Lies & the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair & Balanced Look at the Right

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Lies & the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair & Balanced Look at the Right

3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 · rating details · 18,091 ratings · 670 reviews

Al Franken, "one of our savviest satirists" (People), takes on the issues, the politicians, and the pundits in one of the most anticipated books of the year.

For the first time since his own classic Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations, Al Franken trains his subversive wit directly on the contemporary political scene. Now, the "master of political humor...more

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published August 21st 2003 by Dutton Adult (first published January 1st 2003)

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Jul 15, 2009 Eric_W rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: current-affairs

This very funny but extremely serious book goes after the deliberate falsehoods perpetrated by the right-wing on "liberals."
As you may know, the Fox Network went after Franken for trademark infringement because he used the phrase "fair and balanced." The judge threw out the suit as completely ludicrous and made several trenchant comments about the inability of the Fox executives to recognize satire when they saw it
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Harvard University gave Franken a fellowship to basically do whatever he wanted,...more This very funny but extremely serious book goes after the deliberate falsehoods perpetrated by the right-wing on "liberals."
As you may know, the Fox Network went after Franken for trademark infringement because he used the phrase "fair and balanced." The judge threw out the suit as completely ludicrous and made several trenchant comments about the inability of the Fox executives to recognize satire when they saw it
.
Harvard University gave Franken a fellowship to basically do whatever he wanted, but demurred at his idea of having Harvard students write his son's college application. Franken finally hit upon the idea of having a group of students do research for his book. They bought the idea.

His first target is Ann Coulter, author of Scandal. Franken methodically picks apart her book, revealing it for the inaccurate, if not disingenuous, piece of nonsense it is. He also shows how she has blatantly lied about things. Her Connecticut driver's license shows her birth date as 1961; her Washington DL says 1963. She claims the Washington DL is correct, which means she voted as a sixteen-year-old. On one of the applications she lied about her age. Now, many people have done that, but since the US Patriot Act makes it a felony to put false information on a government ID, she could be whisked away and held without counsel for a long time. I wish they would. Simple charges she makes in her book were never checked. For example, she complains that Evan Thomas, supposedly one of those heinous liberals, was the son of Norman Thomas, four-time [sic:] candidate for president on the Socialist party ticket. Actually, he ran six times, and a simple phone call to Evan Thomas reveals that he is not the son of Norman Thomas. Coulter's book is filled with such false details. Either she is extremely lazy or a blatant liar. Franken obviously suspects the latter.

Francken has infuriated that scion of right-wing Fox Bill O'Reilly by publicly pointing out many untruths that O'Reilly has put forth. At Book Expo in Los Angeles, O'Reilly was humiliated by Franken, who categorically listed all sorts of lies O'Reilly had perpetrated on the public. Now, Franken makes clear that occasionally making a mistake on a statistic is hardly a crime, but O'Reilly's customary tactic, when challenged with the correct information from unimpeachable sources is to simply bully and yell at his challenger rather than correct the mistake. The problem is also that he makes lots of mistakes. More from the "sewer of right-wing dishonesty. When he interviewed the son of a worker killed on 9/11 on February 4th, 2003, he became enraged at the son's opposition to the war in Iraq, had his engineer cut off the man's microphone, and sent him packing saying to him after the show's end, "Get out of my studio before I tear you to f*cking pieces."

O'Reilly, who constantly rails at the lyrics of rap songs, wrote a murder mystery in 1998, Those who Trespass (about a serial killer who murders everyone who interferes with his rising television career), that took explicit sex and violence to new heights and the English language to new lows. In one murder, the victim is killed by having a spoon driven through the roof of her mouth into her brain stem. Variants of the "F" word and "B" word are used more than 51 times. Case of the pot calling the kettle black? O'Reilly is not a nice man.

Team Franken took a look at Hannity's (of Hannity and Colmes,) book to verify the factualness of his statements. Examples of disingenuousness and dishonesty abound.

Bush's initial indifference to al Qaeda prior to 9/11 is astonishing. The Clinton administration had developed plans for eliminating Bin Laden, but those plans were ignored. That the Bin Laden family were good friends with the Bush family is well-known, and Franken speculates as to what might have happened to Clinton had he been so nice to the Bin Laden family, permitting a Saudi plane to fly around the country picking up family members for return to Saudi Arabia, while American airplanes were grounded. In the meantime, President Bush has broken all presidential records for the number of days spent on vacation.

