Media Give Franken a Pass for Nutball Behavior

Comedian Al Franken is running for the U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota, this the media is happy to report. But, for some unexplainable reason, the media isn't so interested in reporting Franken's odd behavior. It seems that an ungovernable rage is always just under the surface with Franken, a rage that has several times broken free and resulted in assault and other violent or antisocial behavior. Why the media doesn't highlight this man's unstable behavior can only mean that they are lending him as much cover as they can to assist his campaign.

His unprofessional and intemperate language is well-known, of course. He has titled books by childishly calling people "big fat liars" and he has utilized his uncivil tongue as a talk-show, shocker. It all makes for a rather angry, uncivil fellow, but if that were all there were to it, one might at least be able to excuse it as mere bravado utilized to make some cash. Still, there is an always lurking anger that is detectable in his ranting. There is just something unstable about the man.

The most egregious example of Franken's crazy behavior happened during the 2004 election cycle as Franken attended a Howard Dean rally in Exeter, New Hampshire. A heckler was giving Howard Dean a spot of trouble and Franken strangely thought that he'd act the part of Hulk Hogan and bodyslammed the heckler to the ground. In any normal world this would have been called assault and someone who acted like this would not only be hauled away by the police but serious aficionados of politics would shun him afterward. Democrats, however, loved it... and that says quite a bit about them, doesn't it?

Still, it is usually his uncivil tongue that he displays most often and recently we got another dose of that famous Franken incivility.

Early this month, on the campaign trail in Northfield, Minn., Franken inexplicably verbally attacked a college student that was himself trying to be as civil and jovial as he could. Apparently, Franken couldn't stomach the fact that student Peter Fritz didn't share his sort of activist, brash politics and for that crime, Franken mercilessly and without provocation launched into the unassuming kid.

C.J., a columnist for the Minn. Star Tribune, reported the tale of Franken's latest explosion of mental instability.

At a student rally held at Carleton College in Northfield, Franken began posing for photos with some of the students gathered there. According to Peter Fritz, the student who was the target of Al's rage, he was taking photos of Franken and his college friends when Franken asked why Frtiz wasn't trying to get into any of the photos himself.

One of Fritz' college pals informed Franken that Fritz was a conservative. This sent Franken off the deep end.

At that point, Franken reportedly began peppering Fritz with questions about supporting President George W. Bush and former President Ronald Reagan's tax hikes. Fritz told me he got tense and, as he does in those situations, started chewing the inside of his mouth, a gesture he said was mimicked by Franken; Fritz also thought his style of speech was mocked by Franken

Apparently, a campaign aide realized that Franken was going over the edge and tried to interrupt and get his patron to move along. With that, student Fritz tried to part as friends. As C.J. reports:

Fritz told me Monday that he then stuck out his hand to shake Franken's. "Well, at least it's nice to meet you," the GOPer said he told Franken, who reportedly replied, I can't say the same.

There was no handshake, said Fritz.

What the heck is wrong with Franken, anyway? He can't even be civil to a kid who offers his hand in a parting gesture?

Fritz told me Wednesday he was stunned by Franken's behavior: "I usually expect politicians to, at least, pretend as though, even in that kind of interaction, that they can convince me or have some kind of reasonable dialogue -- the whole Minnesota Nice thing, at least."

That pretty much sums up Al Franken. An uncivil man who cannot stand to even converse with someone who disagrees with his extremist political positions.

Now, imagine this man sitting in the Senate, supposedly the most deliberative body in the world. Imagine a man who has nothing civil to say to anyone that does not slavishly agree with him. Is this the sort of person we want in a body that is supposed to be carefully deliberating and compromising with his fellows to arrive at the sort of policies that all Americans can be proud of? Is a man who cannot even have a civil conversation with a mere college student the sort of unstable man we want sitting in the Senate of the United States of America?

And if Democrats think this man is the ideal candidate, what does that say about the Democrat Party and its state of mental disorder?

Finally, what Republican would ever be given such a pass should his behavior be this outrageous?

It all adds up to the fact that Al Franken has some sort of imbalance that does not behoove a member of the U.S. Senate and a media that constantly looks the other way as he indulges in his unhinged rage.