even at a wee-wee joke!) before heading back into combat. Or Al's many visits to military hospitals, the countless acts of true charity -- dare I say Christian charity? -- that this good man has committed while Gerson poses as a saintly supporter of senseless slaughter.
One of the Franken jokes Gerson is most nauseated by is Franken's 2006 monologue in which he allegedly impersonated Strom Thurmond saying, "Yeah, I screwed a woman who was vomiting once." Horrific, isn't it? But it's actually an example of satire being less shocking than truth. There is no record, (that I know of), of Strom Thurmond actually screwing a woman until she threw up. Hence Al's line was meant to be over-the-top, ridiculous, comic. But Thurmond did in fact have sex with a woman as she was being driven to the electric chair*, which I think is worse.
But that's just me. I think death is worse than sex. Perhaps for Mr. Gerson it's the other way 'round. He's clearly more comfortable putting words in the mouth of our incompetent, dishonest President; he's happy to be a sycophantic scribe for the bastards who have plunged us into this damnable war. But heaven forefend Al Franken - who opposes the war - would tell a dirty joke.
It is Mr. Gerson who is dirty and his writing which is a joke.
So I'm going to do some writing in response. Not just this post. I'm writing a check to Al Franken for Senate. Better still, I'm going to click here and donate right away. I hope you'll do the same. Stand up for good, clean dirty jokes and against sanctimonious, smug, speechwriters.
*See Jack Bass and Marilyn W. Thompson's book Ol' Strom for the full story of Strom nailing convicted murderer Sue Logue as she was being driven to the South Carolina death house in 1943. Logue's nephew said his aunt "was the only person ever seduced on the way to the electric chair." Thurmond's longtime, trusted driver, Randall Johnson, who witnessed the tryst on the highway to heaven -- or hell -- said the two were "a-huggin' and a-kissin' the whole way" to the death house.
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I reserve my right to "loathe" anyone who has a hand in sending my son-in-law to Iraq for the third time, while he is suffering from an injury sustained there and PTSD>
Thanks Paul! Great post and I have never pulled out my credit card faster. I will be very sad if Al looses.
Seriously, I disagree with Mr. Bagala’s argument. Basically, he is using the old ‘sure I beat my wife, but it isn’t like I’m Hitler you know’ approach to moral justification. Of course it was used in the 90s to keep Bill Clinton in power, and much was compromised as a result (like my kids now knowing that perjury is only bad sometimes, and if everyone else does it, doesn’t it ultimately make it OK?). And of course, we were all reminded of the untold misery and suffering in history and told to take a chill pill about something so little as committing perjury over something like sex.
So now, Mr. Bagala is bringing out the tried and true. Personally, it isn’t Frankin’s dirty jokes one way or another that bother me. It is his contempt and derision for those with whom he disagrees. It’s one thing to have Tip O’Neil and Reagan pound fists over an issue, then shake hands and be buddies when it’s over. But it’s a whole ‘nuther ball game when you start electing people who have made their open disdain for various ideologies, and those who hold them, to power in the government. Then it’s a whole new era. It is that march toward cheerily loathing those with whom we disagree that is far worse than a dirty joke, or in the ultimate historical sense, even than a controversial war.
"...it isn’t Franken’s dirty jokes one way or another that bother me. It is his contempt and derision for those with whom he disagrees.
In other words, if Franken had only been nice to the liars who helped fuel the Iraq war machine, Franken is OK in your book. But he's a meany who derides Bill O'Reilly as a liar (he is) and Ann Coulter as a manipulator and abuser of quotes (she is), and we can't have meanies in the Senate who swear at people like John McCain does. Is that why you're voting for McCain, to clean up the potty-mouthed Senate? This type of selective morality drives me nuts. I don't like Franken's attitude, but Bush's policy of endless war and death is fine by me, as if the two are at all comparable. This is a classic "values" position where values exclude abhorrence for war and war profiteering and depleting the American treasury. It's hollow, myopic and rings as patently insincere, in light of what a mess the country is.
