Al Franken, Air America Radio, Ohio GOP

PHONY FRANKENFLAP

Stuart Parody Image Used In Campaign PR, Left Angry







Proving that political silly season has truly reached its pre- election peak, the Ohio Republican Party has been falsely accused of doctoring a photo (seen here) in order to smear Air America Radio host Al Franken.

Unlike the brilliant work done at Little Green Footballs, Michelle Malkin's site and elsewhere on real instances of fauxtography, often used as anti- American propaganda by overseas media agencies, this one simply doesn't fit the bill.

First alleged by political reporters at the Cincinnati Enquirer, it was picked up by a number of other sites, including one run by the lefty Center For American Progress. This is their link to the original press release.

Here's the Enquirer's initial report:

The Ohio Republican Party sent this photo out today in a news release criticizing Rep. Sherrod Brown for enlisting the help of comedian and Air America talk show host Al Franken. Franken plans to rally Democratic supporters tonight during a conference call to various house parties in Brown's U.S. Senate race against Republican Sen. Mike DeWine. Franken stumped for Brown earlier this month in Akron.

Ohio GOP spokesman John McClelland said, "It is not surprising that Sherrod Brown is enlisting the help of a Hollywood liberal, who like him, is so far out of the mainstream of Ohio values. What is troubling is that Brown would solicit support from someone who compared conservatives to Nazis 'who should drink poison and die,'" quoting a book by Bernard Goldberg.

UPDATE: Andy Barr, director of Al Franken's Midwest Values Political Action Committee, said, "The picture is a fake. . . Both the photograph and the quote are particularly hacky works of pure fiction. No wonder Sherrod's up by so much" in recent public-opinion polls.

Gee, it must be time for another Think Progress retraction! Here we go again:

Ohio GOP Smears Al Franken In Press Release With Doctored Photo, Fabricated Quote

Yesterday, the Ohio Republican Party sent out a news release (full text here) attacking Rep. Sherrod Brown (D) for enlisting the support of comedian Al Franken:

It is not surprising that Sherrod Brown is enlisting the help of a Holly- wood liberal, who like him, is so far out of the main- stream of Ohio values. What is troubling is that Brown would solicit support from someone [Franken] who compared conservatives to Nazis “who should drink poison and die.”

The quote used in the news release is taken from Bernard Goldberg book, 110 People Who Are Screwing Up America, in an alleged interview between Goldberg and Franken. But in his book, Goldberg makes it clear that the exchange is completely fictional. The Ohio Republican Party represented it as fact.

The news release was accompanied by this photograph, showing Franken dressed up like a baby bunny, wearing adult diapers and clutching a fluffy white teddy bear.

Andy Barr, director of Franken’s Midwest Values PAC, confirmed, “The picture is a fake.” The Ohio Republican Party used a 2004 AP photo of Franken for the doctored image:

From there, the ball got rolling on the left side of the blogosphere.


In each instance, it seems clear the GOP itself is being accused of "doctoring" the photo, as though this is something they'd just undertaken for the purpose of the press release. See the last sentence of the Think Progress piece above if you're unclear on their allegation.

Here's why they're dead wrong on that charge:


This image of Franken has been kicking around the Internet for over a year. Who was behind this obvious photoshopping effort isn't known, but it has often been posted at Free Republic and on blog sites during that time.

Here's an example from July, as well as another from February. It's possible the image has run here as well, but seems unlikely.


Second and most obvious, it's meant as a parody. Because it's simply a gag, there's no scandal here. Thanks to David and Pete, our image editors, we've run dozens of silly Franken images of our own over the last couple of years. Three of their works are featured here.

Not once were we accused of "doctoring" photos, because they were obvious photoshops, just like this one. Nobody really believes Al would pose in a nappy holding a teddy bear and wearing rabbit ears, do they?

At the same time, none of our readers actually thought Franken had turned into a giant golf ball, had suddenly begun to appear on Iranian currency, or was really turning Ann Coulter and Katherine Harris into a tasty snack.


As for the text of their press release, it does appear that the Ohio GOP was duped by Goldberg's book. With a simple retraction, that can be remedied.

Otherwise, any suggestion that Republicans were behind the creation of the image itself is hereby proven false.

UPDATE: Think Progress still pushing this story today. Commenters think Franken should sue the GOP.


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