The book is often uneven, some parts funnier and some more serious. Should one laugh or cry learning that many of our leaders today, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, Bush, and other chickenhawks who are sending men off to die in war, did everything in their power, having their fathers pull strings and inventing flimsy excuses (shouldn't pick on Limbaugh, I think he was just too fat) to avoid service in Vietnam. (less)

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Oct 27, 2007 Brian Dean rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: the curious

Why I love this book:

1) Definitely one of the funniest book titles I've ever seen

2) Remember when, for years after 9/11, so many media and entertainment figures held themselves back from criticizing Bush administration? Al broke the silence quite a bit with this book, which was basically a "bullshit" cry heard 'round the country. After that it seemed to be way more ok for others to start speaking out. You may think he's too moderate but he's pretty clever at calling bullshit on the right.

3) The...more

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Sep 27, 2007 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't have many five star books on my list; this one made the cut because I laughed and laughed and laughed, often out loud. Thinking back, other books have made me chuckle or smile, but I can't remember any other book just tickling my funny bone like this one. Al Franken is clever but he's not this funny in person. Team Franken, discussions with God, exposing the lies of famous conservatives, and particularly, the field trip to Bob Jones University - all classic material. What's more, Franken...more

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Sep 28, 2007 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people with a brain

I actually listened to Al Franken read this on Audio CD, and I loved it. The advantage here is that Al plays all the quotes by the people he's bashing (with a little more context) and he himself is just very funny how he reads.
I know the subtitle's supposed to be a joke, but this book is WAY MORE fair and balanced than anything by bona fide Ass-Holes (capitalized) like Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter (they are the Zeus and Hera of assholes). This book exposes them and all their logical fallacies f...more

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Nov 23, 2007 Angel Falcon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all liberals for more ammo and for smart conservatives...

I would recommend this book to intellectual conservatives so that they simply have more ammo to disassociate themselves from the neo-cons. I actually respect true conservative thought and this administration was not it. At all. And Franken gives a funny, sometimes enraging, flogging of the neo-con media.

It's a great book. I think, however, it preaches to the choir since the person who would read this is a liberal to begin with in the first place.

And he DESTROYS Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly...th...more

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Jan 25, 2008 David rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humor, politics

Franken has a quasi-Socratic disingenuousness. It's not quite that he claims ignorance while exposing the ignorance of others. What Franken claims is that he's a comedian, in contrast with the apparently serious political commentators he skewers. And he really is funny. And sharp. I laughed out loud at "Loving America the Al Franken Way," a grab bag of facets of America, rated on a good/bad/weird scale.
But often Franken sounds deadly serious. In the same chapter, responding to the claim that li...more

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Dec 03, 2007 Molly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-nonfiction, good-audio-books, on-audio

Funny...outrageously funny....then sad, almost depressingly sad...then funny again once you realize January 2009 is almost here. Word to the wise, don't listen to the audio book while trying to get some sleep after your toddler has gotten you up for the third time in the middle of the night...it is so funny you won't want to fall asleep. Oh, and also, don't try to listen to this when your toddler is awake...unless you want him thrown out of preschool when he repeats some 'colorful' language.

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Feb 20, 2008 matt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: political-badassery, social-crit

I hate to bring a heavy hand to a snowball fight, but this book is actually important to me. You know how some books act as landmarks in your life, either as a reader or as an acutal liver of the world outside the window and the page? This is one of mine.

I bought it years ago with trembling glee, as the post 9/11 world of politics had become my insomniac obsession and I was in need of not only some rhetorical weaponry but an insightful, informed take on what I knew in my bones (as so many of us...more

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Feb 09, 2008 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: society, politics, humor

In a way, this book is both entertaining and really, really depressing.

It's entertaining because Franken is a funny guy. He takes the same material that a hundred other writers have gone through - the hypocrisy of the media, the deliberate distortion of the truth, the greedy, grubby little schemes of the Bush Junta - and makes you laugh at them.

It's really, really depressing because, despite the laundry list of reasons why no one on FOX News should be trusted, it's still the most popular network...more In a way, this book is both entertaining and really, really depressing.

