Rating: 
Summary: A quick read that opens your eyes
Review: As I read the book I could just see conservatives trying to come up with ways to counter what Al and his research team have put together in this book. The problem for them is that the research is well done and doesn't present the argument with any spin. He just lays it out there. Obviously we know what his opinions are on the people and issues he brings up, but he isn't trying to fool anyone. Any educated person (with a sense of humor) can see quite clearly what Al is trying to say in this book. I hope more conservatives would give this a read and open their eyes to the possibility that what the media is feeding them isn't necessarily the truth.
Rating:
Summary: A funny yet truthful commentary on the right wing hypcracy
Review: As I read this, I can hear Al's voice dripping with sarcasm in his own inimitable style. We need more like this, with such an easy target as the current right-wing extremists who have absconded with the Republican Party. And the hapless "lugnut" who currently resides in the White House. I need to comment on one of the negative reviews that compares Al's book to Ann Coulter....you missed the point! Ann is a ranter who takes herself WAY too seriously. Al's a satirist (not a satir, as he would probably point out). His style satirizes Coulter, O'Reilly and Hannity's absolutist, personalized ranting. You're being way too literal in reading this book, my friend, (sounds like you're reading it to see what "the enemy" is saying) and had your opinion set before picking it up. Al is providing some punch that we have been lacking for some time. And it's a unique blend of humor with the sabre. Well done!
Rating: 
Summary: Funny As Expected. But Also Disappointing.
Review: As if we needed another book to reinforce the contempt partisans hold for each other. Admittedly, the book is funny. But, in terms of contributing to anything useful in the political realm, the book is about as effective as the rhetoric that comes from the likes of Ann Coulter and others who poison the well for profit. Of course, Franken can get away with his brand of vitriol by labeling it "sarcasm," "analysis" or "satire." But, the impact on public discourse is the same - it further polarizes ideologues and turns the majority of moderate Americans off.
Rating: 
Summary: We deserve better
Review: As long as nobody expects a sophisticated discourse from the man best known for his scathing 1996 attack on the right called Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot, then most of the disappointment from this book will be avoided. Unfortunately, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them is probably the first salvo in what will likely be an unusually intense and sadly counterproductive season of mudslinging from both sides of the political spectrum. But even if the worst is yet to come, this collection of slapstick humor and wisecracks is tilted enough to assure that its subtitle -- A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right -- should only be said between snickers or with tongue planted firmly in cheek. I don't differ with most aspects of author Al Franken's political agenda. He makes important points regarding the GOP's reliance on "Clinton bashing" as a fallback explanation for almost anything that goes awry. And I have always enjoyed seeing political figures with the spotlight placed on their job-related lies and misrepresentations, something that Mr. Franken's eager team of Harvard researchers seems adept at uncovering. In my opinion, the basic ideas behind his views on the Bush tax cuts, the war in Iraq, and election strategies come close to the mark. But I wonder why it is so hard to produce some kind of thoughtful and intelligent partisan discussion these days, something biting and serious but written well enough to capture the public's imagination. By that standard, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them falls flat on its face. The book instead settles for being Mr. Franken's latest self-centered treatise with another title that sounds as if it was written by an R-rated Dr. Seuss and filled with arguments pat enough that they could fit into word balloons over the heads of teenage comic book characters. We deserve better.
Rating:
Summary: An Intelligent Response To The Conservative Right
Review: As most of you know, hearsay (an out-of-court statement offered for the true of the matter stated) is not allowed in U.S. courts since it is deemed not trustworthy. However, an exception to this hearsay exclusion rule is a 'statement against interest'. That is, if a person makes an out of court statement that is against that person's interests, it is deemed trustworthy enough to allow into court. For wealthy people like Al Franken (and for that matter, Warren Buffet & Bill Gates, Sr.) to advocate for positions against their interests like higher taxes provides a greater credibility to their statements than the those of the hard-right elite that will benefit massively from tax cuts that mainly enrich the already wealthy. But beyond this inherent credibility, Al Franken employs a hard-working crew of dedicated researchers, dubbed TeamFranken, that carefully check each of the factual assertions and quotes. The resulting book is an extremely informative and entertaining look at the right-wing pundits, their misleading methods, and the positions they advocate. As a testament to TeamFranken's strength, Fox News seems to have been unable to muster a colorable defamation suit but instead filed a flimsy trademark infringement assertion that was thrown out of court by a judge who chastised Fox News for 'trying to undermine the First Amendment.' Franken's book is a collection of personal stories, analysis of right-leaning pundits, policy analysis, and satirical fiction. Franken clearly advocates for liberal policies, but unlike some other pundits (*Cough*BillO'Reilly*Cough) he does not make misleading statements by claiming to be independent. He attacks the hypocrisy, inconsistencies, and outright falsehoods that are used to defend right-wing positions Franken sets forth his liberal positions in a very entertaining manner and those positions are backed by the TeamFranken research. For anyone that even has minor questions about veracity of Fox News, the right-wing pundits, and the conservative talk radio on the AM dial, this book is a must-read. For those ditto-heads, citizens of the Savage Nation, and Fox News 'fans' (as Fox News itself labels its viewers) that take the right-wing view without any question, I pity you. A closed mind cannot learn. Go ahead and start bashing Franken as a 'liberal traitor sissy' now because I'm sure your leaders who you blindly follow will be telling you to do that soon.
