Rating: 
Summary: A stunningly billiant indictment of the "right"
Review: First off I'd like to thank FOX News Corporation for suing Al Franken and Dutton to change the title of this book, because otherwise I may not have realized it existed. Thank you, FOX! As it was, I made a point of buying it immediately after reading the article about the lawsuit, which FOX lost, BTW.Let's start with the title. This book is not meant to be any more "fair and balanced" than Fox news is, which should tell you a lot right there. It is meant to be, and succeeds brilliantly, at being an exhaustively documented, meticulously prepared indictment of the lies (yes, just plain ol' lies) the "right" regurgitates into the public discourse. Franken skewers everyone with the deserved venom that perhaps only an accomplished satirist can bring to bear. But don't feel sorry for them -- they deserve it. Their calculated lies, boorishness, coarseness, bullying tactics and lack of civility make them fair game. (You may be shocked at what some of these self-proclaimed "Christians" do and say. . . although, then again, you may not.) I suppose the wounded howling will begin soon from the "right" about how they've been so unfairly mistreated here. . . well, no worse than they treated anyone on the left, the only difference being that Franken isn't lying. But that's the way bullies are. Fair warning: although the laughs are plentiful, this book is nowhere near as light-hearted as "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations." If anything this book will make you sad that this class of people have actually gained power and a modicum of respectability...
Rating: 
Summary: I want the time I spent reading this drivel back
Review: First off let me preface this by saying that Al Franken was one of the least funny people on Saturday Night Live (in my opinion). So I hesitated to read this book because frankly he puts me to sleep when I see old SNL re-runs of him talking into the mirror. But, since I consider myself a pretty open-minded person I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Plus I wanted to see what all the hype between him and Bill O'Reilly was about. Franken comes off as really bitter and nitpicky. To be honest if this is satire, he should really find a new line of work because this one isnt working out for him. I have yet to read his "Rush is a big fat idiot" Book, but after reading this I really cant see the point. If you are an angry Liberal then this might be your book. However If you are someone that doesnt lean on either side of the aisle then dont read this because this guy is blatently one sided and intellectually dishonest on many points. I have watched Bill O'Reilly and read "Who's looking out for you". I have also watched franken and read this book, and its just my gut feeling that O'Reilly is much more entertaining, and informative. Plus O'Reilly's book seemed to have a usefull purpose where this book was just smear with better research. This is just another "Gotcha" book, and honestly, how many times have we misspoke in our lives?
Rating: 
Summary: A moderate reviews Mr. Franken
Review: First off, Al Franken is a very smart guy and a very funny comedian. I have always enjoyed his appearances on SNL, Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, etc. Franken is also an unabashedly liberal political commentator. While I respect his right to say what he wishes, and he makes a few good points with a fair dose of humor, I had just a few problems with the book. Now, I am by no means a right-winger. My conservative friends call me a liberal and vice versa, so I guess I'm a moderate. I have problems with the Democratic Party, so I don't support the so-called liberal agenda. I consider myself a true liberal, in that I favor change to our society. I also have problems with the Republican Party, so I don't call myself a conservative. I have liberal leanings on many issues, in any case, and I am somewhat disenfranchised by the Bush administration over the war in Iraq. That said, I don't believe that any of this is Bush's fault. He did say that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that don't exist, and his administration must pay the price. Nevertheless, there is no evidence that Bush knew it was a lie, he was trusting a rather unctuous group of used-intelligence salesmen (that should have been sacked immediately after the incident). The fact that there were no high-level firings in the CIA as well as repeated spinning by the administration have led to all sorts of backlash, some of it deserved. However, for Franken to prove his argument that Bush is a liar, it would seem necessary for him to prove that Bush definitely knew there were no WMDs in Iraq. He cannot, because Bush did not know. Thus, the argument falls flat. It seems that every liberal project must have an attack on our nation's president, whether or not it is warranted. 