It's entertaining because Franken is a funny guy. He takes the same material that a hundred other writers have gone through - the hypocrisy of the media, the deliberate distortion of the truth, the greedy, grubby little schemes of the Bush Junta - and makes you laugh at them.

It's really, really depressing because, despite the laundry list of reasons why no one on FOX News should be trusted, it's still the most popular network. Despite clear and uncomplicated examples of how Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly distort, mislead and deceive, they're still considered to be beacons of reason. And despite the swaggering greed, utter contempt for the truth, and disregard for the welfare of the American people, those in the Bush administration were allowed to keep their jobs. By a narrow margin, sure, but honestly, they should have been ridden out of town on a rail. A spiked rail. Wrapped in barbed wire, covered in lemon juice and those little biting centipedes that you find under the dampest of rocks....

Sorry, I got carried away for a sec....

Before the elections in aught-four, I read everything. I followed web communities, I ordered books from Amazon, I picked up hardcovers and paperbacks and tried to keep up with all the latest advancements in politics. And, by November 2nd, 2004, I was utterly convinced that there was no way on God's green earth that Dubya could get back into office. Sure, Kerry wasn't the best we could have done, but he was demonstrably better than Bush, and many writers had demonstrated it. I trusted in the Electorate's facility for reason and common sense, and knew that they would see these men and women for the pack of jackals that they were, and promptly vote them out of office.

We all know how that turned out.

So, since then I've been, what's that word, cynical. Bitter. Burned out. I've stayed pretty well clear of books that talk about the modern political landscape, but I finished reading the Dougill book at work and didn't have a backup, so I picked this one off the shelf in the teachers' room.

And I read and I laughed and I sighed. Because nothing has changed. The people who should have been laughed off the TV set (Coulter, O'Reilly, Hannity) are still there, corrupting the collective subconscious. Dubya and his cronies are still in charge - no one of significance has been fired or indicted. It is true that public opinion has done quite a downturn since Franken published this book in 2003, which is a ray of hope, but....

Normally I would say that the election in November will be the turning point, that the Electorate will go to the polls and vote in the best interests of our nation. I would like to say that I believe that some of the truth has trickled down to the voters, and in spite of the barrage of misdirection, lies and shouting they will vote out the people who have supported the corruption of America. I would like to say that I believe that the utter contempt for the American people and American ideals that our lawmakers and officials, both elected and appointed, hold will be their undoing, and that November will mark a return to, or at least a good step towards, the reason, enlightenment and compassion that will make this nation a better one than it has become over the last six years.

But, then, that's what I said in 2004. So, y'know, I'm not holding my breath(less)

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Jan 27, 2008 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american-politics

Franken’s politics and his exposure of the witless right wing of the 24/7 news media are spot on, however I didn't find the book all that funny. To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of Franken's comedy, finding him more entertaining when he's wearing his political commentator hat and unloading on the GOP. Though Lies and the Lying Liars... is a bit dated, there is a prophetic feel, considering what I feel we are now witnessing - the beginning of a long but steady crumbling of the conservativ...more

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Nov 30, 2008 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Political satire at its most biting, Al Franken has the drawn-out dead pan punch lines of Jon Stewart in a written medium more conducive to expansion on things like historical context, political backlash, and a chance to reflect on his own role in the public arena - a task he accomplishes in ways sometimes a bit too self-aggrandizing, but most often earnest and simple. His conflicts with O'Reilly and Coulter got a little too personal - there were a couple of chapters that felt like he was trying...more

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Mar 21, 2008 Pete rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Everything any intelligent person has ever suspected about the complete and total intellectual dishonest of right-wing mouthpieces (Coulter, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, etc.) is absolutely true.

Franken breaks down the agenda and the lies of these folks in a humorous yet honest and actually heartfelt manner, turn-by-turn and page-by-page in this thoroughly and liberally (pardon the pun!) endnoted, footnoted, and documented book. This is the book to give your soft-core Republican friends that may...more

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Aug 31, 2008 Steven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: politicos, satirists

Al Franken - a fairly gifted writer! His genious really comes through in this examination of our current political climate, and the utterly absurd masquerading of info-manipulation as some form of journalism.

Irrefutably and exhaustively footnoted, this is a smack in the face to the convetional wisdoms of the the talking head drivel - you get 'em, AL!

