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Q&A: Al Franken
AlFrankentakesontheconservativemediaestablishment
withhisfifthbook"LiesAndtheLyingLiarsWhoTell
Them:AFairandBalancedLookattheRight."
ByRobertJ.Nebel/AlterNet

September1,2003
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Conservativetalkradioandtelevisionaremultimilliondollarsuccessmodels
inmostmajormediamarkets.Manycreditsyndicatedconservativeradiotalk
showhostRushLimbaughforsparkingthisphenomenon.SinceLimbaugh
wentnationalin1988,theconservativeagendahasbeensoldtothenationin
asimplified,entertainingform.CorporationssuchasClearChannel
Entertainmentsawthe"LimbaughPhenomenon"asanopportunitytocreate
"RushCopycats"throughoutthecountry.Astheratingsfortheseprograms
havegonethroughtheroof,criticsclaimthatpublicdiscoursehasplummeted
throughthebasement.
Chiefamongstthosecriticsiscomedian/politicalsatiristAlFranken,whotakes
ontheconservativemediaestablishmentwithhisfifthbook"LiesAndtheLying
LiarsWhoTellThem:AFairandBalancedLookattheRight"(Dutton,2003).It
isa379pagetomethatexamineswhatFrankensaysarethelitanyofliesthat
rightwingentertainers,whoindirectlyreceivetheirmarchingordersfrom
conservativepoliticians,lobbyistsandcorporateowners,disseminateinto
society.
For"Lies",FrankenemployedastaffofHarvardUniversitystudents,also
knownas"TeamFranken",todigthroughrightwingentertainers'comments
throughtheirownbooks,radioandtelevisionappearances,newspaper
archivesandLexisNexissearcheswhichprovidetelevisionandradio
transcripts.Throughthesetechniques,Frankenliterallydissectsevery
utterance.Frankenshowshowrumororgossipisborninthedominantright
wingmediaculture.
Franken'sbestexampleisarecollectionofthememorialserviceforSenator
PaulWellstone,whichmanysaymorphedfrominnocentceremonyintoa
chargedpoliticalrally.AsthenationwatchedvideoofSenatorTrentLottbeing
booedWellstone'ssonyelling,"Wewillwin"andthenGovernorJesse
Venturacommentingonhowshamefultheservicewas,Frankenbecame
enragedandsaidthatwasnottheservicehewitnessed.
AclosefriendofthelateSenator,Frankendevotesa28pagedefensetitled
"ThisWasNotaMemorialtoPaulWellstone:ACaseStudyinRightWing

Lies",blastingconservativecritics.AccordingtoFranken,theeventatWilliams
Arenawasadecentthreeandahalfhourservicethathonoredthesenator,his
familyandaccomplishments.Frankengoesontosaythat,"WhenTrentLott's
faceappearedonthescreen,afewpeoplebooed.Itseemedlikegoodnatured
ribbingtome.Lottbrokeoutinagrinandwaved."
Fromallofthepresshehasreceivedoverhistrademarkinfringementlawsuit
withtheFOXNewsNetwork,itisquiteobviousthatFrankenhasnoproblem
namingnamesintherightwingmedia,aswellashighrankingconservative
politicos.AmongthoseFrankendiscreditsareauthorAnnCoulter,television
radiohostBillO'ReillyandtelevisionradiohostSeanHannity.Whetheronthe
issueoftaxcuts,patriotism,themilitaryortheenvironment,allthreearetaken
totaskfortheir"deceitfultake"onpoliticalandsocialissues.
"Lies"alsotakesaparttheliberalmediabiasmythbyshreddingapartRush
Limbaughandhiscopycats'claimthatconservativemediabalancesout
mainstreammedia.Frankenarguesthatthereisaseriousrightwingbiasin
TheWallStreetJournaleditorialpage,TheWashingtonTimes,TheNational
Reviewandofcourse,TheFoxNewsNetwork.Hebelievestheirwrathismore
powerfulthanmostmediaandismostlyresponsibleforthecurrentstateofthe
union.
Criticsof"Lies"mightdismissitasaseriesofrantsandpersonalvendettas
againstsuccessfulmediapersonalitiesandpoliticianswithwhomFrankenhas
disagreements.Throughamixofgoodresearch,writingandhumor,Franken
proveshisadversarieswrong."LiesAndtheLyingLiarsWhoTellThem"isan
emotionalrollercoasterwithpagesofchartsdisprovingmisinformationonthe
Clintonadministration'srecordontheeconomyandmilitary,toahilarious
chaptertitled,"OperationChickenhawk:EpisodeOne".Thefictionalstoryisa
prequeltothe"OperationChickenhawk"chapter,whichappearedinFranken's
secondbook,"RushLimbaughIsABigFatIdiotAndOtherObservations."In
thisepisode,FrankenpaintsapictureofFormerVicePresidentAlGore,
FormerHouseSpeakerNewtGingrich,BillO'Reilly,SenatorJohnKerry,Rush
Limbaughandmanyothersinawarscenario.
Areyouafraidthattherightwingwillhuntformistakesinyourbook?
Franken:Ifthereareanymistakes,IgotthemfromBritishintelligence.
Areyouacomedianornow,apoliticalsatirist?
ItdependswhathatI'mwearing.SometimesI'mmorecomedianthanpolitical
satirist.Thisbookcomesundersatire.
Howaretheplansgoingforaliberaltalkradionetwork?
IhopewewillbealotlikeClearChannel.Wewillbesopopularthatwewill
justownhalftheradiostationsinthecountry.
So,Rushsaysthathebalancesoutallothermedia.What'syourtake?
It'sallbullshit.Themediahaveotherbiasesthatincludesensationalism

