This much is clear: Al Franken is an asshole. He has an undying passion for confronting people whose political views he disagrees with and publicly humiliating them by calling them out on their deception.
For example, reflecting on his discovery that current National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice had made contradictory statements regarding the terrorism briefings she had been given by the outgoing Clinton Administration, Franken beams: “My instinct was to shout for joy and dance around the room, naked, celebrating the finding of a lie … as I ran around the house, my genitals flopping wildly, embarrassing my wife and her bridge group.” But Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right has been so successful is because in addition to being an asshole, Franken is also both brilliant and hilarious.
A former cast member and writer of Saturday Night Live and the author of the popular 1996 also not-so-subtly titled book, Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot, Franken makes it his goal to disprove the notion of a “liberal bias” in the media. While maintaining that the mainstream media has neither a liberal nor a conservative bias, Franken viciously attacks what he considers the “right-wing media:” conservative radio, The Wall Street Journal’s op-ed pages, The Weekly Standard, and especially Fox News. While Franken revels in personally attacking prominent figures. A sampling of some of the chapter titles to his book are indicators of this penchant for abuse: “Ann Coulter: Nutcase” or “Bill O’Reilly: Lying, Splotchy Bully.” However, Franken saves some of his most scathing commentary for Sean Hannity, the arch-conservative who co-hosts Fox News’ popular Hannity and Colmes. He quips, “Sean may be evil, but he’s not smart.” Al Franken is not one to pull any punches.
Although much of Lies is focused on debunking various statements made by the right-wing media, Franken carries out in-depth analysis of a variety of hot political topics. He seamlessly jumps from the Bill Clinton impeachment to the 2000 election, keeping the reader in a constant state of anticipation regarding what he is going to mock or repudiate next. On the issue of the Confederate Flag, Franken issues a reminder for his conservative, southern “friends” who revel in accusing liberals of a lack of patriotism and even treason. The Confederates, he says, “killed hundreds of thousands of American troops. And for what? So they could whip and torture black people? Why would anyone want to put up a flag honoring that?” Franken describes an incognito tour of the conservative Bob Jones University, where he found welcoming people but was surprised that upon entering the campus he “didn’t set off the Jew alarm.”
Franken recounts the memorial service given for his friend, late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), who died in a plane crash in the midst of a heated campaign to maintain his senate seat last year. Spurred on by Limbaugh, who claimed, “This was not a memorial for Paul Wellstone,” many pundits agreed that the event was more political than reflective. While Franken admits that one eulogizer made a few mistakes, he passionately disputes Limbaugh’s interpretation of the ceremony on the whole and provides a reflection on how moving the experience was to him.
Although Franken at times comes off as arrogant and is without doubt a bitter, mean-spirited man, these characteristics somehow seem commendable. Franken’s “we’re not going to take it anymore” attitude is never lost on the reader. Whether you think he’s exactly what this country needs or just an obnoxious instigator to the downfall of civil discourse, everyone should read Lies not only because you will learn something, but also because you’ll get a great laugh in the process.