'W' trusted the wrong people, that is all. He should be held accountable, but, as tempting as it is to blame him, it is impossible. His tirade against Ann Coulter similarly seems rather insipid. All journalists will occasionally misquote somebody or make some other factual mistake. They are only human, and I am sure that Mr. Franken has, at least once, done the same. As long as the journalist in question issues a retraction, I have no grudge against said individual. It is interesting that Bill O'Reilly is one of Franken's targets here, because O'Reilly is generally not considered a conservative. He is against the death penalty, pro-choice and for gun control. Perhaps the only reason he is lumped in here is because he often expresses dislike for dogma-spouting liberals (as well as far right reactionaries). We keep hearing from liberal mavens about how he says his upbringing was more humble than it was, which might be true. The fact that it is included here is disappointing, because it is definitely not an original story (Franken owes this to the Slate online magazine). He also claims that there is no liberal bias in the media. While this is more true than it was five years ago, it is not necessarily true yet. Aside from Fox News, liberals control all the major TV News outlets. Most of the newspaper media is controlled by liberals. True, conservative books and radio programs are very influential, but there is no monopoly there, either. Perhaps Franken means that the amount of territory controlled by both is about equal, which I would grant, but there still exists a liberal bias in the TV and newspaper media (and a conservative one on the radio). Ultimately, Franken makes plenty of good points. Many of the conservative commentators in this country bug me. He was ahead of his time in regards to Rush Limbaugh. Unfortunately, the purpose of this book is not to persuade. It is to preach, mainly to the choir. Instead of genuinely trying to show the problems of the American Right in an evenhanded manner, he just ends up spewing incendiary polemic. The only difference between this man and liberal demagogues like Michael Moore is that Franken believes in reason and substance rather than inflamed emotions, he seems genuinely interested in making a solid case, and for that reason, the book is able to stand on its own. One must wonder, however, how the liberal faction is going to expand in the coming years if it remains this exclusive.
Rating: 
Summary: Another great read from Mr. Franken
Review: First off, being the moderate that I am, I started this book with a completely open-mind and an eye for criticism. I wanted to see some verifiable facts and proof of the so-called "Liars" and the "Lies" that he claims come from the conservative-viewed talk-show and TV hosts that seem to be so dominant in American media today. I DID NOT want to see a book of conservative-bashing rhetoric, full of unresearchable and unverifiable opinion and conjecture---those kind of books are boring and repetitous---like the liberal-bashing Sean Hannity book, Let Freedom Ring. Well, I was not disappointed at all. With the exception of a few excerpts that were rather harsh and could be construed as "unverifiable opinion" of someone or an actual event (and usually Mr. Franken would note this), this book was thoroughly researched and referenced. I took pains to actually verify a few of his facts, just to be sure. I also spent time going over reviews from "critics" of this book and found only a handful of criticisms, mostly made up of getting mad at Mr. Franken and calling him meaningless bad names, but no real factual rebuttals or anything of substance. I don't listen to people who get mad and name-call because they disagree. Give me the facts and back up your claims! Mr. Franken does just that and I highly recommend this book to people who aren't afraid to hear the facts and not just meaningless drivel from someone who thinks that same as they do. If you are a Dittohead or "Hannitized", just look elsewhere--you won't find the "Republicans can do no wrong", factless (not based on fact), liberal-bashing, unsubstantiated and opinionated talk you are looking for. Try Sean Hannity or Ann Coulter---then you can feel safe and happy.
Rating:
Summary: In response to 0 star reviews...
Review: First off, I'm giving this book 5 stars, not because I think it necessarily earns all of them (I'd give it 4 stars, normally), but just to offset some of those people who don't actually write a review about a book, instead choosing to make themselves sound like third graders by calling names, and insisting on what a "liar" Mr. Franken is, just for being a liberal. Yes, this book definitely holds some left-wing bias, BUT it is absolutely infinitessimal in comparison to the type of bias that Rush Limbaugh, or Bill O'Reilly show on a daily basis. Usually, Mr. Franken's bias only extends to being overly nitpicky about a few small things that some of these conservatives have wrong. He doesn't blow them out of proportion, but gives them a little more space in the book than they're worth. Besides, even WITH any sort of bias, he actually gives a reason for his beliefs, and backs it up with factual data to show you how he came to his conclusions. If the messenger is biased, at least the message isn't. Also, please, if you're going to write a review about a book, try showing that you've read it instead of just throwing around insults at the author without pointing to any examples as to why you feel the way you do.