Delivered with a sarcasm and pompacity that only he can deliver, Al Franken makes minced-meat of nearly every neo-conservative arguement ever foist...more

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Dec 22, 2007 Brian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Democrats, Libertarians and Republicans

Shelves: defferding-s-political-books

Al Franken does a pretty good job of avoiding most of the bogged-down liberal rhetoric and concentrates more on pointing out the lies of Fox News and Neo-Conservative pundits commit on a daily basis. In journalism, the greatest sin is to lie. Unfortunately, most news channels, papers and political shows lie constantly; not just tell "half-truths", but outright lie. I'm aware Franken is a liberal and I will never subscribe to liberal politics, Al Franken at least does a good job explaining that i...more

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Sep 30, 2008 Steve rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humor

Hilarious and devastating. Here is a funny treatment of serious topics. I found it ironic, for example, that comedian Al Franken explains the inheritance tax better than any serious commentator I have encountered.

The title, alone, won my heart with its teasing reference to Fox News' "Fair and Balanced" tagline. Says who? Says Fox. Their smug and shameless self-promotion reminds me of the old Firesign Theater routine for George Tirebiter, political candidate. In a political ad, Tirebiter assures...more

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Feb 25, 2010 Asad rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a book! It was a completely comical presentation of some of the most serious issues that face us as Americans. It was interesting to read about how much the media influences not only who we are, but what we believe in. Al Franken presents situations that are so gravely significant in a very light-hearted manner. If we deconstruct some situations such as 9/11, we can infer that outside forces did have to do with it but we are responsible in large part to the attacks as well. A very good book...more

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Aug 10, 2007 Faction102979 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

this book is an excellent account of what most americans are too lazy to figure out for themselves - that the republicans and their cronies are liars. and not just your typical political liars, i.e. how every politician who has ever walked the face of the earth is a liar. i'm specifically talking about how their lies corrupt the very fabric of american society, turning neighbors against neighbors, promoting a culture of ignorance, creating a wave of petty and empty patriotism that has created so...more

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Jan 05, 2008 Chelsea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humor, own, socialcommentary, politics

Well, Al Franken is certainly biased, but way more importantly, he's funny. Very funny. And he gets what so many people who write books about current politics don't get: you're not going to change anyone's mind, because no one who disagrees with you is going to buy your book, and it will be outdated soon enough. So you might as well give everyone who is reading your book a laugh, and try not to take yourself so seriously.

Ann Coulter, I am looking at you.

Not his best book, but still funny.

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Mar 07, 2009 John Wiswell rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’ve been a registered Democrat since high school and many of my values are liberal, but this was awful. This book is an example of atrocious holier-than-thou thinking, with humor that is meaner than it is funny, and blind where it should be practical. It’s propaganda for people who already believe the cause and contributes nothing to discussion. It’s every bit as spiteful and unreasonable to its opposition as the vilified super-conservatives. It makes me wonder if people like Franken and Ann Co...more

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Dec 31, 2008 asteroidbuckle rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People with a sense of humor

Shelves: funny-satirical

I never used to consider myself political. And I still don't think I am, really. But lately, I find myself more and more interested in the differences between Conservatives and Liberals, Republicans and Democrats. All over the news I hear about how Democrats are bad. Liberals are bad. They hate America and are traitors. I'm a Democrat and, I believe, a liberal, and guess what? I love my country. I'm not a traitor. Political pundits like Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Nranger7 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Glad I read this book. I don't pay attention to politics mainly because of all the negativity involved. I'm sure a lot of Americans feel the same way. (Keep in mind I read this in 2006 - long before all the hate surrounding Obama.) Sure, there was negativity in this book, but it was presented in a humorous way. I actually learned a few things.
And I have to agree with Franken on how shocking it is that Americans no longer have respect for the President. He said colleagues were genuinely suprised...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Cleo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well, obviously this book is not unbiased, though I think Al Franken is pretty fair. In this book, he exposes the lies and idiocies of various Republicans. He has chapters on various issues and people. Now the senator of Minnesota, Al Franken is also a comedian, so parts of the book were really funny. He uses funny but factual charts and has brief humorous interludes. I loved when he made fun of what Jon Stewart likes to call BS Mountain (Fox News), Bill O'Reilly and "Hannity and Colmes", as he...more Well, obviously this book is not unbiased, though I think Al Franken is pretty fair. In this book, he exposes the lies and idiocies of various Republicans. He has chapters on various issues and people. Now the senator of Minnesota, Al Franken is also a comedian, so parts of the book were really funny. He uses funny but factual charts and has brief humorous interludes. I loved when he made fun of what Jon Stewart likes to call BS Mountain (Fox News), Bill O'Reilly and "Hannity and Colmes", as he calls them (because Colmes, the liberal, barely says anything.) He cites Hannity's idiotic book, Let Freedom Ring, a lot. What really got me though was that not only Fox News and other right-wing news sources perpetrate lies (which I already knew), but also the Bush administration. And, according to Franken, at least, 9-11 could have been prevented or foreseen if the Bush administration had actually done anything, rather than going forward with "Operation Ignore", meaning to ignore any information on possible terrorist attacks. It's so sad; apparently, those lives might have been saved if the government had paid attention to what was going on. And the Republicans had the temerity to blame it on Clinton.

