Rating: 
Summary: He tells the truth and he backs it up...
Review: I am just finishing this book and have to say it is really well done - funny, entertaining, and most of all it references and follows-through on tracking down the truth behind the lies these people tell. I can't believe the reviews here that just call Al Franken names and even say "I'd never read a book by Al Franken and won't read this one" - well then don't write a freaken review of it! At least Mr. Franken focuses on the facts presented by the right wing people and clearly shows them for the lies (and liars) they are. He doesn't just call people an ass or a liar or stupid, he presents the person's own record where they prove themselves to be an ass or a liar or just plan stupid IN THEIR OWN WORDS. It's hilarious and well worth the time to read and enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Bad Comedian-Bad Analysis
Review: I am just so worn out from the new liberal Facism. Huey Long said it correctly when he predicted that the new facists will come from the left and they will call themselves anti-facists. At least when James Carville gets up and rants we know that he is a paid stooge. I read this and a Molly Ivins book on a "dare' from an "enlightened" friend who thought I either wouldn't or couldn't. All I can say is at least Molly usually gets her facts right and I get my disagreements from her politics. This lame and incredibly vain man gets his jollies by selective use of the public record, calling that fact and providing playground name calling...Rush Limbaugh at least sells radio advertising... Please waste your time and money if you want to get involved in the current mudslinging...Otherwise, buy subscriptions to the National Review and the New Republic and fight the fight in you own mind... DB
Rating: 
Summary: Funny,Informative and Somewhat Biased
Review: I am not a Liberal, well, not according to what the word liberal means. However, some may disagree with my take on that. I would most likely be considered a moderate with left leaning ideas. I found this book to be hilarious, while at the same time informative. Al definitely has a "thing" for President Clinton. I was not as in love with him as Al, but I recognize that he did do some good things. On the other hand, I can most definitely agree with him on most of his other points. Especially his points on the present administration. For the most part, other than when Al fawns over Clinton, this is a fun book to read and quite informative if you read it with an open mind. I'm hoping to get my ultra conservative husband to read it and see what he thinks. Definitely worth the read. If you don't want to purchase it go to your local library and get your name on the list to take it out.
Rating:
Summary: Scathingly Funny
Review: I am not a political person by any stretch of the imagination, however I was intrigued by the hype and decided to get this book. Franken is probably one of the few legitimate comedic masterminds of our time. This book could have been about earthworms and it still would have made me bust out laughing just as much. Cleverly written and honestly presented, my enjoyment was rivaled only by surprise of gaining a greater understanding of both political extremes of pundits. Trust me, regardless of your political tendency, you will enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Please Help me out. What lie is not a lie?
Review: I am not a Replubican, nor am I a Democrat. I was a Thatcherite who herself inspired Reagan. I have been here for fifteen years and have grown more disgusted by the political process and general lack of voter awareness. I listen to alot of right wing radio, what choice do I have - the alternative is bland music or all day sport. I read quite alot and I have read AL Franken's latest book. Not great literature, not great comedy (quite funny)- but very interesting. The funniest line was the last line. When I read a book like this - I want to make sure that that the extremely serious accusations are correct. So I decide to do some research. If I want to find about about a movie I go to Rotten Tomatoes. For a book what better than than Amazon and the 1100 reviews to date. Since I am looking for faults in the book - I focus on reviews that give it one or two stars. It is these people that will determine whether this book is accurate or not. Remember, this is a top selling book which is accusing the President of the USA of being a lyar!!! I will now list the typical one star rebuttals with my comments were appropriate: 1) "Unsubstantiated" - May be but give me an example!
2) "His arguments can be dismantled in Five minutes" I'm listening
3)"Liberals will follow the fate of James Dean...." Is this a threat or a pagan vision?
4) "He must be a Frenchman" In your dreams (Since French people have 4-6 weeks vacation a year, enjoy long lunches with excellent wine, can wander through streets with beautiful architecture, have affordable health care, job security and very little poverty. His American counterpart is lucky to get 2 weeks vacation, works like a dog, eats processed meat from factory farms without proper hygene and worker safety/benefits, and were there a good chance he lives below the poverty level having had a comparatively poor education, and his future probably means he will lose his manufacturing job in exchange for a job at K-Mart)
5)"Liberalism is basically Secularism". No comment
6)"8 months prior to Sept 11, is the Clinton adminstration Duh !!!" Three people thought that was good review.
7) "I have not read this book..." 8 out 77 thought that was good review.
8) " If he wanted to prove his case he should challenge them directly" This book is a direct challenge. I am looking for factual rebuttals.
