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Summary: changed my affiliation form independent to democrat
Review: As someone who basically shies from politics and feels that anyone with power eventually becomes corrupt I turn a deaf ear to most partisan debate. I must say, however, I have observed of late a severe shift to the right in media coverage. The commentors like Coulter et al truly believe they can say anything and dare anyone to disagree. This book opened my eyes and made me realize how truly terrifying the situation has become. I can appreciate someone who makes an argument and backs it with supporting detail.I dont find this to be the case with O'Reilly's and Coulter's books. I will vote for whoever can get this right wing puppet out of White house. He is a menace.
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Summary: THIS MAN HAS GUTS!!
Review: As someone who lost faith in politics (after the 2000 election) I picked up this book more for its entertainment value than anything else and Boy! was I surprised. Yes Franken is hilarious and cynical but he drives his point home with facts and research. He addresses what I've noticed for so many years, the deceit of our leaders and the "enablers" in the news media. This man has GUTS!!!
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Summary: Don't be put off by http://www.frankenlies.com
Review: As someone who read and very much enjoyed Franken's book, I was curious to check out this site and its attempts to debunk Franken. Please check it out for yourself, but I found the site, along with some legitimate errors found, mostly includes spin points on issues that are still very much up for debate.
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Summary: No wonder it's such a bestseller!
Review: As the title indicates, Al Franken's book is about lies and the lying liars that are telling them. And some of the liars are on the cover of his book. Which is not to say that these people agreed with Mr. Franken's characterization. Franken tells us how conservatives propagandists have successfully spread the myth that a liberal bias permeates American mainstream media, particularly television and newspapers, but - as other authors (e.g. Eric Alterman) have done- Al shows us that, for the most part, this is just that - a myth. Mr. Franken writes about the purported lies attributed to Vice-president Gore and that during the last presidential campaign received much attention from the allegedly liberal media. As Franken shows us, on closer examination these "lies" were no more than a distortion of Mr. Gore's words - which didn't keep the "liberal" media from quickly labeling Mr. Gore as a fibber while - for some unknown reason - they pretty much ignored a more serious problem with the truth that the other candidate, George W. Bush, seemed to have. Among other things, the book also points to the hypocrisy of those now in the administration who exalt war and quickly send young American soldiers into harm's way while they, as young men, purposefully avoided serving their country in military combat. Also, in a passionately touching way, Franken tells us how some conservative Republicans and administration officials shamefully exploited Paul Wellstone's death and promoted a distorted view of his memorial for their own political benefit, while hypocritically accusing Mr. Wellstone's supporters of doing just that. This book is full of seemingly well-researched information and insightful facts. As a satirist and comedian, Al Franken take on two of the media characters that appear on the cover of his book - ultra-right guru, Ann Coulter, and FOX News biggest star, pompous Bill O'Reilley, is truly hilarious as well as interesting. He shows us, with well-documented proof (footnotes), that Ann is not just a mean, shrill, and possibly nutty right wing extremist, but that she is also quite the liar, starting with her confusion about her date of birth - information that, for some reason, I found too funny. Mr. O'Reilley, as it turns out, is also one of those lying liars, and not only about journalistic awards that he's never received, but - weirdly - about his own socio-economic background. So Coulter fibs about her age and O'Reilley about where he grew up. These, of course, are not the important lies.
Franken wittily tells us how Bill O'Reilley bullies and intimidates his guests, while distorting and putting his own spin on the facts in his (big irony here) "No-Spin-Zone" show. It is not clear when and to whom O'Reilley's supposedly strict "no-spin" rule applies but, clearly, it never applies to him. Franken is also right on target describing that other big FOX star, the ultra-conservative Sean Hannity. He is quite hilarious showing how loudmouth Hannity bullies and silences his much nicer (and supposedly liberal) but unassertive partner, Alan Colmes, in their show "Hannity &Colmes - a show that, incidentally, insults any intelligent viewer by claiming to present a look at the issues from both the right and the left, but that in reality is a very unfair and very unbalanced discussion between an overpowering bully like Hannity (the one with the good hair) and a milquetoasty Colmes (the one with the funny hair) - which is really a cynical joke, not only on the audience, but on poor abused Alan Colmes. Franken shows us, with lots of humor and passion, how powerful people with a radical right-wing agenda - in government, business, and in the media - are spinning, distorting, abusing, misusing, and even inventing facts, in order to spread their message and promote their particular (sometimes cooky, sometimes dangerous) worldview, as they manipulate and deceive constituents, listeners, and readers. But the book is certainly not an attack on all conservatives or on their belief and opinions. Unlike, say, Ms. Coulter, Mr. Franken is not out to insult or verbally chastise all those who don't share his views, or to label them fools or traitors, or fascists or Nazis. Franken, I think, is righteously angry at those who manipulate and distort the truth, unconcerned about the consequences. He is is angry at the hypocrites who preach but don't practice what they preach; who talk about rules and morals but don't play fair. But mostly, I think, Al is angry at all those lying liars who are telling us the lies and are getting away with it. Reading his book can make you just as angry at what some of these people are doing to our country. And it may just motivate you to do something about it. But even if the book doesn't do any of the above, it will almost certainly make you laugh.
