Newspaper Endorses Al Franken For US Senate

STINKIN' ANNOUNCEMENTS?

Early Franken Endorsement, Armed Forces Radio Pickup



At least one newspaper is so eager to sweep away Republicans, it's already making what seems to be an endorsement, for a 2008 race!

Why wait for a declaration from the potential candidate, or bother to consider who else might run for the seat?

Announcements? We don't need no stinkin' announcements!

Sure enough, the lucky recipient is our friend Al Franken, who must have been thrilled to read this Madison Capital Times editorial, as he visited Wisconsin's notoriously liberal seat of government:

Editorial: Senator Franken


This newspaper always counted the late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone among its favorite people in Washington. Indeed, there were more than a few days during the Minnesota Democrat's two terms in the Senate when we wished he was representing Wisconsin.

Wellstone's death in 2002 hit Wisconsin progressives every bit as hard as it did our neighbors to the west. Many of us thought we had lost our third senator.

Almost as painful was the news, barely 10 days later, that Norm Coleman, a protege of White House political czar Karl Rove and Vice President Dick Cheney, would replace Wellstone. In the Senate, Coleman has proved to be a grandstanding partisan whose self-serving sleaziness stands in dramatic contrast to Wellstone's honorable service.

So it is that, like a great many Minnesotans, we are looking for a suitable replacement for Wellstone to stand against Coleman in the 2008 Senate race.

One of the most intriguing prospects, Al Franken, the comedian, author and social commentator, is in Madison today to present his Air America radio show. And we welcome him as an eminently suitable contender.

Nice how they explain why a Wisconsin newspaper is taking a stance on a future Minnesota race, isn't it?


If you've stopped laughing and are ready to return to reading now, here's the report on Franken's visit, note how the WMTV-TV 15 reporter used it as an opportunity to bash Rush Limbaugh:

Madison was in the national spotlight Tuesday, as liberal talk radio host Al Franken brought his show to our city.

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz proclaimed today "Al Franken Day" in Madison.

Is that a good or bad thing? Well, that probably depends on your political beliefs.

"We're a different kind of talk show than the right wing does,” says Franken. “I tend to interview a lot of people, we tell the truth, things like that."

A crowd packed into the Barrymore Theater to watch the Air America host interview guests like Mayor Dave Cieslewicz today.

But are political talk radio hosts like Franken or Rush Limbaugh further dividing our already divided nation? And do their listening audiences always understand that what they're listening to is opinion, not a news broadcast?

We put those questions to a journalism expert.

"To me it's kind of a scary scenario to think of people saying I've learned what's going on in the world today by listening to Rush Limbaugh," says Professor Emeritus James Hoyt of the UW-Madison School of Journalism. "A lot of opinion broadcasting masquerades as news. It has the feel, the look of news, but clearly it's not."

Does hosting Al Franken really put a city in the national spotlight? No need to ponder such weighty matters, as our man Stuart was most likely basking in the glow of an official "Al Franken Day" proclamation by the city of Madison:

The live-broadcast was well-received by the politically-liberal crowd. "It's a great event whenever Al comes to town," Turaney explains. "It's great, especially on a cold winter day, to get together and see how many people are like-minded. It's great to see how many people came out and how happy everybody was."

Franken is situated at center stage on a table with two chairs variously occupied by guests appearing live today. Banners for The Mic flank the makeshift studio, as the radio station (not to mention the Air America network) scores promotional points with this tour.

Numerous local lefty pundits are present: John Nichols and The Mic's Lee Rayburn, for starters, with lanyard ID-wearing guests about as well. Rainbow Bookstore has the concession to sell copies of Franken's latest book, The Truth (With Jokes) (and that book only), parked at the back of the lobby adjacent to two theater entrances.

Cieslewicz subsequently thanks Madisonian Terry Kelly for helping jumpstart the liberal radio network. "On behalf of the city of Madison," the mayor closes, "I declare today to be Al Franken Day." With that and a little more banter, the segment finishes just before 11:45 am. (via Isthmus)

Terry Kelly, by the way, is an Air America Radio investor and Piquant LLC boardmember based in the area. Good thing nobody asked him about the network's current financial picture, that would've spoiled all the fun.

And isn't it nice to see all of these "like-minded" people getting together? No need for dissenting viewpoints in Madison, pesky, unenlightened "non-progressives" are kept well outside city limits.


Meanwhile, can leftists please stop whining about Armed Forces Radio, now that the network has decided to carry an hour of Franken's show each weekday?

From Radio Ink:

The Al Franken Show has been picked up by the American Forces Network. AFN Radio will distribute the first hour of Franken's radio show as part of the inventory of stateside programming it provides to its affiliates overseas.

"We are very grateful the AFN has recognized that Al Franken is a profound and unique American voice with a significant following and that it is appropriate for his program to be one of the listening options for those who serve in the armed forces,” said Air America Radio CEO Danny Goldberg.

"I am absolutely thrilled that the Al Franken Show will be carried on the American Forces Network, though, of course, that means I will have to stop criticizing President Bush. After all, he is our commander-in-chief,” said Franken.

Note the snide remark by Franken. It's a shrewd move by AFN Radio: silence critics and run Al's show until Air America collapses.

UPDATE: Welcome Michelle Malkin readers, please visit main page for new Springer/Franken stories.

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Franken photo: Capital Times library picture
Frankensunk: Pete at IHillary for the Radio Equalizer. Visit Pete's site for many more funny gags!