Rating: 
Summary: Swinging Instead of Ducking
Review: Al Franken has again gone on the offensive to speak on behalf of the many Americans tired of neo-conservative distortion and outright lying to manipulate the opinion of the great majority of Americans too busy just surviving or apathetic to seek out and demand the truth from government, the media, industry, and commerce. It is important to realize that despite quite sophisticated research, and airtight statistics, Franken does not profess to be a journalist -- only a comedian and self righteously outraged citizen. Of course, that is the delicious irony of the book -- that a comedian is providing more valid, unvarnished, and intentionally honest facts than the media who are allegedly committed by professional ethics to represent events and facts in a non-partisan, accurate manner.Additionally, Franken makes no bones about the fact that he is partisan. He takes aim (and achieves numerous bullseyes) calling right wing media as it is -- a mouthpiece for corporate interests, the conservative right, and their political machine the Republican Party. And he employs the same no gloves tactics that the Republican disinformation sources such as Fox News, the Washington Times, and New York Post do -- he is ruthless and personal, and comes out and actually calls them as they are -- "liars". The added irony here is when called on it, the conservative bullies cry fowl, unfair, and unkind -- despite over twenty years of their vicious mendacity, and the resulting squeezing and screwing of the majority of Americans on behalf of a wealthy miniscule minority, and severe damage to our government, society, and culture. This isn't great literature; it isn't an academic study or state of the art journalism -- and Franken doesn't for a moment profess that it is. However, it is obviously the truth, and it is solace for those many of us who are so discouraged, and feel so disenfranchised by an unrepresentative group of principleless corporate schills running our government and manipulating opinion through dishonest propaganda transmitted through the media outlets that they have created.
Rating:
Summary: Biting, hilarious, and accurate.
Review: Al Franken has been somewhat hit-and-miss in my experience. I liked "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot," but then bought "Why Not Me?" in a bargain book bin and wanted my $3 back. This? Is a masterpiece. He goes after all the right-wing pundits (notably Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, and Sean Hannity) fully armed by his "TeamFranken" of research assistants, and ably points out stunning examples of their mistakes, inaccuracies, and flat-out lies. And the attendant humor has never been better--I laughed out loud over and over again. If you like your political criticism devastatingly accurate, passionate, AND to bring the funny, buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding satire!
Review: Al Franken has crafted a magnificent piece of stinging satire in his new release, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right". Make no mistake, this book will not appeal to all tastes (Particularly not to the RRR: Rabid Righteous Republicans). Clearly this is not his intention. Franken mixes careful research with outrageous hyperbole delivered with an in your face brazen style. If you enjoyed Franken's earlier books, and if you think its about time that someone stood up and said "enough, it's our country too", by all means don't miss this book. Prepare to laugh outloud.
Rating:
Summary: READ THIS!
Review: Al Franken has done an excellent job of deconstructing the smoke and mirrors show that's been the signature of the hysterical, radical right. Reading this book should be a wake-up call for the average American: if you go through life blindly accepting what your conservative media is feeding you, you are being kept in the dark. And in all actuality, that is the way autocratic rulers like their masses: uninformed and unable to think for themselves. Don't be complacent, read this book!
Rating:
Summary: READ THIS!
Review: Al Franken has done an excellent job of deconstructing the smoke and mirrors show that's been the signature of the hysterical, radical right. Reading this should be a wake-up call for the average American: if you go through life blindly accepting what your conservative media is feeding you, you are being kept in the dark. And in all actuality, that is the way autocratic rulers like their masses: uninformed and unable to think for themselves. Don't be complacent, read this book!
Rating:
Summary: The Franken equivilent of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Review: Al Franken has done his country a great service in the publication of this book. I truly hope and trust it is going to be the straw that breaks the back of the worst cabal of thieves, liars, sycophants and con men (and women) this nation has ever seen. As a recent Nobel prize winner for Economics said in the German press a few weeks ago, George W. Bush has been the worst president who has ever darkened the doors of the White House in all the history of the United States. Thank God we didn't elect him! Franken's book is extremely funny, deeply troubling, saddening and infuriating all at the same time. Big Al, like his spiritual father, Will Rogers, uses humor at times like a stileto, sometimes like a mace, and still again, like a bulldozer. His parries of the thrusts of the likes of Coulter, O'Reilly, Limbaugh et al, are alone worth the price of the book. But his devastating indictment of the Bush administration's "Operation Ignore", followed immediately by their "Operation Blame-former-Presidnt-Clinton", and of other blatantly treasonous actions, may well be worth the Presidency. If ever a president deserved impeachment, it is George W. Bush, who has, as Fraken abundantly demonstrates, in large part been almost totally responsible (with the collusion of almost all Republican members of Congress and more than a few craven Democrats) for the derelictions of duty that resulted in 9/11, for the largest current and even larger impending budget deficit(s) in history, for the killing and maiming of tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians and thousands of young American service personnel with no end in sight. Unfortiunately, we, our children, and the world will pay for George W. Bush's malfeasance for generations. If you read no other portion of Franken's book, read the two chapters that start on page 104. Most of the book is liberally leavened with humor, but not even funnyman Al Franken can find humor in this 20 or so page account of high crimes and misdemeanors. It is a great book. As important in our time as was Common Sense in pre-Revolutionary War days. Buy several and give them to your friends to pass on. If you do, we may yet save out country. wfh
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read Delight!