SOT
Personally, I wouldn't want O'Reily or Coulter in the Senate either. I have no use for folks who say we are so righteous and right, how we treat those in our way doesn't matter. That attitude has been used before. And since the 20th century is done, we know how it turned out. I don't care to repeat it this century. Find folks who can, with patience and passion, confront the wrongs, without lumping everyone with whom they disagree into one big 'those people without stars on their belly' group. You will find we will be better off a hundred years from now.
Daffey didn't say s/he wanted to clean up the potty-mouths in Senate and s/he didn't say was voting for McCain. S/he expressed a preference for civility over Franken's style. I'd have to agree with Daffey.
As much as I'd like to see Norm Coleman go down and as eager as I am to see progressives elected, I can't really get enthusiastic about Al Franken. (Fortunately, I don't live in Minnesota, so it's not an issue.) I've tried to listen to his radio show at least a dozen times and I'm almost always turned off by his nastiness. I feel sullied when I listen to him.
You must know what I mean because you yourself admit that you don't like his attitude.
Saying that one is turned off by Franken is not the same thing as saying that anyone needs to "be nice" to liars. I don't put up with villainy from anyone. On the other hand, I've found that I tend to get more people on my side when I attack with a rapier than with a meat ax.
Well said. There is a side to Frankens personality that should keep him from public office. The man is just to angry to be in a position of power.
Give me a break. Franken is just fine. There are far more vile Republican hacks holding office today who certainly don't mince a word in deriding our side. The Republicans have made an art out of demonizing their enemies so they should not be surprised if the same cocktail is served up to them. I like Franken because he is not afraid to call a spade a spade. I hope he gets elected and get to tell some of those Republican a$$holes who are stopping progress on the hill exactly what he thinks of them.
There is an aspect to the 'Democrati
party that makes it much more liberal/pr
than the 'orthodox' Demo party as it exists in the rest
of the US. That seems to show up in real *organized*
animosity towards the Repos, more than you tend to
find in the rest of the country. Is that so wrong?
Using your logic, McSame should never be in a position of power. He's anger on steroids.
Of course it was used in the 90s to keep Bill Clinton in power, and much was compromised as a result (like my kids now knowing that perjury is only bad sometimes"
You must certainy be daffy if you can't remember that Clinton was acquited of Perjury due to the fact that he didn't commit perjury. Maybe you could look up the definition and explain to your children why you can't face the truth. Of course I already know the reason-you're a republican.
But it"s a whole "nuther ball game when you start electing people who have made their open disdain for various ideologies"
Did you vote for 'trash mouth Cheney'? Does that meet your definition of 'whole new era'?
Telling a a dirty joke might not be humorous to everyone. But, being a real live joke such as senators Coleman (MN). Stevens (AK), McConnell (KY), Roberts (KS)......
I'm not from Minn. but you get my 50 bucks Franken. When you get to DC you can laugh with the rest of us.
Gerson mentions Orwell several times in his rant. Does anyone else out there feel like we've been living in a bizarre version of "1984" for the past 7+ years? He says, "Orwell would be so proud". I think Orwell would be sad
From the Nixon and Bush administrations, I have a newfound dislike for all things republican. I really never appreciated their "lust" for money and power until the past 8 years. If I never see another republican in the future, it will be too soon. I could write a book about all the horror, scandals, pornography, lies, and much more that I have found out about republicans since I started posting on Huffington alone. I have more knowledge now than I've ever dreamed of having and I must say, that party has a deficit in moral character alone. What a sorry group of individuals that bush and McCain party is.
The Republican Party is destroying America. It's good that you've realized how evil this party is but you've only seen the tip of the iceberg, you have a lot to learn believe me.
I'm from Minnesota and the only thing "obscene" in this race is that sold-out slimeball Bush clone Normie Colman who has bent over forward for every right wing insanity in the Senate for the last 6 years.
Of course the Republicans are going to attack Franken personally, they can't run Normie on his record!
Not every progressive from Minnesota thinks Al Franken is an alternative to Coleman. Just for the record--Franken supported Bush's "pornagraphic war" for several years before changing his tune. He also supported Israel's 2006 bombing of Lebanon on the pretext that "Israel has a right to defend itself." Unfortunately, sex sells better than war--the media focus on Frankens adolescent humor, but ignore the real obscenity of this AIPAC follower--his blind support for right-wing Israeli policies.
