Franken: satirist, mysogynist, tax cheat and DFL-endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate
Franken Wins DFL Nomination for U.S. Senate
6/7/2008 2:25:37 PM
Al Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" writer, has won the Democratic endorsement for U.S. Senate in Minnesota.Franken won on the first ballot, despite carrying the political equivalent of a "kick me" sign pasted on his back by years as a professional humorist and satirist.
Franken was long considered the front-runner for the endorsement, dominating the Democratic field with a potent combination of impressive fundraising and strong grassroots organizing, said Lawrence Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the Hubert Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. But negative publicity about Franken's unpaid taxes in 17 states -- he's since decided to pay $70,000 in back taxes -- and a sexually graphic column Franken penned for Playboy in 2000 had clouded his campaign.
Franken's moral and ethical values as demonstrated by his crude, misogynistic brand of satire and blatant disregard for tax laws, respectively, make him the perfect DFL candidate for U.S. Senate or any other elective office.
Rep. Tim Walz and Senator Amy Klobuchar expressed reservations and alarm about Franken's candidacy only recently and may have worked behind the scenes to prevent his endorsement more as an attempt to avert personal embarrassment than for moral and ethical convictions. Now that Franken is the nominee, I'll be watching them even more closely. Will Walz and Klobuchar distance themselves from Franken and his repulsive moral and ethical conduct or will they stand by him against the "evil" Norm Coleman?
What about Rep. Tina Liebling, Rep. Kim Norton and Senator Ann Lynch? How much longer will they keep silent regarding Franken's demeaning views of women and rape because the former Saturday Night Live comedian raised money for them? How much is their silence about the victimization of women as material for jokes and satire worth?
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