Rating: 
Summary: Nauseating
Review: You have to wonder about the sanity and intelligence of someone who thinks Clinton was an honest person and Bush is a Liar!! Maybe it's the thick coke-bottle glasses that warp his vision, but in his attempt to be a "satirist" he only becomes a liar himself. If this fool is the best the left has to offer in political satire, you guys are in trouble.
Rating:
Summary: Refuting Chapter 22
Review: You just keep lying to your readers, Franken. The following comes from frankenlies dot com:#17: We Are Discouraged, Al ... By Your Facts
Chapter 22 of Franken's book is called "I Grow Discouraged About the Tone." He spends its first couple pages revisiting 2001 media reports that there had been vandalism to White House offices by outgoing Clinton staffers before Bush's people moved in. In the end, of course, Franken tells his readers that these reports were bunk. On pages 153-154 of Lies, he writes,
"Of course, none of this horrible vandalism actually occurred ... Fourteen months later, this, the final investigation of the Clinton administration, yielded a 217-page report that found no damage to the White House nor to the Executive Office Building. 'There is no record of damage that may have been deliberately caused by employees of the Clinton administration.'" I guess Franken is a comedian, because the 'Conclusions' section of that actual report begins as follows, Damage, theft, vandalism, and pranks occurred in the White House complex during the 2001 presidential transition. Incidents such as the removal of keys from computer keyboards; the theft of various items; the leaving of certain voice mail messages, signs, and written messages; and the placing of glue on desk drawers clearly were intentional acts. But what about Franken's cited quotation (the one I put in bold) that appears to be from the 217-page report? The answer: It isn't. It's from an earlier GAO review from the spring of 2001, nearly thirteen months before the final 217-page report was released! In his "Sources and Notes" section at the back of Lies, (on page 359) Franken references a GAO "report" and a salon.com column from May 2001. The final 217-page GAO report is dated June 2002! Franken uses sources that date before the final investigation even being conducted!! By the way, the line about there being "no record" (from May 2001) essentially refers to the fact that the White House/Bush administration had not yet themselves submitted a report (or "record") about deliberate damage that had occurred. (Records were eventually submitted.) It was not a conclusion that there was "no damage," as Franken leads his readers to believe. In the end, there was, in fact, several thousands of dollars in damage. Some of the vandalism? Here are some examples from a White House letter/report within the final GAO report. (Numberings of these examples are mine.) 1. " ... more than 20 W [keyboard] keys glued to the walls; at least 14 to 19 pieces of furniture overturned; computers piled up or overturned on floor; telephones and fax machines unplugged and/or piled on the floor in 25 or more offices; at least a dozen fax lines switched; 5 or 6 glass desk tops broken; a plant dumped in the middle of the floor; drawers open and their contents dumped on the desk or the floor; food inside of desks; and beer, wine and liquor bottles littering offices."
2. A sticker was affixed to a filing cabinet that read "jail to the thief".
3. A key to a file cabinet was found broken off and still hanging in its lock by a metal thread "(suggesting that the damage occurred not long before the transition) and, when the locksmith opened the cabinet, a Gore bumper sticker with the words 'Bush Sucks' was prominently displayed inside."
4. A sign comparing President Bush to a chimpanzee was found "in a number of printers" and "laced" throughout reams of paper.
5. A sign was taped to a desk. It was a mock MasterCard ad that included a picture of President Bush and read, "New bong: $50, cocaine habit: $300, Finding out that the good-old-boy network can still rig an election in the Deep South: priceless. For the rest of us there's honesty."
6. A sign was found reading, "VP's cardiac unit"
7. Graffiti in the men's restroom read, "What W did to democracy, you are about to do in here" There's more, but the point is clear. It's also pretty sobering. If all of this happened at a frat house, it would be one thing. But these events reportedly occurred within buildings that are part of our national treasure. Dignity and respect, anyone? Geesh. How much do all of you want to bet that Franken WILL NOT make proper revisions for his paperback edition?
Rating: 
Summary: Read the book if you're going to submit a book review!
Review: You just strengthen Franken's arguments about liars, hypocrites, etc. by calling him a liar, hypocrite, etc. without reading what he has to say. And what he had to say surprised me. This was the first book of his I've read, so I expected satire, sarcasm, and laughs, which are delivered. What I didn't expect it was the material to be so well researched and well argued. There are a few times when he jabs/accuses without as much to back it up as I would like (e.g. Mr. X avoided military service, without any source or attribution) but the vast majority of things he says he backs up with attributions to newspapers, interview transcripts, interviews with witnesses, etc. The attributions also come from actually transcripts of inverviews or books wherein the speaker or author digs his or her own hole, without any help from Franken. Though some may call it a satire, there are actually some very serious, sad, and disturbing things that he brings to light.
