An Opinion Is For Closers

Alec Baldwin – who broke his promise in 2004 to move to France or Canada or Angola or whereever – has all sorts of reasons for voting for Al Franken against Norm Coleman this fall:

Norm Coleman, a former Democrat who had the unusual luck to run against a retirement-age Walter Mondale in order to fill the seat vacated by the tragic death of Paul Wellstone, is busy digging up clips of Franken’s old SNL and other satirical work in order to dirty him up for their Minnesota US Senate race.

Well, yeah!  I mean, it’s the only thing he’s done for his entire career, and all.

Onward:

Let’s make one thing crystal clear. Paul Wellstone was a great man. His death stunned and saddened progressives around the world. I stood next to Paul at a fundraiser in Minneapolis two weeks prior to his plane crash. Paul’s career was everything one could want to emulate in public service. He was smart, decent and brave. Paul could never be replaced. Ever.

Yes, yes, we all missed Wellstone, gotcha.

But why vote for Franken over Coleman?

But to fill that seat with a hack like Coleman? I can see states like Texas having not one but two hack Senators. People who never propose or cosponsor any significant legislation while in office. People like Hutchinson and Cornyn, who are the worst type of go-along-to-get-along lackey for the Bush administration. People who view their role as doing anything to preserve their own power and who never have an original or courageous idea while in office.

OK, so we have ad-homina against an entire state and a couple of Senators…

…but why would I vote for Al Franken over Norm Coleman? 

But Minnesota?

Coleman becoming a US Senator from that great state was a travesty. Now the time has come to correct that mistake. Coleman, who makes Mitt Romney look like a visionary, is so far from the best that state has to offer, it is unbelievable to imagine that he is even in the running for reelection.

So – a slur against a highly-accomplished former governor, and a hopelessly-broad generalization about what Minnesota “has to offer” – got it.

But…why vote for Franken? 

 An uninformed and weak-willed apologist for this awful administration is being challenged by one of the best progressive minds of his generation.

Ah, OK!  Now we’re getting someplace – information about Franken!

Let’s look and see: 

I don’t care how much ribald and salty humor he has dished out during is entertainment career.

And I agree!

But, Alec, my question remains – why should I vote for him

Judge Al Franken by what he stands as today: a searingly intelligent and abundantly caring son of Minnesota who has returned home to attempt to lend his voice to our nation’s political discourse on the most formal of levels. No blogging. No books. No comedy sketches. Putting his career and his opinions on the line on behalf of serving the people of Minnesota.

But Alec?  He has no public record, other than his entertainment career!  His “searing intelligence” to date has been expressed solely via his blog, his books, his sketches, his standup, his failed Air America show!  So as he “puts his career on the line”, that is all we simple plebeians have by which to judge him!

Well, that and the impassioned assurances of Alec Baldwin, a fellow who stars in a TV show and lied about moving to France.

So I’ll ask again – why should I, a mere Minnesota citizen, vote for Al Franken?

And what does Coleman do? He trots out old SNL material to grade one of show business’ most respected satirists and judge him as insensitive or inappropriate.

Well, Coleman has a right to an opinion, right?

As do Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congresswoman Betty McCollum, a couple of other “searingly intelligent progressives” who already represent Minnesota, and who would seem to be more critical of candidate Franken than any of us conservatives!

And again – his show biz career is the only basis we have for judging him!

So I’ll ask again – why would, should or could I vote fo Al Franken?

Voters of Minnesota, your choice could not be simpler. Coleman is a pathetic hack who will do as little as possible in a US Senate office other than cover his own ass and protect his power.

So another ad-hominem… 

Meanwhile, Al Franken is everything you could hope for in a candidate to represent your state in the world’s most august deliberative body. Smart, caring, brave. That’s the choice.

So my “choice” is “ad-hominem” versus a vague assurance that someone with no public record whatsoever is just doubleplus swell

But I keep trying to find out, Alec – How is his intelligence, his caring, his “bravery” expressed?  Other than his showbiz career, I mean?

 Mitt Romney light. Or a return to someone special in the US Senate from the great state of Minnesota.

Maybe it’s the audacious hope.

Of course, that IS good enough for a good chunk of the Minnesota electorate.

At any rate, Alec Baldwin; while I’m generally loathe to cop Laura Ingraham’s line – shut up and act.

And I don’t mean like in Nadine, either. 

35 thoughts on “An Opinion Is For Closers

  1. The fact that Al Franken has now been elevated to being “one of the best progressive minds of his generation” shows just how intellectually vacuous the “progressive” movement really is…

  2. “I don’t care how much ribald and salty humor he has dished out during is entertainment career.”

    I must admit to having higher hopes for my senator, and that I actually do care.

