Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining if nothing else
Review: I always get a chuckle from an entertainer like Al, but as far as his ability to present a serious argument or position to actually consider-- I do not think so. I would say to pick-up a copy if you would like some easy or superficial reading like a magazine.
Rating: 
Summary: Proof that not all liberals have rolled over and died
Review: I always knew that Bill O'Reilly was a lying hack, but now I have the proof. But it goes much deeper: Franken describes in this book the systematic lying of the right-wing propaganda machine that has created the mess our country is in today. Instead of pulling facts out of thin air to support his allegations, though, he uses FACTS - yes, clearly documented, supportable facts - to break down the arguments of the oppressors in our society (I'm talking to you, Bush, Rush, and Ashcroft). A worthwhile book and very funny.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: I always wonder why we see one Al Franken book for every two or three from someone like Sean Hannity or Ann Coulter. Now I know why! It takes longer to actually do research rather than just mis-speak, mis-quote and mis-represent!Al Franken unravels some of the myths and downright lies that others continue to repeat. How any person who considers themselves a journalist can NOT do the same is amazing to me. Al's book is an enjoyable read, but tended to depress me all the same, because it is not a hopeful sign when we see that the people that get the most airtime in the media show no social conscience about what information they spread to the masses. If you want to know the truth about how the 'right' operates, then read this book. If you just want to hide your head in the sand and let life happen then don't bother - it would probably be above you anyway.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and Hard-Nosed
Review: I am a 30-year-old male and am generally not interested in politics. Whereas I do not claim to speak for my generation, I will venture that there are a lot out there like me, who have come to assume that anyone who discusses politics is really just promoting his or her own agenda with no regard for the truth. Little did I know how accurate I was. Thanks to Mr. Franken, however, nasty little secrets don't stay buried long. I am forever amazed at how much I love Al Franken's political commentary, considering that I still have an abiding hate of all things political. If anyone can reignite the passion for politics in the next generation of Americans, it's not Rush, or Bill, Sean, or any of those here-today, gone-tomorrow political commentators, who rely on personality and childish petulance to advance their political careers. Al's the man, because Al's pants aren't on fire. There's no need for him to hang them from a telephone wire. The facts back him up.
Rating:
Summary: A few thoughts about liberal vs. conservative media ...
Review: I am a big fan of these kinds of books and enjoy reading from both the right-wing perspective (Coulter, Goldberg, etc.) and the left-wing perspective (Franken, Moore, Eric Alterman, etc.). I thought that this book was an excellent example of the genre. And yet I have to say that, as to the specific issue of whether the media tilts to the right or to the left, I find authors on both sides to be persuasive. And yet how can this be, given that they are arguing diametrically opposing viewpoints? I think it is because the two sides are not in fact making directly contradictory arguments (all appearances to the contrary). Rather they are arguing at cross-purposes like ships passing in the night. The argument from the left (which is particularly well argued in Eric Alterman's "What Liberal Media?" among other books) is that it is ridiculous to say that there is a liberal bias when the vast majority of commentators on TV and newspapers and especially on talk radio and on the Internet proudly profess their conservative leanings. For example, it is probably far easier to name 10-15 self-proclaimed conservatives in the media than self-proclaimed liberals. I think that this is a perfectly valid argument. The argument from the right however is somewhat different and frankly a bit more subtle. They claim that it is not the media you know that is the problem--it is the media you don't know. More specifically, it is not the famous commentators who are at issue since you know where they are coming from right from the outset and there is no hidden agenda there. Rather (at least accoring to the right) it is those (relatively) nameless, faceless people who write not the editorials but the actual news stories which appear in the news articles, which, in theory, are supposed to report "just the facts". However rather then reporting just the facts, they manage to do their own little editorializing within the context of these supposed "straight news" articles. These writers tend to lean well left of center and tend to be concentrated at the large city papers (the New York Times being the prime example, with the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times right there as well) and the writers of the newtwork news shows. The book "Journalistic Fraud" by Bob Kohn (which focuses solely on the New York Times) provides numerous examples of how the liberal leanings of the Times may be discerned not from the editorial pages (which are fair game for any viewpoint) but rather from the sneaky ways in which the writers of the news articles surreptitiously inject their views into what are supposed to be editorial-free articles. Although there are countless examples of how this technique is used, an oft-mentioned example would be the use of the adjectives "conservative" or "right-wing" to describe a person who is in fact conservative or right-wing, but NOT to use the adjectives "liberal" or "left-wing" to describe a person who leans equally far to the left. Thus, if the question is one of counting heads, i.e. how many KNOWN and self-proclaimed liberals vs. conservatives are there in the media (which is a perfectly fair question), then there is no way that the media can be described as liberal. If the question is, what are the true political and social leanings of all the behind-the-scenes writers of the supposed NEWS articles in the newspapers and TV (also a perfectly fair question), then the argument for the liberal media becomes persuasive indeed even if it is somewhat harder to pin down and less easily demonstrable.