Rating: 
Summary: Only Silence From the Right
Review: You know old Al hit a nerve with this one! No outrage or refutations from his targets on this well aimed book! Why hasn't Coulter, Hannity, Limbaugh or O'Reilly defended themselves on what Al stated? I think it's because Al really nailed them. Yep.
Good work Al. Not only were you pereceptive and on target- you were really funny too. Keep up the good work!
Rating:
Summary: Hey!!! One Star Reviews
Review: You know this is the first online review I've ever written. Why now? You may ask. Well I've read this book 2 or 3 times and have found that it is a great read. It's often funny, more often than not insightful and if nothing else great food for thought. The whole point of the book is to present arguments in a constructive (while at times hilarious) manner based on facts. Sure there is satirical fiction in the book (operation Kitty Hawk) but it's obviously not supposed to be taken seriously. But that's not why I'm writing. So why the review? I've been looking over these 1 and 2 star reviews written. Specifically I've been looking for one of these reviews that actually has something to say other than call Franken names "traitor" "liar" "commie" "ugly" "dweeb" etc. Guess how many of these eloquent reviewers actually backed up their claim that Franken is a liar. Zero! None! Zip! My challenge to you who write these reviews and honestly just make nasty, petty, dim witted insults (if you don't belive me just look at the reviews) is to present the cases where Franken is lying. What specific problems do you have with the book? For God's sake just think or better yet do us all a favor and actually read the book before you start calling someone a commie traitor. Is that to much to ask? Can you all handle that? Maybe take a page from Al and do some homework. So you say he's a liar...PROVE IT!! Just like Al did with your sacred cows O'reilly, Hannity and (Gasp!) coulter, Limbaugh, Cheney etc. etc. Just make a tactful and factual argument (is that really to much to ask?) I have faith in you so GO GET'EM TIGER!
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing as an autumn breeze
Review: You know why right-wing fanatics monopolize forums like talk radio? Because we liberals just want to enjoy our lives and live in a decent world and don't have time or inclination to waste an afternoon listening to AM radio... So the Rush Limbaughs and Liddys of the world swooped down on us in the 90s and took us by surprise with their smear tactics and monologic diatribes (does Rush ever debate anybody?). Mostly we let it bounce off of us because Clinton was doing a good job and we went on living our lives knowing that the man in charge was a decent and compassionate guy... Well we're pissed now to see that the right not only hijacked the 2000 elections but is sending our country into a spiralling collapse. For the right the mere mention of economic class means you're engaging in "class warfare", any critique of the war means you're apologizing for the terrorists (see "Our National Dialgoue on Terrorism" on page 123 of Franken's book--my favorite chapter!). We're not going to take it any more and in addition to rebutting your feeble positions point by point (an easy intellectual exercise) we will also answer your smears with smears and your blows with blows. The times they are a changing'--and thank you Al Franken.
Rating:
Summary: Top notch
Review: You know, I confess. I've always liked the titles of Franken's books, but have never actually read one. This one seemed worth checking out, and it is fantastic. Hilarious (I was rolling on the floor by page 16, it grabs you quickly), and scholarly. Just a wonderful read.
Rating:
Summary: are you serious?
Review: You libs crack me up. When a conservative writes a book, you dismiss it as factually incorrect.(as if you researched it) Someone you agree with comes out with a book, and you swear by it. You even use it to disprove those you disagree with. As if their book has some mystical claim on the truth. I am lucky in that I don't have to pay for these books. I buy conservative books, and a liberal friend buys liberal books, and we swap.
Rating:
Summary: Characteristic Dry Wit and Intelligence
Review: You probably have a good idea as to whether or not you will enjoy this book - trust your instinct! But just in case, I have prepared two reviews for your consideration: Review For Liberals:
This book is quick to read, humorous and thought-provoking. Franken's characteristic dry wit and intelligence will not disappoint his fans, old or new. "Lies and the lying liars who tell them" is not a traditional novel, but rather it is a series of related essays exploring Franken's liberal view point, and dissecting the neo-conservative "view point." It is an eye-opening book that broaches a serious topic, and yet the satirist Franken continues to be optimistic. Review For Conservatives:
The title of this book is insulting and the author is too! ~ dotJim 9/3/2003
Rating:
Summary: Please
Review: You want to say that some news coverage isn't balanced (which it is not), fine. But you don't need to stoop to the level of the people you don't like to do it. The book's title is simply horrendous and portends the kind of equally unbalanced writing you'll find inside.
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