    I don’t think Senator Coleman is perfect in that regard either, and I do disagree with some of his policy positions quite a bit, but I do balance that against his performance. As a Senator representing myself, and Minnesotans generally, I do think he’s done a reasonably good job.

    Judging from what I have seen and read of Al Franken, he may indeed be “one of the best progressive minds of his generation”, but he is also a man of ill temper, bawdy humor, and low character. These are not qualities I look for in a Senator.

    And besides “You are worthress Arec Barrin!”

  3. Wow, I was all set to vote for Normie, but if Alec Baldwin says I should vote for Crazy Al, then it’s Al all the way.

    Norm Coleman and John McCain are closer to traditional Democrat views and postions then tradional Republican mindsets. Yet the Democrats call them “right wing”. That tells you where todays Democrat party is.

    Today’s St Paul paper had a letter where someone wrote nostalgically about the 1968 “police riot” in Chicago. I look forward to the day when the 60s generation dies. When the last of those aging hippies is returned to Mother Earth, I am going to throw the biggest red meat barbque ever.

  4. Paul’s career was everything one could want to emulate in public service. He was smart, decent and brave. Paul could never be replaced. Ever.”

    Right, sure, whatever.

    So they stopped looking for a smart, decent, brave Democrat (I hear he’s vacationing with Bigfoot anyway) and settled for a moronic, degenerate, bigmouth.

    Way to go Democrats!

  5. Other things that Alec Baldwin has said

    I don’t give a damn that you’re 12-years-old or 11-years-old, or a child, or that your mother is a thoughtless pain in the ass who doesn’t care about what you do.

    I am going to get on a plane and I am going to come out there for the day and I am going to straighten your ass out when I see you.

    You are a rude, thoughtless little pig, OK?

    That sure isn’t smart, decent or brave….

  6. Aren’t you supposed to be cruising the MSP men’s room right now, Swiffer?

  7. Alec Baldwin:
    “Coleman is a pathetic hack who will do as little as possible in a US Senate office other than cover his own ass and protect his power.”

    Huh? Do as little as possible to protect his power… does that mean he’ll not use his power so he can save and use his power?

    Alec, that don’t make no sense.

    More importantly, the rest of us are not supposed to have an opinion on Franken… at least not if it is one that says he’s intelligent and uber-progressive and extra special good.

    Hey Alec, Susan Sarandon called… since you’re not using your “I’m going to run away from home” bit, can she borrow yours?

  8. Am I keeping you waiting, AssClown? Get comfy…gonna be a reeeal long wait.

    I’m sure you can amuse yourself for as long as it takes.

  9. Blowing the covers off of UN corruption in the Iraq oil for food program, & getting Kofi Annan to resign as UN Secretary General is hardly doing nothing.

  10. Hate to break the news mister shirt, but Kofi Annan didn’t resign he fully served out his second term.

  11. Yeah, Swiffer. Like Angryclown would go to Minnesota. Angryclown will let you know when his list of life goals gets to “3,890,345: See where they shot the exteriors for ‘Little House on the Prairie.'” Till then you’ll have to content yourself with closeted Republican senators.

  12. “Like Angryclown would go to Minnesota.”

    So, um, you’re just sitting there in your mom\sister’s basement fantasizing about bathroom cornhole action, AssClown?

    That’s pretty twisted, but it somehow works for you.

  13. Dunno, Swiffer, seems like you’re the one fantasizing about Angryclown in that bathroom. But even if Angryclown were gay, that would make him less, not more, inclined to spend time surrounded by ignorant wingnut farmers like yourself. Nothing for you to be ashamed of, I suppose, hanging around men’s rooms with a bag over your head, catering to the less discriminating of the toe-tapping crowd. But Angry don’t play dat. So get the idea out of that defective brain of yours and work on somebody you have a shot with. Like Badda. Or your mom.

  14. I never thought you were gay, AssClown. Your appearance here receiving written beat-downs day after day proves conclusively that you like being treated like a jailhouse bitch.

    Grab a belt loop, boy.

  15. This thread is looking more and more like…

    …well, like something Franken would write!

  16. I’ve decided to challenge Franken in the primary.

    This is my pitch for Franken supporters, later I’ll be pandering to the ambulance chasing, scumbag lawyer caucus to entice those Ciresi voters.

  17. My you do have a wide-ranging (and disturbing) fantasy life, Swiffer. But if your desires run to letting prisoners use your filthy toothless maw as a carnal plaything, who is Angryclown to criticize?

    On second thought, there is something wrong with that. You are ignorant, twisted and pathetic. Children fear you. Decent folk loathe you.