Rating: 
Summary: Politics as bad comedy
Review: First off, I'm not American, do not live in the United States, and have only the most passing knowledge of the media figures Franken writes about. I picked up this book out of curiosity. I thought it would be 'different' to read about national politics from the point of view of a comedian, something that's not so common where I come from. On the whole, it's not my brand of humor (indeed, I found parts of it painfully unfunny) and as an introduction to America's larger-than-life TV commentators and to various politicians' fabrications, it just falls short - most of the time, the author just replaces bias with bias. His excessive, semi-malicious glee irritates me as well. I found the anecdote about Bill O'Reilly making a fool of himself after he's found out that Franken wants to include a photo of a blotchy-faced O'Reilly on this book's cover, unfunny and over-the-top. The general tone is just too irritatingly triumphant without being able to carry that off through great humor. By the way, Mr Franken: The word "media" is plural. Therefore, the media ARE biased, the media HAVE a right-wing slant, the media DO not like being wrong. Since you made the media the focus of your book, you could at least have bothered to get that right.
Rating:
Summary: A welcome tonic for an unabashed liberal
Review: First off, keep in mind that when Al Franken says "fair and balanced" that he's a comedian. I think most if not all of what he writes about is accurate but he does do some nitpicking. Having said that, though, this book is hilarious and merciless at the same time. If you're tired of hearing and seeing arch conservatives complain all the time about the media, blissfully ignoring the fact that they're part of the media, all the while ignoring the truth and making up "facts" as they go along then this is the book for you. Franken skewers Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and their boss Rupert Murdoch and that's just in the first third of the book. He does it deftly using their own words against them framed within his own wise-guy voice. A lot of research went into this book and he backs up the statements he makes, which must make conservatives furious. When did being a liberal become a bad thing? I don't know but it's about time we, and I'm proud to say I'm a liberal, start fighting back and this is a funny step in the right, I mean the correct, direction. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Laugh out loud funny exposure of right-wing hypocrisy
Review: First off, much of this book is roll on the floor funny. Very rarely do I read laugh-out-loud funny books. I am very happy to add this book to the list. As I read this book, I kept turning back to copyright page in shock. I could not believe that it was printed in September 2003. Fact after fact that were just shockingly "uncovered" during the 9/11 hearings were right there in plain sight, months before the mainstream media picked up on them up during Condi Rice's infamous public testimony before the 9/11 committee. On page 120 and 162, Franken goes into deep detail about the now infamous Aug. 6, 2001 PDB, even including the title: "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." The day of Condi Rice's testimony, Chris Matthews of "Hardball" (who I like and respect) went on and on about how he had never heard of this PDB and how shocking it was. I thought the exact same thing until now, a few weeks later, and low and behold Franken had it right there in plain sight months ago. (Come on Chris! Expand your reading list a little bit!) What is equally fascinating is how he exposes the lies and distortions of people like Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter and O'Reilly. It is almost like these far-right conservations refuse to think about what they are saying. And then when their statements are proved wrong, they get all defensive and go back to the tried and true response of blaming everything on Bill Clinton. Al Franken's 14 person "research staff ", all of them students, deserves accolades and hopefully a cut from the profits of this book by doing miraculous research in meticulously exposing these lies and distortions. One can only come away from this book with the impression that the "hate America first" crowd is really the Limbaughs, Coulters, O'Reillys and Hannitys of the world. These types are sick twisted people who have lost their moral compass and have begun to believe their own lies. The hypocrisy of their public statements is most disturbing. While it was perfectly acceptable for them to fling hate at the previous administration, anyone saying virtually the exact same things about GW is suddenly "unpatriotic" and a "traitor." This is pure hypocrisy. Now a personal request to Al Franken. Please, please start ghost-writing speeches for John Kerry. It is imperative he get elected and your incredible wit and insight might turn the tide. Talk to him! Coach him! I beg of you do this for America. Now a few negatives about the book. Not every section is funny or appropriate. I thought the extended chickenhawks fighting in Vietnam wasn't that funny and it went on too long. The book would have just as good without this section. Besides that, kudos to Al Franken for writing a courageous and funny book.