This book was written in 2003, so it's obviously very outdated, but still relevant and interesting to read. I found myself getting a bit depressed though. Franken describes the various cheap tactics that conservatives used in the 2000 elections to suppress minority voters (in other words, more Democratic voters). The Republicans today too really need to start focusing on issues, rather than coming up with stupid stuff like this to try and win elections by suppressing voters. There are plenty of arguments for their side, but the conservatives aren't making them.. That's not what democracy is about. Rachel Maddow had an excellent show that mentioned that (maybe 11/20?)

Anyway, before I begin ranting, I'd better say something more about the actual book. I liked the writing; it was really very funny and obviously well researched. Franken has some funny stories of encounters between him and O'Reilly and him and Hannity.

Now back to my rant: I think it's so sad that Franken can come up with so many examples of lies, lies and more lies. There are so many instances of someone mangling what someone said someone else said, or picking out a few words taken completely out of context. Looking for a recent example? How about the Republican convention's slogan, "We Build It"? An (awkwardly-phrased, it's true) remark of Obama's taken out of context. Obama was simply pointing out (or so I believe) that in order to get to your small business, you have to go on roads, which the government built. You didn't build the roads, the government did. Which is perfectly true.

At any rate, this was an intelligent read which had me inwardly chuckling and even laughing out loud a few times. Be warned: there are some "adult" portions. And on a final note: I am now seriously considering boycotting HarperCollins, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch (who also owns Fox News). I will certainly not be buying anything from them in the future (we'll see how long my resolve holds. If I spot a particularly delicious looking book, I may have to yield ;)).

Update: HarperCollins publishes too many good books. Seriously, a lot of their books are awesome, and they have so many imprints. So no, I will not be boycotting HarperCollins. It's not the authors' faults that their publishing company is owned by Murdoch.

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Oct 13, 2012 kate added it · review of another edition

later, there will be a less funny book about what happened to al franken after he wrote this book. the story of a comedian becoming serious about running for office after bush won a second election.

this is not that book. It explores how the right has managed very successfully to move the entire media conversation to the right of the center, and how, over time, america's center has shifted far to the right of where it was and/or might actually be - due to the spin machine of the american right.

t...more later, there will be a less funny book about what happened to al franken after he wrote this book. the story of a comedian becoming serious about running for office after bush won a second election.

this is not that book. It explores how the right has managed very successfully to move the entire media conversation to the right of the center, and how, over time, america's center has shifted far to the right of where it was and/or might actually be - due to the spin machine of the american right.

this is a topic I have a lot of interest in, but this book is too close up to get a real grasp. clearly al franken is a very angry elite liberal and he wins a lot of arguments in this book vs. right wing pundits that have pissed him off. Including line by line numbers arguments, which would work so well in televised debates. And the essays/chapters are funny. Though, being a girl, I did skip the fanfiction portion where a bunch of right wingers are inserted into vietnam. if anyone didn't know al franken wrote snl sketches, it should be obvious by the end of the book.

of note - franken mentions, but fails to include a portion of a scott hannity book describing 'fisting', which I think is a glaring omission. as a canadian, it's going to be very hard for me to find that book and that might be the most relevant thing hannity has ever written. Franken does include the tawdriest paragraph he could find from some bill o'reilly fiction, twice. I think Franken's next book will have a far different, umm..tone.

