Rating: 
Summary: Insightful, Even Profound, Illuminating, and Funny
Review: The book's as good as Franken's fans could have hoped. As he did 8 years ago in his first book, he has cut through a whole lot of clutter and presented undeniable truths that fly in the face of the myths we're being conditioned to believe.We Americans have been lied to and manipulated by a media whose biases are not "liberal", they are more self-interested and corporate in nature. Think about this point for example - George Bush told a bald-faced lie during the 2000 Campaign as to whether he'd been arrested since 1968. He got away with it! The so-called "liberal media" let him get away with this whopper. You probably wouldn't hire somebody as a grocery clerk who lied to you about whether he'd been arrested or not. We ended up electing this guy (sort of, anyway) President. Franken has done us all a great service by collecting so many obscured but undeniable truths into one book. Also, it's funny. From the gentle humor of "Supply Side Jesus" to the extremely biting next chapter of "Operation Chickenhawk", it's very very funny for the most part. Though occasionally Franken's jokes go flat - he is a man who could use some help editing himself. He's also the greatest political satirist this nation's seen though and this book is MUST READ if you care about America and/or care about the truth.
Rating:
Summary: Passionate, entertaining, well researched and Intelligent.
Review: The chapter about the distorted accounts of the Paul Wellstone memorial was equally horrific and deeply moving. The CD version includes actual excerpts of Rush Limbaugh's show, as well as actual excerpts from the memorial. I highly recommend this book and would suggest the purchase of the CD version over the print version due in no small part to Franken's wonderfully entertaining and passionate reading as well as his 'liberal' use of actual recorded source material. A great book for anyone who is interested in politics and/or jornalism. Moderate, liberal or conservative, anyone who hates the talking head, always on message, never a true discussion of facts newsmedia we are currently subjected to. This book details tacticts used by those who value sensationalism, and winning the debate over winning it on the merits of their argument. It meticulously sites fact after fact not only pointing out blatant lies made by the more extremely "fair and balenced" media personalities as well as the Bush administration, but debunks the myth of a left leaning media.
Rating:
Summary: Just excellent.
Review: The chapter on the lies about Al Gore during the 2000 election is alone worth the price of admission. Everyone should buy this book to understand the way the right wing media machine manipulates the truth and crushes debate.
Rating:
Summary: Spot on
Review: The comments of "A Reader" below obviously mean that the book is truthful and spot on. Otherwise, why would he get so upset! I enjoyed this book and find it scary that so many people get their news from these liars. It's not possible for everyone in America to confirm facts that the media spit out. America should demand truth in journalism. Whether you are right or left, at least you want to know the truth, dont you? Thank you Al Franken.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring and frustrating at the same time
Review: The direction the Right-wing has taken this country in is disheartening to say the least, and it is probably a little depressing that it takes a comedy writer with a keen interest in, and vast knowledge of, politics and history to shed light on our current situation.
The chapters dealing with the haters and lie spinners (Hannity, Oreilly, Coulter) are like listening to their shows to laugh and "guffaw" at their pompousness and disrespect for their listeners' intelligence, but with a friend who happens to be hysterical, interjecting actual facts and smart comments through it all.
The chapter dealing with blaming Clinton for 9/11, which highlights what Clinton did and was doing vs. what Bush and his administration did, or didn't do, aren't so funny. It's sad, but the more FACTS people can get in place of spin will help history correct current perceptions.
And that brings up the final point, Al Franken uses facts and sources which can easily be traced by anyone with a computer. His counterparts on the other side use lies and distortions to smear and destroy...and it's all laid out here for anyone to read...and decide for themselves. Unfortunately the people who should read this book probably won't, but I urge anyone moderate, independent, or just plain not dumb to read this book, and then read any book by Hannity, or Oreilly, or Limbaugh et al., and compare.
Rating: 
Summary: Is this the Al Franken Autobiography?
Review: the DNC Marxist funny man (When was the last time he was really funny? 1976?) If you think he is a comic you did not see his Stuart movie
Rating:
Summary: FREEDOM
Review: The Faux News Channel conservative propaganda machine needs to be shown for what it is: a 24/7 political commercial for the RNC. Al Franken speaks the truth and the truth will set you FREE.