Review: Al Franken has done it again with this superbly crafted, thoroughly researched page turner! Don't hesitate... just buy it. NOW! It will confirm what you've always suspected about the Bush administration, the Fox "News" Channel, and the conservative "right" (plus give you facts to back your argument), open your eyes to a host of corruptions, distortions, and bald-faced lies being perpetrated in the "no spin zone" (which, as far as I can tell, is spinning at at least 150rpms), and make you laugh until you weep. Al Franken is a national treasure, so pick this book up for yourself, and buy a few copies for those friends that need to be saved.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding destruction of O'Reilly, Coulter, etc.
Review: Al Franken has done it again! What "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" did to dissect Rush Limbaugh, "Lies" does, with far more devastating effect, to conservative pundits Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Fox News, among others. Franken exposes these pundits for their dishonesty and lies, and does so in a hilariously witty and irrefutable way. This book urgently needs to be widely read, and the facts exposed by Franken spread far and wide. We need more Al Frankens.
Rating: 
Summary: Funny and Well Researched
Review: Al Franken has done it again. He presents, with typical sardonicism and atypical rage, the foibles of the visible Right in United States politics, with a specific focus on the media and a more specific focus on Fox News, the Washington Times, and the Wall Street Journal's editoral page, in descending order. He devotes two chapters (as well as many asides in other chapters) to current Conservative flamethrower Ann Coulter. His other major whipping boys are Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly. He points out many instances where this trifecta of Conservative punditry have told out and out lies, lies of inference, and lies of obfuscation. He documents these claims rather well, at least so far as my cursory check of his references seems to indicate. Should I find that his documentation of his claims, which occurs mostly in the "Sources and Notes" section at the end of the book, is faulty, I will glady retract this review and remove the appropriate number of stars based on the egregiousness of the error. I don't always agree with Mr. Franken's politics, but he always presents his case with humor and with evidence to back his position. For example, he makes a good case against the repeal of estate taxes. As he points out, just over half (56%) of most income that would have been taxed under estate taxes was from capital gains that were never actualized in hard currency and thus were never taxed in the first place. Thus, per Mr. Franken, the claim that estate taxes are "double taxation" is bogus. He also points out that the Feingold amendment would have allowed up to $100 million before estate taxes kicked in at all, protecting all but the ultra elite. He never makes the connection that, at that level of income, it is highly likely that the majority of that $100 million + is from unactualized capital gains, though, which surprised me. Perhaps he was leery of making such a statement without data to back it up, or perhaps he didn't believe the connection needed to be explicit given how obvious it appears to be (at least to me). In any event, he did convince me that the Feingold amendment would have been a good thing, but he did not convince me that the estate tax itself as it existed (and to some extent still exists until 2010) was a good thing. I will not elaborate here on my defense of the issue - this is a review of Mr. Franken's book, his opinions, and how that book affected me. A diatribe on my views on this subject except in how the book influenced them would be out of place. The reason for the four instead of five star rating: I think he may have crossed the line in two sections. Were he purely a humorist, neither would raise my eyebrow, but as he is a political commentator/humorist, they left a bad taste in my mouth. My first issue is with "Operation Chickenhawk: Episode I". I found it hilarious, but also somewhat nauseating. Yes, the gentlemen he includes in his cast of chickenhawks all promote war without having served. He also plays up the notable "character flaws" of the various characters. As a comic, it's hilarious. As a political commentator decrying the "tone" of current discourse, it's the moral equivalent of the "triple bank shot" he accuses Coulter of performing. The other issue was the Waitress/Lawyer one-act play. My issue there is not with his facts, but with dramatic necessity. A lawyer who would take that much time and effort and empathy to explain the situation to Donna would not also then cheer for Bush. She'd admit that she got the better of the deal, but she wouldn't say "I love Bush!". Were she the "Bush Lover", she'd have simply let the comment about the 100% tax cut slide and enjoyed her dinner. Basically, she claimed to be a neocon at the end, but acted like a guily-rich liberal up until that point. Otherwise, I quite enjoyed the read. I even learned a few things I did not know before. I spent a few hours tonight reviewing the stated references and I cannot yet find a lie of omission or commission. Of course, it's a book, not a post on a webfourm, and I can't claim to have researched everything TeamFranken did over the course of writing it in an evening. Generally, though, a spot check of 20 or so references will reveal one that's flawed if the intent of the references is to deceive. I found zero. The Right needs an Al Franken. They need someone with humor *and* a distaste for lies - of commission or omission. Reading the current Right pundits and Franken... well, if I were Liberal or Conservative, I'd rather have one Al Franken than 100 Ann Coulters. (Caveat: I am not claiming Independent. My views tend to line up about 65% with "liberal" and 35% with "conservative". There might be a slight bias by myself towards Mr. Franken and against Ms. Coulter. Please take that into account when using this review to affect your purchase.)
Rating:
Summary: A grand slam home run
Review: Al Franken has done it. He has has written a book that hits the right with force and he does it in a provocative and humorous way. He takes on everyone and spares no one. Saddam should have had such a scorched earth policy. Fantastic! From Bill O'Reilly through Sean Hannity to a wonderful look at poor Barbara Bush, (well, not poor in the sense that she grew up in Rye, New York) Franken delivers the goods. The religious right also gets the shaft and FOX News...well...read the book. This is the first foray about the left hitting back. And hitting back hard. It is timely and appropriate. Al Franken should get an award for his candor, wit and truth. Having grown up in a town that raised the senior Bush and living within ten miles of the Coulter-bred, Barbara-fed crowd, many of us just laugh. "We used to be Republicans", one older friend said to me. No longer. Thanks, Dubya. And thank you, Al. A great book.
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