Also, for people who think that america exists in a postracial world, there is a shocking story of a high ranking republican who is black who was approached no less than six times at the republican convention in 2000, despite wearing his id tag, and asked to carry bags. I am sure that doesn't correlate to the birther movement or the tea party at all. Totally random.

Additionally, by the time Franken mentions harvard for the 100th time, the fact that he is one of those elite liberals, despite his association with the allegedly non-elitist saturday night live, should be evident. Now I know why I heard him talking about fishing and hunting so much during his election.

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Jun 02, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comedy, politics, non-fiction

First, let me admit my bias upfront: I love Al Franken. What's more, I love the way he takes people to task. I love that he calls them out when they’re wrong and makes fun of them when they won’t admit it. Because I think we have a serious problem with accountability.

Point: "I think we're too ready to blame Karl Rove, or Dick Cheney, or Ari Fleischer, or Gale Norton, or Donald Rumsfeld, or John Ashcroft when this administration does something despicable. When South Carolinians get push polls say...more First, let me admit my bias upfront: I love Al Franken. What's more, I love the way he takes people to task. I love that he calls them out when they’re wrong and makes fun of them when they won’t admit it. Because I think we have a serious problem with accountability.

Point: "I think we're too ready to blame Karl Rove, or Dick Cheney, or Ari Fleischer, or Gale Norton, or Donald Rumsfeld, or John Ashcroft when this administration does something despicable. When South Carolinians get push polls saying John McCain fathered an illegitimate black child, you know Karl Rove had something to do with it. But it's really Bush. When our energy policy is set by cronies from the oil, coal, and automobile industries, you can shake your fist at Dick Cheney. But it's Bush. ... When this administration reinterprets the Clean Water Act to allow polluters to dump into creeks and streams, you can blame Gale Norton or Christie Todd Whitman all you like. But it's Bush."

It's said that the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. But what if he'd convinced the world he was a moron instead? We're so quick to dismiss Bush as stupid, inarticulate, and incompetent, but what we don't do is hold him responsible for what he's done (and hasn't done) with his time in the White House.

Accountability. We need it in our media just as much as we need it in our politics. Journalists, a term used very loosely in some cases, including Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, others fingered in Lies, and the many left out, need to be called out, as much -- if not more than -- politicians. That's not to say I care about whether Inside Edition won any Emmy/Peabodys while O'Reilly was on staff or what political party he's registered with, or that I give a hoot about when Ann Coulter’s birthday really is (though voter fraud is a serious offense), or am interested in who Al challenges to a fight -- these are all petty cases used mostly for laughs by Franken to keep readers entertained while illustrating his grander point: Journalists should not be allowed to lie and get away with it. And as amusing as I found Supply-Side Jesus and the revisited Chickenhawk escapade, I could've done without them for a few extra pages of meaty testimony against the "liberal" media.

I'll get off my soap-box now. In case I missed something the first go-round, though, I am re-reading Coulter's Slander, and recommend it to anyone who's interested in the other side's point of view (I've also checked out Hannity's Let Freedom Ring and O'Reilly's The No Spin Zone from the library). Coulter makes one point that, I think, Al would agree strongly with: "When arguments are premised on lies, there is no foundation for debate." Lies sets the defrauding stage, even if it does go after the easiest targets.(less)

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Jul 12, 2011 Lily Bart rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bland and formulaic liberal preaching -- no humor except a few drug jokes.

The sad thing about this book is not that Al Franken is a liberal. It's that he's just not funny . . . any more. Back in the days of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, he had an occasional feature called THE FRANKEN AND DAVIS show that was actually funny. Really funny.

That was back when John Belushi was still alive. Long time ago, yes?

Today Al seems to have forgotten his old friend Belushi. And the drugs that killed him. And the NBC g...more

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Jul 31, 2010 Andrew Breslin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As I write this, the White House Correspondents Association is deciding which news organization should get the coveted front-row center seat in the White House briefing room, recently vacated by the venerable journalistic legend, Helen Thomas. Back in the real universe, it went directly to NPR, without any debate or hesitation. Because NPR has the distinction of actually being a news organization. It’s filled with real live actual journalists, committed to informing people.