insteadofcoveringtheissues.It'scheapertodoittogetratings.OJ,Condit,
thingsthathavepictures,laziness,packmentality.Askingifthereisliberalor
conservativebiasinthemediaislikeaskingifalQaedausestoomuchoilin
thehummus.Thereisabiasintherightwingmedia.Therightwingmediais
FOX,WashingtonTimes,AnnCoulter,WallSt.Journaledpageandtalkradio.
Theywilllieandcheatintalkradiotopursue.Thereisnoequivalency.
Whyhaven'tliberalsbeenassuccessfulingettingtheirmessageout?
Ithinktheremightbeadifferenttypeofpsychologybetweenliberalsand
conservatives.Thereissomeworkbeingdoneonthat.Therearerabid
Hannitys,Norquists,BillO'Reillypersonalities.Thenthereareliberalfighters
likeme.I'mnotlikethem.Theywillintimidate.TheywilldowhattheFOX
complaintdid.TheysaidI'mshrill,unstable,notfunny,derangedanda
parasite.ThepressthatitcamefromistheWashingtonDispatch.com.They
sayontheirsitethatifyouareanamateurwriteryouwillgetpublished.That's
howdesperatetherightwingis.IwroteintheRushbook:Fairmeanvs.Unfair
mean.Ithinkit'sfairtobemeantobulliestoshowwheretheyarelying.
O'ReillywritesaboutmebuthehasneveractuallysaidIsaidanythingthat
wasn'ttrue.
Wheredoyougetyourinformation?
INexisLexisalotofstuff.Ilovecertainblogs.TheNotefromABC.Ilinkupto
SlateandreadtheNYTeveryday.Ijustread"TheSacredAgeofTerror"by
DanielBenjamin.
WhathashappenedtoDennisMiller.Hehasgonefrombeinginthe
centertotherightofcenter.
I'msurethisiswhatDennisbelieves.Thisiswhathe'sdoing.He'snotselling
whatI'mdoing.I'mjustdoingsomeresearch.It'sfunny.WhileFOXwassuing
mefortrademark,theywereusingit'sMillertime(onhis"HannityandColmes"
segment).
Backin1992,therewasnoFOXNewsNetworkandRushLimbaughwas
justbecomingverypopular.WouldcandidateClintonhavewonifthere
wasaFOXNewsNetworkandtheLimbaughcopycatsbackthen?
Idon'tthinkeventhenBushSr.wouldhavewon.Today,IthinkBushJr's
credibilityiscracking.Oncethatfacadecracks,itwillnotbeputbacktogether
again.
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