Rating:
Summary: Time To Take Off The Blinders
Review: I am a conservative, I belong to the NRA, and I am quite certain that Al and I would disagree in our interpretations of the intent of the Second Amendment. And if we were to debate this topic, it might even turn into a heated discussion. But ultimately I can respect Mr. Frankin's right to his beliefs on gun control without labeling him a "commie" or a Socialist. And I feel quite certain that Mr. Frankin could respect my right to my beliefs on the right to keep and bear arms without accusing me of being a Nazi. Folks, in case anyone has forgotten, this is what America is supposed to be about. As a conservative American, I do not want to be associated with the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, or, for that matter, George W. Bush and his cronies. Since 9/11, these demagogues have spearheaded a national movement of lies, deceit, fear mongering, phony patriotism, and propaganda to rally unwitting Americans behind Bush's completely irresponsible and self-serving political agenda. And as Frankin so adeptly points out, these people will shamelessly resort to name calling, distortions, verbal abuse, and guilt (e.g., "If you don't agree with me you aren't a good American") to coerce Americans to step in line with their own ill-conceived agendas. People, what we are witnessing here isn't about conservatism, and it isn't about patriotism -- it's borderline Fascism. What really scares me is that millions of "patriotic" Americans have put on their blinders and eagerly jumped on to this impending train wreck without giving the first moment's thought as to where it is leading this country. It just doesn't seem to bother them that "W" is shackling us and our children with trillions of dollars in deficits while placing tens of thousands of Americans in harm's way waging an overseas war that has nothing to do with counter-terrorism. And if you suggest that the money being squandered on this fruitless and counter productive war effort might be better spent on efforts to revive a sick economy and putting millions of displaced American workers back on the payroll, these "patriots" angrily accuse you of being an Al Qaeda wannabe. Is it time to break out the brown shirts yet? For my money, Frankin is right on target with this one. To my way of thinking he is a true patriot because he openly goes against the grain of the "conventional" wisdom and questions the motives and integrity of the self-anointed political pundits, as well as exposing the sorry state of our current political leadership. And lest anyone has forgotten, in a democratic society the freedom to question our government is not only our right, it is also our responsibility. The day we forget that is the day we all give up our freedom. This book is well worth reading regardless of whether your political leanings are to the left or the right. It is an easy read, it is humorous, and it is timely. And it should be read keeping in mind the principles on which this country was founded, not one's political party preference.
Rating: 
Summary: Franken's wonderfully cynical observations are sure to pleas
Review: I am a distant stone's throw from Al Franken on the political spectrum, but his wonderful sense of humor and overall genius bring me back to his writing again and again. I pre-ordered this book months ago! I am a casual listener/reader of many of the folks Al skewers in this book; if even a few of his recountings are accurate as reported, he has written a blistering indictment sure to embarass many high-profile personalities. Few things are more shaming or credential-busting than lying (one would hope), and Al approaches his foes on the right with the facts (usually their own seemingly inaccurate words, from the record), asks them to address what they've said, and is relentless until they either come clean or are squirming in their seats - and we the readers get the ugly (and funny) recounting. You'll either feel embarassed for them or be cheering him all the way. And maybe sometimes both. The first 100+ pages are full of laugh-out-loud writing; I was consistently reading passages to my fiancee. After that, through the meat of the book, Al is really grinding his axe and the work of his 14 Harvard researchers seems to take over as the laughs are elbowed off the page by more strident political writing (but he did say one of his goals of the book is to keep President Bush from getting re-elected). As he'll tell you, there are many on the right doing this kind of writing for the GOP, so he no doubt feels the need to ratchet it up a level as the liberal standard-bearer of the moment. All in all a very good book. It didn't get five stars from me because, as I said, I sometimes went several pages without laughing, which I consider a long time when reading his work (and it had nothing to do with the politics). I think that with 90% of readers likely to be left-leaning, most people who pick up the book will love every page.
Rating:
Summary: Al actually makes sense!
Review: I am a former conservative who saw what it meant to be a conservative earlier this year (illegally invade another country, murder babies, and humiliate any person who is against doing this). I still don't like liberals, many of whom would love to see this country blow up. Al Franken is the current favorite of liberals now and that's why I was afraid to read this book. However, I came away enjoying his exposé of Bill O'Reilly, whom I religiously hate and think should be stoned to death. He also makes sense during his "Dialogue on Terrorism" section, which is hilarious. I like how he keeps putting Alan Colme's name in a smaller font than Sean Hannity..it is very symbolic. I definitely recommend this book to any moderate or liberal. Conservatives...well, it will keep you in denial or it may make you wake up.
Rating:
Summary: remember this book in 2004
Review: i am a middle of the road democrat. i believe most polies are at the very least liars and their biggest priority is their party and re-election. very few statesmen out there. that said, i did not wish to believe alot of what i read, so i checked facts. crap, everything i looked into was true. what pigs! that blurted out, the book was very well written and factual. it was fun if you can take a step back and not think about who is running our country.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful people, fight back.
Review: I am a naive Democrat who believed the myth that liberals control the media. During the 2000 election I thought, "Hmm, if a liberal media is attacking Gore then he must be really bad." So, I voted for him with my tail tucked between my legs instead of proudly. As Team Franken points out, Gore got more negative and less positive media coverage than Bush.
This book gives comical and researched insight into important recent issues. Hopefully it will motivate conscientious people from any party to take a careful look at the biased falsehoods being asserted as fact on TV.
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