He won because of Obama. He would have no chance otherwise. Let's not gush over the guy who, as I see it, is a whiny little twerp. But hey, at least he's on the right side of the aisle when it comes to most things.

To put forth my secret theory that Rupert Murdoch is a secret liberal seeking to bring down the right from within.

Does anyone watch Fox News Non-Ironically?

It strikes me every day that it's really just newsfeed for the daily show.

Their agitprop is so agitated as to render the propaganda rather meaningless.

Sure it's firey and gets your blood boiling, but do any actual voting americans follow this kind of nonesense?

The recent years voting records would suggest otherwise.

Interesting debate you have spawned here Joe.

Sounds like sticks and stones to me.

It seems you got your article read by using RL and calling him a name - that's why I read it - not because of your byline.

Why not fill your article with value instead of froth and vindicate yourself as a writer,

The verbal burlesque show you offered here demeans you.

I guarantee I can get people to read my article simply by entitling it:

"Joe Conason Has Something Notable to Say"

The general public would clamor to read something so rare!

Al Franken is everything the Right is afraid of. He is intelligent, well educated, well prepared, can work a room, can make a speech, careful in his research, has some of his own money, has the respect of others, and goll darn it, people like him. I didn't appreciate him until I got the chance to talk directly to him about healthcare after a spaghetti dinner fundraiser at a small VFW hall on a snowy night. He knew his stuff, he had much more depth of research than a typical political candidate running for his party's endorsement, and he seemed genuinely interested in taking to half a dozen people who grabbed his sleeve, even though it was late, he'd been going from one stop to another since 7:00 that morning, he had a full schedule the next day, and he was obviously exhausted. He really cares about these issues. He isn't just parroting what some staffer fed to him. If you have the chance, talk to him personally. If you're a right winger you'll see that you are up against a formidable opponent. And if you are a liberal you will know that this is a guy who will carry the ball a long ways, and who will live up to the heritage of Humphrey, Mondale and Wellstone, which is not an easy act to follow. We can expect to see Senator Franken for a long time.

You thank mynameisdan for his service, which isn't uncommon. Someone reveals that they've served and we thank them, much as someone says, "How are you?" and we say, "Fine, how are you?" The thanking might not be as superficial as the howareyou inquiry, but it does obviate the need to consider a number of things:

1. The former War Department hasn't actually defended us since WWII. It has bombed a lot of countries that didn't attack us.

2. Lots of people "serve" without a carrier beneath their soles. They serve as social workers and teachers and nurses. They wipe the asses of the dying and the noses of neglected children. However, people in such serving professions are not standardly thanked.

3. Thanking a former military person for serving is as meaningless as attaching a "Support the troops" magnet to the ass of your car. If you truly are grateful, volunteer at a V.A. hospital. I've volunteered in a lot of places and some of those V.A. hospitals are literal shitholes. Or work in a homeless shelter.

4. The War Department is financially bleeding America. It is an expense we can no longer afford. However, since we're nearly always at war with someone AND wanting to be at war with still other countries, it seems like it's indispensible. It ain't. What is indispensible is a healthy economy, which is assisted by things like research spending, borrowing with restrictions, and investment in education, all of which are deprived by more weapons and more wars. Ike, the great warrior, said that every dollar we spend on bombs is a dollar that doesn't go into schools. Conflating the military with generally false statements such as "We owe our freedom to them." makes it that much easier to plunder schools for more weapons.

We owe our freedoms to a few brave politicians and some activists and to certain soldiers in very few wars, such as the soldiers and sailors in the Revolutionary War, but most wars are a waste of lives and a waste of trillions of dollars and saying, "Thank you for your service." can distract from what a waste the War Department is.

Again, the V.A. hospitals accept volunteers. Soup kitchens will happy to use you too. Or simply visit an old folks' home and be with a WWII vet.

I have only one quibble with your article, Joe: You called Franken a "former comedian." Franken remains a comedian, and one of the best. While I can't remember who originated it, my favorite definition of humor is "a sense of proportion"--a gift that is sadly lacking in politics.

By this definition, SoberJones and others of his ilk are entirely humorless. And I would like to point out that, when examining my keyboard, I find that the apostrophe is nowhere near the "s." Unless SoberJones is a marsh-wiggle, I'm not buying the "typo" excuse. Dork.

The Girthers! HAHAHA!

It's called a typo, dork!

Was a Hollywood actor who, unlike Franken, had a poor grasp on the difference between reality and his performances. He would give speeches where he accounted events he claimed happened to him, but actually happened to fictional characters he played in movies. Yet they deify him, meaning they will never, ever have any moral authority to judge comedians, actors, or musicians who go into politics.