Al Franken has a new book coming out soon. In a "comedy" skit for a promotional video at Amazon.com (scroll down a bit), Al Franken knees a self-described "right-wing jerk" in the groin. As the man keels over in pain, Franken then picks up a nearby stool and strikes the man with it. The man falls to the ground. A "fan" of Franken (played by Franken producer Ben Wikler, if I'm not mistaken) then smashes the man over the head with a bottle.

Hmmm ... Violence against those with whom you disagree?

Question: Would a Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly ever get away with a publicity video like this without an "outrage" in the liberal media? (Not that they would ever produce anything similar to this, but to pose the question ...)

News about this violent skit comes on the heels of this Newsbusters post by Brent Baker which reported that Franken joked on the Late Show With David Letterman about the execution for treason of Rove, Libby, and President Bush.

Is a theme of violence emerging in Franken's work?