Rating:
Summary: An enlightening and humorous look at the right
Review: As much as I love the wit and writing of Al Franken, He owes the success fo this book to the right-wing lunatics who cannot keep their lies straight and perpetuate them over and over without one shred of evidence. As a independent voter for the most part I was amazed that more of these points haven't been exposed before by the "liberal" media. After reading this book I did a lot of web surfing and reading of manuscripts on the sites that were cited in the book. I found the book was supported by the transcripts and Franken didn't just excerpt parts to make it look bad for the "bushies". Great work by a admittedly liberal to print the truth as well as some admitted funny lies. Great book!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: O'Reilly and Defaming 9-11 Victims
Review: As noted in Franken's book, Bill O'Reilly has been defaming the son of a 9-11 victim on a weekly basis, via "The Factor." This young man, a Ph.D. candidate, lost his father on 9-11. As noted in Franken's book, this man was invited onto O'Reilly's program. When he began to disagree with O'Reilly's point of view, O'Reilly disconnected his microphone and ended the interview. As later reported in Harper's Magazine, and as is quoted in Franken's book, following the interview, O'Reilly told this man to "get out of my f---ing studio, or I'll tear you apart." As Franken has noted, O'Reilly was asked about this incident on the program "Fresh Air" with Terri Gross. When confronted with this information, O'Reilly claimed that this young man had stated that Bush senior and junior had foreknowledge of 9-11. The problem: he had said nothing of the sort. O'Reilly transcripts are available through LEXIS, so you can check this out for yourself. This is all-too-reminiscent of previous O'Reilly claims (e.g., never having said that Inside Edition won two Peabodys) that can simply be checked, and disproven, by reading the transcripts of his own statements. However, when Bill O'Reilly, with such distortions, repeatedly defames a man who lost his father on 9-11, and who lacks both the control over the microphone and a studio to "throw them out of", simply to preserve his own image, he goes beyond his previous deceptions to new levels of the "viciousness" that he all too readily attributes to others. Astonishishly self-serving. Yet remarkably consistent. Disprove the facts that Al raised, Bill.
Rating: 
Summary: There was no .1 stars option
Review: As one would expect, Al Franken's new book is "bad enough, it's dumb enough, and gosh darnit, nobody likes it!" Franken again regurgitates a string of tired-out, false interpretations of loose facts that he overheard around the Closet Homosexuals of America mineral-water cooler. Franken's argument lacks insight, due diligence, anything resembling research, and lots of material that would be funny to anyone who was born and raised in solitary confinement. Liberals, this is the book for you. Just senseless enough to make you instantly buy it and canonize it. Enjoy, you muttonheaded socialists.
Rating:
Summary: Franken lives up to his title
Review: As promised in the title, Al Franken exposes the "lies and the lying liars who tell them". He dissects the rhetorical discourse and actions of the right-wing media and political figures with his satire and wit to ultimately create a book that is both well supported and entertaining. While Franken in no way does not give politeness a second thought nor does he shy away from injecting his opinion, he consistently backs up his arguments with thorough facts and examples.
Franken shines light on many of the assumptions of the right-wing, such as the notion that liberals hate America or an existing liberal bias in the media. While these assumptions have been questioned and examined before, Franken's account is unique in that he raises his arguments in a manner that employs accuracy and humor. Sources range from personal conversations to document analysis to his own exploratory investigation. While some may argue that Franken undoubtedly has an opinion on the subject matter, they cannot deny the profundity of evidence he uses to support it.
Rating:
Summary: I am through with Bush
Review: As serious as it is funny.
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