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

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fair and Balanced
Review: It boggles that anyone could see this great work as anything other than what it truly is: an utterly fair and completely balanced look at the American Right.

I've never read anything so fair and balanced it my life. My wife and I were walking through Barnes & Noble when we came across franken's tome and she said to me "Honey, look at this. Isn't this the most fair and balanced book you've ever seen?"

I had to admit that the book certainly *looked* fair and balanced. But it wasn't until I got the book and spent some time curled up on the couch with it that I realized how truly fair and balanced it was.

This puppy is fair and balanced from fair and balanced cover to fair and balanced cover.

Rating:
Summary: A Nice Relief in an Age of Lies and Distortions
Review: It is a huge relief to read something TRUE and WELL-WRITTEN when you are surrounded by the likes of Ann Coulter and Fox News. Franken does reveal important truths and lets the reader decide for themselves (in contrast to the news network that CLAIMS to report truth and foster independent decision). The book rings true throughout, and I have yet to see ANY rebuttal of the truths Franken reveals. How can these people get away with insulting, blatant lying?

Rating:
Summary: This is the sound of death throes of an ideology
Review: It is a major sign that conservatives are winning the intellectual war when guys like Franken really start getting shrill. He's so desperate and enraged by current developments and the discrediting of his world view that he goes off on practically every single conservative talking head in America, personally-- and the president! And he somehow thinks he's going to "win"?

You'd think on some level he'd be aware that he's already on shaky ground beause of 9/11 and the neoconservative response being so effective and positive by any standard. But from that shaky ground he's going to fire every gun he has until the magazines are dry, and not even aim carefully, but just basically go completely nuts shooting in every direction? Very, very stupid. If the liberals wanted to survive to fight another day you would think they'd be retreating and biding their time until conditions are more favorable. But they're not. Not smart at all.

You can bet he'll never make another mistake without every major Conservative talking head making him eat it for the rest of his life... but like a typical liberal he thinks he's above making mistakes and that everything that comes out of his own mouth is utterly rational and made out of solid gold.

After all, all civilized and pure humans living on the higher plane that is the American Left just KNOW everything they believe is right, it doesn't need to be scrutinized because all GOOD people believe all of it based on faith, and that's why Franken need not address what infininitely more wonderful outcome we'd have had after 9/11 if Al Gore were president, for example, but only the perceived shortcomings of his opposition, arguing essentially the same way as a flat-Earth Creationist-- it's not his job to make a case for why a Democratic president would have been better in these times (ha!!), those annointed in the faith simply know it would be better... making his mocking of Bob Jones University just that much more ironic, but I digress.

He's going to pay for the arrogant conceit of thinking his intellectual position is so exalted (maybe he'll start Al Franken University) and rhetorically unassailable that nobody can touch him, not supporters of the President, not all the conservative pundits, nobody. The fact is he's going to get lampooned mercilessly for the rest of his life.

He's going to sell a lot of books this time, it appears liberals are desperate for some good news and high ground. It's getting uncomfortable arguing so hard that maintaining Western geopolitical concensus is more important than doing the right thing for us and for the Arabs, or pretending it was the wrong thing for the Arabs-- quite exhausting and demoralizing, where's the relief? Or perhaps because of the increasingly obvious failure of socialism in the West in any form, and the huge humiliation of Bush simply not bothering to pretend that the Emperor of global consensus is wearing any clothes. I am here to report that they will not find anything in this book.

Reading this book makes it clear that the dominant ideology of the post-WWII West is crumbling and crumbling fast. It's as if Franken is firing off salvos from every gun of a sinking ship at anything he can hit (and not hitting much), before he sinks under the waves. No other explanation makes much sense considering the total lack of any apparent concern for strategy. He's never going to be able to make the slightest mistake the rest of his life without someone taping a "kick me" sign on his back. What soaring arrogance to attempt to take on every prominent representative of the Conservative mindset simultaneously. Dumb dumb dumb! Couldn't happen to a more smug, arrogant jerk. Looking forward to it.

Rating:
Summary: Lies and Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look
Review: It is a shame that the American people read books like these and think these are fact based statements. I'll give you that the author is very creative and humorous on his approach and the book could be entertaining as fiction. But to get to the point that a story is created around real life facts or headlines, a take it as the truth and nothing but the truth is awful. Why are Liberals so scared of what the likes of O'Reilly,Limbaugh or Hannity talk about. Only if there is some truth about their statements Liberals should be worried about. This is for most the main reason why I trust them more that your Liberal media. They are not ashamed to tell the truth & critizise what needs to be, even if it is coming from the Bush Administration. I watch FOX news & I admire them. They have good and instructional discussions, and always give the two sides opinions. We as americans need to understand that the OPINION of the media is not the absolute word of the land. We should be educated enough to listen or read or watch all sides, and all their OPINIONS and get to our own conclusions. What is good for the country, is good for all. What is bad, should be discarded no matter which side it comes from. The biggest problem with this country is that everybody takes everything for granted. People need to confront the reality of countries like Cuba, China & yes Irak, and understand that there is no worst evil than communism, tyrannies and oppresive governments.
I just praise anyone, liberal or republican who has the wisdom to know the difference and do something about it. I hope that the author will have the guts to write about these issues in such a humorous note. These are not laughing matters.

