Rating: 
Summary: refreshing alternative to extremist rants
Review: At last! It's been difficult to be a liberal for the last, oh, couple of decades. I used to think Ronald Reagan was bad, until George W. came along with his experienced team of grey-haired criminals. Many is the time I've seethed as right-wing extremists like Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter (aka Nutcase) criticized liberals at the same time they've coarsened public discourse, impeached a president, denied citizens the vote and stolen an election. Then we're told we should "get over it". That Tom Delay and Dick Cheney love this country more than we do. Well, I'm not over it, and Delay and Cheney and Rove don't know what this country is about, and it is absolutely lovely to hear someone (a) point these things out, (b) refute the BS with research and facts, and (c) do so with a laugh. With chapters on Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, the Wellstone memorial service, the military, abstinence, tax relief, pig feces and Barbara Bush, this is a terrific mix of comedy and savage ridicule. This is less detailed than recent books criticizing the administration (eg Joe Conason's Big Lies) but also more accessible -- a great gift for your conservative relations before the upcoming election. I hope this is the beginning of a moderate and liberal movement to take back our country, and I hope the next president will appoint Al Franken Secretary of Information (and Ralph Nader to clean up corporate crime and Al Gore Secretary of the Interior) -- hey, a liberal can dream!
Rating:
Summary: Watch-out Right Wing Nuts...
Review: At long last, here comes someone from the left to take on the right wing bullies. I'm a conservative myself, but even conservatives can take only so much of crap from these extreme right talk show hosts who seem to have taken over conservatism and patriotism...and several other 'isms.
Mr.Franken, though at times a little too liberal for my liking, is genuinely funny and hard hitting at the same time. Unlike some right-wing-nut nitwit "writers", Mr.Franken backs up his cases with proofs. You don't have to be a liberal to love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Too Crude? Too Mean-Spirited? Too Bad!
Review: At long last, someone got the guts to kick some sand in the face of the lying conservative bullies! Al Franken is a national treasure and I'm thrilled by the success of this book. As someone who actually reads the newspapers and watches the news, I've known for a long time that the "liberal media" was nothing more than an invention of the radical right, but I'm thrilled to see a #1 bestselling book finally knock it down for good. Anybody who can read the chapters on the outrageous way that Al Gore's campaign and Paul Wellstone's memorial were covered in the press and still think the media is controlled by liberals is truly beyond help. You keep giving them hell, Al. This proud liberal is sick and tired of being called anti-American and blamed for 9/11 and every other ill that's ever befallen this country. Finally, someone tells it like it is. Thanks, Bill O'Reilly, for being such a thin-skinned little wimp and bringing this book lots of extra publicity.
Rating:
Summary: A thorough debunking with plenty of laughs
Review: At this point, I'm only about 1/3 of the way through, but had to comment -- TeamFranken does a masterful job crystallizing the arguments against the right wing media, and debunking the myth of liberal media bias, and showing the difference between the right wing's blind faith and the true meaning of loving one's country. It's the argument you never hear because anyone who tries to make these points on TV or Radio is shouted down, interrupted, badgered, and not allowed to be heard -- in the rare instances they get to say anything at all. A lot of the content involves factchecking, which on its own, could be pretty dry. Fortunately, the Franken wit makes it entertaining as well as educational. Read the truth behind some of your favorite right wing LIES. Clinton did NOT allow 9/11 to happen due to inaction. Al Gore did NOT claim to invent the internet, nor did he claim he and Tipper were the basis for "Love Story." And most all, read about the lying liars such as Sean Hannity, Bill O'Rielly, Ann Coulter (that girl ain't right) and many more. And woven through the book (so far) are examples showing why George W. Bush may well end up being the worst, most deceitful president in our nation's history. Thanks to copious notes and thorough research, Franken's book is a lot more "solidly built" than Michael Moore's "Stupid White Men" or "Bowling for Columbine" but every bit as engaging. And it illustrates just how the right-wing arguments are truly "paper thin."
Rating:
Summary: Spirit of Pulitzer
Review: Authentic White House reporting not seen since the triple-source-checking days of Watergate. I naively kept wondering why the press was giving Bush a bye. Now we know why. Interesting to note how almost all of the one-star "reviewers" are shrill in tone and can cite nothing beyond the cover, their apparent sole purpose being to bring down the rating level. I suspect this is symbolic of the beginning of Campaign 2004 Dirty Tricks; wonder how the $175 million in the campaign chest is going to be used while the president, because of his office, gets virtually unlimited press access for free? Remember this book.
Rating:
Summary: Once again,the right exposed
Review: Awwwwwwww,Al,well big guy,ya did it again,i gotta take off my hat to a warm wonderful book about the phony right wing of America,wait,hat,I don't wear a hat,ok,ok,it's just a great book,i could not put this book down,Bushwacked,boomerang,also wonderful,but Al Franken has the humor and wit that will keep you involved with each page,and yes,I am so awating the next book Al,whatever it is,I am ready to buy....ty....Lance
Rating:
Summary: Funny Yet Disturbing
Review: Backed up by had facts and a bit disturbing because of it, Franken takes on much of the BS proposed by other writers claiming a media bias. Keep another book handy so that you can take a break from this one when it gets to be too much.
Rating: 
Summary: Great marketing campaign
Review: Barbra Streisand has a spectacular singing voice. The Dixie Chicks sing catchy songs too. Harrison Ford is my favorite actor. And 20 years ago, Al Franken was amusing on late-night TV. But I wouldn't pay any attention to any of them when it comes to economics or politics or foreign policy. I don't think Franken wrote this book himself, and I wonder how many of these books have been "bought" only to be stacked unread in warehouses. Just make sure to read the next book pointing out the "lies" in Franken's book: after all, Franken says he put pictures of the liars on the cover of his book . . . and look who's picture is the biggest. But hey, 2 stars for successfully baiting O'Reilly and Fox into suing, and a successful marketing campaign to the faithful.
Rating: 
Summary: Dissapointed
Review: Based on the title, I thought the book was about Clinton, Kerry, and all the other democrats who flip-flop stories more often than I eat dinner. Instead, this book was a rant by a comedian whose most credible source was the New York Times...I rest my case. Oh well, I guess people who turn to the Times for real news would probably like this book...
Rating:
Summary: My literary equivalent of a kindred spirit has arrived!
Review: Be still my heart! This book is amazing, intelligent, honest, well-researched, witty, and exactly what I've been looking for since I was thirteen years old. Al Franken is my hero! I wish I could elaborate more, & indeed I shall.. but, at the moment, having just finished, I can merely utter "read it, read it!"
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