  18. Well, Fulcrum…

    The fact is that Annan’s son was busted in this UN/Iraq Food for Oil scam, in which he obtained a whole lot of Iraqi blood money. Annan was planning on going for another term, but the fear that he’d be exposed as a corrupt leader of a corrupt organization “inspired” him to leave… he left a post he had no previous intentions of vacating, so he resigned.

    This was directly caused by Norm Coleman’s hard work in exposing these thugs, er… UN diplomats.

  19. Oh, you mean ad hominem like:

    “Anti-semitism is a key tenet of the American left.” You mean like THAT sort of ad hominem?

  20. Shirt- hardly. Coleman was made to look the fool by Rep Gallway. Annan may have left due to the clouds from his son, but Coleman didn’t expose that. IN fact, all Coleman exposed was the US complicity in failing to enforce Oil-for-food. But, your claims of corruption with Annan or within the UN, are unproven – at least at such a sweeping level. In fact, in contrast to this administration, the UN is lilly white. If the UN is corrupt based on the acts of Annan’s son, then this administration should be indicted under RICO.

  21. Coleman was made to look the fool by Rep Gallway.

    No, Galway snarked a bunch while Coleman ran rings around him. Basically Galway dropped a pantsload, and the leftymedia has spent the last three years trying to polish it to a fine sheen for us.

    Kool-aid drinkers think Galway did fine. The rest of us – the ones who actually paid attention – know better.

    Annan may have left due to the clouds from his son, but Coleman didn’t expose that.

    PATENT HORSESHIT, PEEVISH!

    Coleman (along with Claudia Rosette) was INSTRUMENTAL in exposing Oil For Food and its influence on the diplomatic, business and journalistic communities that dealt with Hussein.

    IN fact, all Coleman exposed was the US complicity in failing to enforce Oil-for-food.

    I’m sorry, but this is up there with your “Scott Johnson is committing legal malpractice” parade of ignorance. Coleman led the way (within the US government) in exposing the UN’s malfeasance. US complicity was a part of that.

    But, your claims of corruption with Annan or within the UN, are unproven – at least at such a sweeping level.

    Let me guess – one of your neighbors is a UN auditor, and he told you this?

    Sorry, Peev. Go read Claudia Rosett’s huge, comprehensive, years-long investigation into the subject.

    You are not literate on the subject until you have.

    In fact, in contrast to this administration, the UN is lilly white. If the UN is corrupt based on the acts of Annan’s son, then this administration should be indicted under RICO.

    To absurd to deserve a response.

  22. yup mister shirt, keep on making stuff up.

    you made up, “The fact is that Annan’s son was busted in this UN/Iraq Food for Oil scam, in which he obtained a whole lot of Iraqi blood money.”

    “The Independent Inquiry Committee (IIC), set up by the United Nations to investigate corruption and mismanagement in the oil-for food program, scrutinized Annan’s role but found no evidence he illegally sold Iraqi oil under Saddam Hussein’s regime.

    It did, however, criticize him for using his influence to help secure a lucrative contract for a company that employed him.”

    Keep up with that revisionist history of yours!

  23. That’s right, Shirt! Annan’s son was merely *corrupt*, not in bed with a genocidal murderer!

    We have standards, after all!

  24. Fulcrum…

    You tell your self what you need to.

    Yes, when the UN decided to investigate the UN (conflict of interest? Biased opinion?) They said KOFI Annan himself had not illegally sold iraqi oil, but I didn’t say that he had.

    I said that his son was awash in money begotten through the program/scam known as the Oil for Food program. He was able to do this because his father was Secretary General of the UN! Leading to the appearance of Annan being a corrupt leader, leading to his step down.

    No revisionism on my part, just a lot of denial on yours!

  25. I didn’t say wasn’t corrupt…but to claim, as mister shirt did that he “obtained a whole lot of blood money,” is not correct.

    & mister shirt, my link was not about kofi annan, but his son kojo. who would suspect that a son would carry the last name of his father?

    And no, you didn’t state that his son, “was awash in money begotten through the program/scan knows at the Oil for Food program.” You clearly stated, “The fact is that Annan’s son was busted in this UN/Iraq Food for Oil scam, in which he obtained a whole lot of Iraqi blood money.”

    Any idea the company he (i admit) was corruptly lobbying for? any?

    I’ll provide you the answer: “Kojo Annan was a consultant for the Swiss firm Cotecna, which won a U.N. contract to inspect goods shipped to Iraq under the program.”

    Blood money indeed….

  26. Or take this nugget from your site…peddle your lies mr shirt, peddle your lies…

    Norm found that this corruption had tentacles all the way to the very top of the UN leadership, Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Shortly afterwards, Annan announced his retirement.

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