Seems odd, you being so fed up with politics - reading Huffington Post.
Hypocrites everywhere.
I don't know where you got your info, but just so you know, Franken never supported Bush's pornographic war. E-V-E-R.
You must listen to Rush or Hannity or some other blathering idiot that vomits lies about Democrats. If you had read one of Franken's last two books, you would discover a real American who has watched the Rethugs steal our country and is incensed about it.
You seem more upset with his being a commedien, than with Coleman being a war monger. I find that pretty darn troubling. And the AIPAC shit--what are you talking about? Your comments reflect total ignorance of anything Franken writes, says or does. Where do you folks live--under a rock?
So, is this Gerson guy running against Al Franken?
I live in a state that is so reliably Demo that there is
no point to supporting them here anyway, so maybe
I ought to 'adopt' some other state, where there are
Demos that need support. Probably, not a bad idea.
The thing is, Minnesota is even more reliably Demo
than my own state. Demo in the last 8 elections, 11
of the last twelve. So, I'm thinking of adopting AL, as
in Alabama, instead. But I do hope it works out for Al.
Really I do. He's good enough, smart enough, etc, for
Minnesota, surely, if not for all of US.
WARNING: The Republicans will almost certainly try to take advantage of any significant level of out-of-state contribution to Franken's campaign by claiming that he's being foisted off on the people of Minnesota by evil outside forces. If you live in Minnesota, yes, by all means contribute directly. If not, you might want to look at contributing indirectly via the Democratic party or some other group.
Excellent point, but I won't give money to the DNC. I did that once, and all I ever got in the way of "news" from them was requests for more money. I did give to Franken's campaign, in hopes that when he's elected, at least I'll have someone from some state speaking for me. I'm from Kentucky, where Bunning (Repub) isn't up for re-election, and Mitch McConnell (Repub) is being faced by a nice, wholesome, Dem sleazebag. I'll VOTE for the sleazebag if I can hold my nose long enough, but my dough goes directly to Al Franken's campaign.
Way to go, Mr. Begala. These smug bastards have stolen not one, but two presidential elections, and then rule as if they have Jesus sitting on their shoulder. They keep repeating the mantra "we are fighting for freedom and democracy" while they are contemptuous of and despise both, and would return to the segregted era in a Dixie moment if they could.
During the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, wealthy land owners and their corrupt political allies used the disaster as an excuse to round up laborers at gunpoint, remove them from contact with society, prevented them from getting disaster relief that was paid for by the national government, and in more than one case used murder as an intimidation and enforcement (terror) tool.
http://afr
The treachery, duplicity, cruelty, and corruption of that era is now back and firmly embedded in American politics and in the NY/Washington press corps in particular, you can't even keep up with the stories of "billions of dollars missing" stories, this week a Dept. of Army auditor fired for questioning $1.5 billion in payments billed by KBR, (Note the Times' wishy-washy headline and reporting on this story, and how it contrasts with their decades long "Whitewater" blaring headlines and calls to throw Jim McDougal in prison for Madison Guarante S&L's alleged $22 million in loses.
http://www
Excellent point about the media. And unfortunately they cannot be voted out of office. Only money speaks these days.
From your lips to His ears. So true.
Totally with you. I have been say back Franken for weeks on the forums. It would be great to see him in the senate his show was great on AAmerica. We must also back Merkley in Oregon. every seat in congress counts, so hoping Obama doesn't choose a senator, nothing against any other their viablitiys for the slot just every seat really matters.
Of all the things. Why Michael Gerson is as honest as the day is long. In Barrow, Alaska in January.
go al. he is going to be a great candidate
Thanks for reminding me all the Democratic party has to offer. I've been so busy watching the Bush administration implode that I forgot all the wonderful blessings that the years before the Bush presidency had bestowed upon us. Of course I don't think I will send him any money. But editorials like this will help me explain to my children what to expect in the coming years.
In a pompous, preening, prissy, preachy op-ed in the neoconservative Washington Post,
YOU LEFT OUT gay!!!
I hope Al Franken is one of many sweeps this fall. We need to clean out the filth, people so go vote!!.
Obama '08
He (Gerkin) IS NOT gay, and we gays don't want him to be!!
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