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Summary: Al Franken sucks !
Review: As usual, anything Al Franken has acted, spoke, or written has been boring liberal whining trash. This book contains nothing but the same rhetoric. My rating is a big YAWN!
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Summary: Al Gore lost - Get over it
Review: As usual, Franken's writing is boring. I'm not a Republican and not a Bush fan, but this book is a classic example of what's wrong with the left. Dripping with hate, no real substance and lot's of whining, and all seasoned with with personal attacks and childish insults. It's no wonder they can't make any valid points on the issues or win elections anymore.
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Summary: Franken fights just like his enemies - unfairly
Review: As with any book, I find it difficult to assign an overall star rating, and this book is especially difficult. Lying Liars has many good qualities, and many bad qualities. Humor gets 3 stars. Originality gets 1 star. Attacks on Hannity and Coulter get 3 stars. Attacks on Katherine Harris and the Bush administration get 1 star. Accuracy in facts get 4 stars. Logical conclusions and fairness gets 0 stars. To his credit, Franken avoids the frequent mistakes committed by talk show hosts and overly productive pundits (on both the right AND the left, like Michael Moore and Robert Scheer). But like his far right counterparts, Franken tells only part of the truth, avoiding any counter or mitigating arguments, and embellishing his points with suggestive anecdotes and emotional appeals to outrage and ridicule. Was it really necessary for Franken, in order to expose the intellectual weaknesses of popular right celebrities, to adopt the same tone and logical terrorism he derides?
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Summary: Conservatives make me sick
Review: As you can already tell from these reviews, this is an excellent TRUTHFULL BOOK (COUGH) O'RIELY (COUGH) H AND C. Oh yeah, about my title, i went to see the lowest rated ones. Yet more conservatives who believe everything that the president and his media tell them to believe. Some of the things they said made me want to puke. i.e "I would like to see Al Franken (EVIL UNPATRIOTIC DEMOCRATIC LIBERAL) to fight Sean Hannity (A TRUE AMERICAN)." Dear insanley gullable individual.
YOU ARE A MORON WHO DOSEN'T QUESTION YOUR GOVERMENT, AN ACTION THAT IS PATRIOTIC. LIBERALS LOVE THIS COUNTRY, WE JUST CAN'T STAND THE CONSERVATIVES RUNNING IT.
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Summary: Fabulous, funny work
Review: As you can see from the irate reviews written by members of the right--who, I'm sure, haven't even read the book--this book picks a scab off the right's nose, exposing it for the ugly thing it is. Franken blasts Ann Coulter, O'Reilly, G.W. Bush, Karl Rove, and several other Shrublicans. The difference between Franken's book and books written by conservatives of the same nature, is that Franken actually supports his claims. He also does a terrific job of exposing A. Coulter's horrific writing tactics: invent things and call them truths, scew and misquote the words of others, quote words that are being quoted, and attribute them to the quoter that she is quoting, rather than the person the quoter was quoting, etc. It's a great book, buy it now.
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Summary: A review for the majority of us...
Review: As you can see...90% of the reviews are by the party faithful...the ultra rights and lefts. However, those extremists make up 10% of the real American public opinion. The majority of Americans have centrist viewpoints. This review is for you. This book, love it or hate it, has incontrovertible evidence that, yes, these people lied. Now, it's up to you as to whether or not you want to read a mildly humorous book that points these lies out with hard facts...photo copies in some cases. The lies are obvious in most cases and Machiavellian in others, but after reading this book you will indeed know that, yes, these people flat out lied ('you' being the majority...the extremist minority will not change their opinions or reviews). Democrats, on the whole, are no better than the GOP and both parties are good at lying, but Franken does a good partisan job of pointing out the lies the GOP has been producing for quite some time. The same 'uncovering' could easily be done by someone from the right, but it would be a completely humorless attempt. That is why I recommend this book to all of you out there in the middle...although partisan, it is factual and entertaining and in some cases funny.
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