But that’s back in th...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Jason Tyne-zimmerman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's one of those books that is simply astounding. I'm not necessarily on the left or the right...I doubt if anyone on the right is going to read this, but everyone certainly should.

Everyone...regardless of which side of the political spectrum you're on...knows that politicians lie, but the extent of the lies is unbelievable.

I expected to just nod my head and say "figures" while reading this book, but I'm constantly saying "No...no...NO!"

It's the type of book which would make you utterly irate i...more

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Mar 29, 2010 Mleescott1 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Al Franken is so ruddy smart. If you knew him only from Saturday Night Live (Stuart Smiley, with his mirrored affirmations of: "I'm smart enough, I'm good enough, and gosh darnit, people LIKE me..."), then you're in for a surprise here. He's the intellectual's comedian; better yet, he takes those smarts to politics, and he's one feisty fighter.

Al Gore was in the post-election hot seat, and had to make a historic decision in record time during a bizarre situation. (Pre-"Tea Party" folks, similar...more Al Franken is so ruddy smart. If you knew him only from Saturday Night Live (Stuart Smiley, with his mirrored affirmations of: "I'm smart enough, I'm good enough, and gosh darnit, people LIKE me..."), then you're in for a surprise here. He's the intellectual's comedian; better yet, he takes those smarts to politics, and he's one feisty fighter.

Al Gore was in the post-election hot seat, and had to make a historic decision in record time during a bizarre situation. (Pre-"Tea Party" folks, similarly bussed in by Republican operatives to Florida for recounts, chanting raucously in the circus they purposely created about hanging chads, etc.) So Al decided to take a serious look at the Bush v. Gore election fiasco in retrospect--and said retrospect affords one time...aomwrhinf Gore didn't have. Al and his team went about things in fascinating ways. But, most importantly, this book he wrote gave those of us who knew Gore had gotten a raw deal the chance to (finally) get a few laughs in about something that both the author and we know was gravely serious stuff.

Afterward, he actually ran for Congress--and actually won because he put up a fight against Norm Coleman, who wanted numerous recounts. The irony of that was amazing, given the subject of Al's book. Yes, Al won by merely a sliver of votes; but win he did--and fair and square. (He had to keep going to his "how to be a Congressman" classes even though he was still battling that court case Coleman brought about the vote recount, which Coleman insisted on pursuing upwards through the system for months.)

I suspect that, having written this book allowed Al to be prepared with the determination and the legal understanding of the court process, so that he could capably stick it out. So, lucky for the country that he's incredibly bright and genuinely driven to always do the correct thing--the ethical thing.

Almost makes ya want to move to Minnesota, just to have him be the one person in Congress you could be SURE would actually listen to you. But you can just sit where you are, read this book, and know that in serving Minnesotans, such an intelligent, ethical, and witty guy is serving all of Americans, too. And if this Congress needs anything today, it's a bit more wit, intelligence, and ethics--but more: humor. (less)

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Oct 26, 2010 Neil Crossan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The funniest of the 3 Al Franken books (Why Not Me & Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot). This book is full of Kidding on the Square, joking when you’re really serious. With the exception of the war story/cartoon chapter, this book is wildly entertaining. And although discrediting a writer like Ann Coulter is a valuable public service, it is how it’s done that make the experience. Sure Ann claimed that the NY Times was liberal because they didn’t run a cover page article on Dale Earnhardt’s de...more

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Jul 23, 2010 Stephen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2000-2005, polly-sighs-and-pubic-policy, non-fiction, shame-on-you

0.5 stars. Okay, this one was entirely my fault. After reading and hating Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot, I was still somehow drawn to open up and read this book. Big mistake and I freely admit it. As for a review of the book, my best summary would be: blah, blah, joke that isn't funny, blah...half truth...blah...out of context quote...blah, blah...political attack without evidential (or even logical basis)...blah, blah, blah...say the same thing ten different ways, none of them right...blah,...more

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About Al Franken

Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is an Emmy Award–winning American comedian, writer, progressive political commentator, and, recently, politician. He gained fame as a writer and a performer for Saturday Night Live, eventually writing and appearing in several films. Since then, Franken has become more known for his political commentary, writing numerous bestselling books and hosting a nationally-syndicated...more

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