Review: The Truth (with jokes) by Al Franken

I've been an Al Franken fan for quite a while now, since he was doing the "Franken and Davis Show" on Saturday Night Live back in the Seventies. It always cracked me up to see this odd little man asking the audience to send donations "to me, Al Franken." And of course, there are his other books that rail against the right, such as Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. Of course, my personal favorite is Why Not Me?, his account of his successful fictional candidacy for president, as well as the shortest presidential term in history.

I viewed his previous efforts as satire, comedic efforts that were funny because they were true. But times have changed, and with them, so has Al. The Truth (with jokes) continues Franken's all-out assault on the leaders of the Republican Party, still with plenty of comedy -- but seemingly with something more, this time.

The book begins with Franken describing Bush's election victory in 2004, as well as the tactics he used to win: fear (terrorism), smears (painting opponents as weak), and queers (making an issue out of gay marriage). He then goes on to describe the "Seeds of Collapse" of the Bush administration, including turning Terri Schiavo into a political football, mismanaging postwar Iraq ("They told us when we invaded, we'd be greeted with sweets and flowers. They left out the crucial modifier: 'exploding'."), and Bush's failed attempts to overhaul Social Security.

Not only is the book comedic, but it is thorough as well. Franken cites not only major news organizations, but government documents, and even uses right-wing propaganda shows' own words against them. And if what he writes is true -- and the accompanying notes in the book give no reason to think it's not -- then the American people should be outraged that Bush is still in office and that we're stuck in the current morass that is Iraq.

Perhaps that's what's different about Franken this time around: He's being funny not just to make you laugh, but to make you think. Maybe he is trying to get a liberal groundswell going. Maybe, even, he's thinking about a run for office.

Senators Clinton and Franken as the Senate delegation from the great state of New York. Now that's got some comic possibility.