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Summary: Who is this www.frankenlies.com guy?
Review: First off, the book is terrific. But the big question is who is this guy from Kentucky who writes almost the same negative review EVERY DAY, and tells you to go to his web site? If you're looking for a prime example of right-wing dirty tricks, look no further than this guy who's working to lower the overall rating. Get a life! Come on, amazon.com...is this fair?
Rating:
Summary: Funny and entertaining respite from AM radio...
Review: First off, this is not a serious discussion of liberal politics and thought. Lies and The Lying Liars Who Tell Them is what you might call a guilty pleasure. It's a humorous respite for any centrist or liberal who has gotten tired of turning on their TV or radio and being subjected to self-aggrandizing ego-maniacs hysterically spit out spiteful, bitter, unsubstantiated invective in their direction. Franken's primary goal is not to convince the reader that Democrats are correct, but rather to defend the reader, as well as the majority of Americans, from the vitriol (including accusations of conspiracy and treason, taken nearly verbatim from the Cold War era HUAC) routinely directed at them from hard-right-wing agitators who pose as journalists and commentators. He uses a team of Harvard researchers to document how men like Hannity and Limbaugh, who have no journalistic education or experience, have made million-dollar careers out of polarizing American politics by pandering to gullible people with specious arguments, systematic deception, and blatant intellectual dishonesty. The book is filled with examples of how these pundits lie about everything from their political party affiliation to their age, how they filter news by telling their audience only what they want to hear, and how they will not hesitate to bend, distort, or invent facts to support their arguments. Coulter, in particular, is so far out of the solar system that Franken has a difficult time choosing which examples to use. The second half of the book discusses the broader phenomena of right-wing news, demonstrating how organizations like Fox News, The Washington Times, and The New York Post decry what they perceive to be a liberal bias in the media, while making absolutely no effort to be fair and balanced themselves. Franken details how men like Wesley Pruden and Roger Ailes routinely violate journalistic ethics in an effort to slant news in a conservative direction. Pruden, for instance, has an admitted habit of inserting politically-motivated contents into stories and columns in his newspaper without even consulting the authors. Such unethical actions are almost unthinkable at a mainstream newspaper; at the Washington Times, they're common practice. Franken also shows how conservative partisans use the right-wing press "echo chamber" to force questionable and unsubstantiated stories, especially Republican talking points and scandals, into the mainstream news media. There is one emotional part in particular where Franken drops his humorous tone entirely and details how pundits such as Tucker Carlson and Peggy Noonan worked overtime to wildly misrepresent the funeral of his good friend Paul Wellstone. Both Noonan and Carlson later admitted that neither had actually watched the funeral before opening their mouths. Instead, they had watched one or two brief clips shown to them by "friends". Overall, Lies and The Lying Liars Who Tell Them is well-written, quite funny, and painstakingly documented. Franken makes a particular point of avoiding most of the misleading and dishonest techniques used by the pundits he debunks. I'd recommend the book to anyone tired of listening to Bill O'Reilly refer to himself as a "news analyst" who's "looking out for you". As a side note, it's nice to see that each and every member of the Ann Coulter fanclub had enough time on their hands to show up, falsely claim to have read Franken's book, and then go on to regurgitate, in some cases word for word, the same vague, inaccurate and spiteful invective they heard Hannity and O'Reilly level at Franken the day before. A word of advice to the so-called "serious conservative" reviewers: You're embarrassing yourselves. Intelligent, thinking conservatives don't bother reading Franken (they don't read Coulter either), and they certainly don't waste their time logging onto the internet to lie about having read his book to drag down its Amazon user rating. That's just plain sad.
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