9) "He should get a job" This is too deep for me. So the critics have had their say. The above list is merely a representative sample. So far all responses have been vacuous. Thus the conclusion that Bush (and his cronies) is a lyar. During the election campaign I had come to the conclusion that if you had to wade through Bush's deepest thoughts you would not even get your ankles wet. But it is obvioulsly worse than that. He has made huge lies regarding the miltary, his tax policy and Iraq. His every statement regarding the environment is a gaping deception. I'm not particuarly religious, but if you plan on getting votes by aligning yourself with God, you had dam well better be virtuous. Understanding the Gospel according to Luke also might help. Many people who are upset by this callous, hypocritical administartion are accused of a lack of patriotism. Well it is not patriotic to destroy the land air and water that we breath. It is not patriotic to increase poverty or to execute innocent people or execute people who merely get legal aid. It is not patriotic a launch a war having decieved the electorate, it is not patriotic to use religion to get votes, use religion to destroy Science and Logic, to use religion to carry out a pagan foreign policy. It is not patriotic to treat the rest of the world with contempt, to help fund the educational infrastructure that breeds people who dream of destroying America. It is not patriotic to lie. No that is not patriotism. but it does threaten the longterm security of me, my family and all who want a happy healthy and prosperous longterm future. Ignorance may be bliss - but it is also highly dangerous. Bush's crimes listed in this book are worse than Clintons (i.e the politically inspired investigation into his private life, that paralized the country for a year and led to issues that should reside between husband and wife, not a with a bunch of adulterous political enemies) or Nixons relatively minor crime. With hindsight and without the promised ('we know where they are')weapons of mass destruction, the war on Iraq was obviously illegal. Impeachment should be in the air.
Rating:
Summary: Anyone Who Can Make Bill O'Reilly Squirm Has My Attention
Review: I am not a Republican, nor am I a hardcore Democrat. I prefer to think of myself as a cynic. I do, however, grow very suspicious of anything that benefits big corporations. The Bush Administration has pandered to Big Oil, Big Energy, Big Mining, and people with big incomes. Haliburton, Bechtel, WorldCom are all benefiting from no-bid contracts in Iraq. Bush lied. Cheney lied. Rove lied. O'Reilly lies all the time (just talk to his ex-co-workers at KATU in Portland, OR). Hannity only lies when his mouth moves. Coulter is a scatterbrained liar that can't argue intelligently. It was nice to see someone finally call them on their lies and expose them with precise and well-researched evidence. I'm looking forward to seeing the lies that the lying liars will craft about Al Franken. I only hope that TeamFranken is available for round two.
Rating:
Summary: stuff
Review: I am not surprised. There are a number of typical problems with this tome. First, Franken does not provide an indepth and insightful review of the issues. Franken does not offer any keen solutions. Rather, he writes a polemic that reads more like a raving mad speech from Hitler than a scientific, philosphical or political review. Second, Franken relies on insult and name calling when referring to his political opponents. The reader clearly can tell he not only disagrees with his political opponents but he also hates them, and this enrages his soul. Finally, because the vast majority of his general topics are stated in platitudinal form and the vast majority of his particular comments ring of demogoguery rather than logical argument, Franken fails to present a persuasive argument. In conclusion, this book fails to make any substantial or even trivial contribution to the liberal cause and for that reason I strongly recommend avoiding it.
Rating:
Summary: Deals with the conservative
Review: I am noticing a sad trend on these reviews, that people like to take out their agenda and insult the author rather then reviewing the book. It's funny when I see 0 star reviews here and then go over to some of Coulter's work and see 5 star reviews by the same people, shameless. Lies and the Lying Liars is a look at the right wing media players right now, dealing with Bush, Cheney, O'wrongly and Coulter, and does it in a humorous manner. It reveals the facts that we may be too afraid to admit about the bush administration and the right, but doesn't depress or preach, it's quite humorous. One of my new favorite books
Rating:
Summary: Fair & Documented. Franken exposes deception of the right
Review: I am objective and enjoy right-wing talk radio, Fox News/CNBC cable TV, as well as populist and liberal commentators. Franken exposes hundreds of factual errors, misrepresentations distortions and blatant lies by such people as Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, Bernard Goldberg and Sean Hannitty. It's all documented stuff in Franken's book. I double-checked some of his references today.
I read Bill O'Reilly's response editorial where he called Franken a "smear artist". No-where in this article did Bill O'Reilly state what parts of Franken's book is inaccurate.
I also watched the CSPAN Book Seller Conven, where O'Reilly claims he was ambushed and picked on by liberals. O'Reilly really is the childish bully who cries when he gets smacked. I believe even if you are a conservative; the excesses and arrogant lies of right-wing commentators will floor you.
Rating:
Summary: Half way through and getting angrier all the time
Review: I am only half way through, but had to sit down and write a review. Franken is a self-described comedian, so readers can forgive him for his over-the-top hyperbole in bringing to light how easy it is to distort things that people say into lies. People who don't see that while reading this book simply don't get the point of the book: The hardcore right-wingers writing supposedly serious books bashing liberals are merely insulting their readers' intelligence.
The biggest traitors in America today are Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter who are merely pawns in a corporatist attack on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If you want to know why, READ THIS BOOK! You will never beleive a "news" story or biased approach to journalism again.
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