Rating:
Summary: Consistently hard hitting and witty -- you will LOL
Review: The first paragraph alone is worth the price of admission. Purchase this book along with Paul Krugman and Molly Ivins for a well-rounded critique of the current administration. I agree with the gentleman who said he was laughing out loud -- I dare you not to guffaw at the introduction. Good job Al!
Rating: 
Summary: Funny and Forthright
Review: The first thing that struck me when I picked up this book was the unbelievably bad picture of Bill O'Reilly on the cover. I immediately checked the jacket for photo credits, since I figured a picture this bad had to be doctored somehow. I found that the photo was taken by Nancy Kaszerman of Zuma. I checked Zuma's website and found that she does indeed work for them in New York City, where O'Reilly lives and works. So that part checked out, in addition to being pretty funny (I showed the pic to my roommate and we both had a good laugh). As I read the book it became clear that the cover anecdote had set a pattern for the book: a good laugh and solid basis for the politics behind the laugh. Franken skewers the conservative Holy Trinity of O'Reilly, Coulter and Hannity with both his trademark smartass wit and a basic knowledge of Google. I particularly like his curt exchange with Paul Wolfowitz (page 212) and think it perfectly illustrates how this White House treats its political rivals--with a flag in one hand and an outsretched middle finger on the other. My only complaint was with Franken's sometimes Pollyannaesque (is that the right word? Is that even a word?) portrayal of Bill Clinton. While nobody in their right mind really believes that Clinton killed *all* those people, Franken fails to address the shadiness (real or imagined, take your pick) that surrounds Clinton's legacy and its negative effect on today Democratic Party. But I guess the book wasn't about that anyway. All in all, good reading. I bought it at 6PM and finished it at 2AM the same day. And that's not because I have no life. Really. It isn't.
Rating:
Summary: The Fox Backfire
Review: The Fox Network decided to sue Al Franken for his twitting subtitle of "Fair and Balanced," launching a copyright suit that Aaron Brown of CNN called the "most ridiculous" he had ever seen. The judge hearing the case thought so as well, dismissing it immediately with prejudice. This was not one of Fox's shrewder moves. Franken is not a low seller to begin with, but with this free rocket blast of publicity his book jumped to Number One on the Amazon.com list before it was even available for shipping. Franken begins his shrewd and humorous tome by embellshing upon an incident many of us saw nationally televised on C-Span 2, a joint appearance of Franken's along with fellow liberal humorist and author Molly Ivins and his arch nemesis Bill O'Reilly of Fox fame at the Booksellers Convention in Anaheim, California. When Franken began explaining how O'Reilly had insisted he had won a prestigious Peabody Award while hosting Inside Edition, former Saturday Night Live writer Franken demonstrated conclusively that this was not so. O'Reilly became so apoplectic that, as Franken notes, he wondered if violence would ensue. In his book he expunges O'Reilly's claim of being an independent voter by producing a copy of the commentator's voting application in New York State, which reveals him clearly to be a registered Republican. While keeping the jokes hot and heavy, Franken, in the manner of British writers such as Alexander Pope, uses humor to prove critical points. In this effort he is assisted by Team Franken, a group of bright Harvard University graduate students who assisted him in the important research department. Fox had reason to be unhappy with Franken for more than his material dealing with O'Reilly. He takes on Sean Hannity as well, exploding his contentions about Clinton on military preparedness opposite Ronald Reagan, and concerning his claims that liberals have not achieved prosperity, pointing to Clinton's admirable job creation record. He also pokes fun at a ploy he thinks reflects Fox News head Roger Ailes's cynical sense of humor, adding passively likeable moderate Allan Colmes as a quiet foil for Hannity, billing their joint meetings in a liberal vs. conservative context. Franken supplies a hilarious chapter that appears to be straight out of his Saturday Night Live days about the Chicken Hawks at war, led by George W. Bush with Bill O'Reilly, Phil Gramm, Bill Bennett and Dick Cheney supplying additional muscle. If you like good humor and satire, along with well researched documentation trapping television and radio purveyors of error, this is a book for you to read and enjoy.
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