Rating:
Summary: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Review: It is alwasy best when lying to not make it so obvious. The emotional and biased opinions in this lack any intellectual honesty and objectivity. In all things political there will be disagreement. However, when arguments lack any solid intellectual foundation they remain left only cheerleading. And so it ends -- preaching to the choir for status and favor to your political camp.

Rating:
Summary: The Truth Hurts --->Coulter, O'Reilly, and Hannity
Review: It is always nice when reading an intelligently written and researched book to have a nice laugh, as well as, gaining insight into the lies the Republican party Henchmen(Henchwomen) have been feeding our citizenry. Franken supports all of his claims with research and facts, which Franken discusses are different than the right wing tools of of speculation, exaggeration, and fabrication used commonly in Coulter's book. I reccommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the media propaganda machine and party bias in the media.

Seek the Truth, Love the Truth

Excellent work Al!! A MUST READ.

Rating:
Summary: Hate Speech is not Entertainment
Review: It is amusing to me that Mr. Franken is allowed to spout such hate speech in the form of 'satire'. His opinions are defamitory, and in many cases, outright lies. Yet he fails to include himself as one of the 'lying liars who tell lies'. This compilation of partisan smearing is downright offensive. Give it a pass.

Rating:
Summary: Hiding Behind Satire
Review: It is clear after reading this book that Mr. Franken is not a rational or clear thinker. While I am not a fan of the people he attacks in his book, I find his methods distasteful. Much like Michael Moore, as soon as he says something that does not make much sense, or that is unsubstantiated, he hides behind a joke. What comes across in the end is that he is simply a man filled with hatred and frustration (at the resurgence of conservatism among other things), and since he can't actually debate these issues seriously or intelligently he hides behind a thin veil of satire and weak humor. In so doing, he does his cause a great disservice since he positions it as not serious. I too am concerned about many aspects of the right wing resurgence, but I think intelligent debate is called for, not hatred draped with satire. If you hate the people he does, you may enjoy Mr. Franken's company. But if you want to read about issues and get an intelligent perspective, your wasting your time on this one.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a lie but so are many of the conservative books
Review: It is clear from this book and other political that liberals and conservatives are BOTH guilty of lying about each other.

I have documented many cases of liberals lying about conservatives. Some of those are in this book, some are from the websites of liberal lobbyist groups.

I have seen conservatives "lie" about liberals also. It all falls down to definition of the word "lie"

My definition is when one deliberatly makes a statement that they know to be false. Under this definition, the liberals tell the most lies. The only thing is that liberals mix their lies with truths to make them more believable.

The conservatives also tell lies on occasion but it is often based on misinformation.

Rating:
Summary: Fair and Balanced View of Franken's Mind
Review: It is good that Al got the free publicity, because he is making money off of folks who, like me, are reading this book to see what the fuss is all about. Unfortunately, this product demonstrates a poor quality of humor that leans heavily on the author's personal bias and a need to profit from the common practice that the liberally leaning media and entertainment industry has to devour it's own. I am speaking specifically of bashing the conservative and, yes even moderate members of the industry. In this case Franken has taken the low road of political hypocrisy and attempts to bash certain elements of what he calls "The Right" for bashing "The Left". In order to appreciate this book (or any of Franken's political humor for that matter), one must be capable of completely ignoring the fact that certain elements of the infamous "vast right wing conspiracy" have learned the lessons taught by decades of hard core politicking by the Democratic Party's ultra "liberal" wing ("The Left" as opposed to "The Right"). These lessons include "if you say it enough, it will become true", "if you wag your finger, then you must be sincere", "if something bad happens to you, it's not your fault - so sue" and "(Pick a nightly news anchor's name) said it, so it must be true". What Franken tries to develop is that these lessons are only for those with "liberal" thought (notice I said "thought", because the limo-liberals and SUV-environmentalists in this country are immune to their own ideas). He feels that anyone in the media and entertainment industry who does not agree with that premise is wrong, despite the fact that the conservative organizations and individuals in the industry are for the most part a silent minority (similar to conservatives in my state). He then tries to wrap his sub-standard, personally biased, political analysis with the label of "parody" and "satire". I enjoy good political satire and parody. Well, this is not good at all. It is just not funny, and since that is the supposed purpose of this literature, well... lack of evidence suggests that the case should be dismissed. Al Franken is not funny in person, as a writer or in any other manner. So as I said... "It is good that Al got the free publicity, because he is making money off of folks who, like me, are reading this book to see what the fuss is all about." Actually, I borrowed it; I couldn't waste money on this sort of stuff.