During an appearance on CNN's American Morning, Al Franken repeated once more his "joke" that Karl Rove and Lewis Libby will "definitely be executed" for their involvement in the CIA leak investigation. When asked by substitute host Zain Verjee during the 8:20 am interview about the investigation, Franken maintained that Rove and Libby had committed treason.
Zain Verjee: "So you, you and your other liberal friends really salivating the prospect of seeing an indictment here?"
Al Franken: "Well–"
Verjee: "Are you out in your apartments sort of having a good laugh and–"
Franken: "Yes. Well, I’ll tell you why. Because there is an important aspect to this. This is really about covering for lying about why we went to Iraq. So what I see and, and of course, it looks like definitely Rove and Libby outed a CIA agent, an undercover CIA agent, which George H.W. Bush, the president’s father, who was head of the CIA, called treason. So I think, you know, people ask me what’s going to happen. I–this is treason and I think Libby and Rove definitely be executed. I think that’s, you know, I’m not–I’m against the death penalty."
Verjee: "Executed?"
Franken: "Yeah, it’s treason."
Transcript from the interview in its entirety:
Zain Verjee: "Political satirist Al Franken last came out with the bestseller, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, that took aim at conservatives and the Bush administration. Now, the radio host/comedian has a new book titled, The Truth With Jokes. Al Franken joins me now. That’s a good title, The Truth With Jokes. Some good jokes?"
Al Franken: "Right. Well, what I, what I generally write is what I call nutritional candy. And so I have the nutrition there. It’s like CNN International. That’s nutritional. That’s broccoli. And then I have the candy part, too, which is CNN domestic. So when I do–"
Verjee: "Touche."
Franken: "Yeah. Except that it’s, unlike CNN domestic, it’s, it’s actually, the candy part is funny. It’s not so much crime and violence."
Verjee: "Why is this book the truth?"
Franken: "Why is it the truth? Because I actually do research and–"
Verjee: "What’s that?"
Franken: "Yeah, well, you have to ask a lot of right-wing writers. No, it’s the truth because–it’s, in a way, the book is prescient because when I was writing it, there were actually Americans who thought this president was competent. And since now Katrina and all that stuff, it–pretty much everything I say in there has been borne out, which is that this administration is full of cronyism, this Congress doesn’t do oversight, that sort of thing. So that's, that’s the truth part."
Verjee: "Well, how do you substantiate that? You talk about smears, fears and queers, and this administration shouldn't be running a small town hardware store."
Franken: "Well, smears, fear and queers is, is–the book is divided into three parts. The first is called ‘The Triumph of Evil,’ which is how they won. And that’s where your smear, fears, smears and queers comes, because they–he kept using 9/11 over and over again. Remember, Cheney said if Kerry’s elected, we’ll be hit again. That was fear. And smears was the Swift Boats and all that kind of stuff. And then queers was the gay, gay marriage initiative. So they squeaked out. And my, my premise is that America hasn't–hadn’t moved to the right and then it’s–the next part of the book is called ‘Seeds of Collapse,’ and it goes into Terri Schiavo, Social Security and Iraq, and, and the corruption and the cronyism of this campaign and this administration. And you just show how, why they’re collapsing. And the last part is ‘The Resurrection of Hope,’ where we take back the country. I write a letter to my grandchildren ten years from now."
Verjee: "At the end of the book, 2015."
Franken: "Right."
Verjee: "Let’s, let’s talk about today, the CIA leak investigation."
Al Franken: "Yes?"
Verjee: "From your impeccable sources in Washington–"
Franken: "Yes?"
Verjee: "–how defining a moment do you think this could be for the White House?"
Franken: "Well, you know, I’m waiting for Fitzmas."
Verjee [laughing]: "Fitzmas?"
Franken: "Yeah, Yeah. It’s when–"
Verjee: "Fitzgerald."
Franken: "Fitzgerald delivers the lumps of coal to the White House, in terms of indictments. So I think that’ll be an exciting time. I mean, right now I’m, as a liberal, I’m just trying to savor this moment. And I–"
Verjee: "So you, you and your other liberal friends really salivating the prospect of seeing an indictment here?"
Franken: "Well–"
Verjee: "Are you out in your apartments sort of having a good laugh and–"
Franken: "Yes. Well, I’ll tell you why. Because there is an important aspect to this. This is really about covering for lying about why we went to Iraq. So what I see and, and of course, it looks like definitely Rove and Libby outed a CIA agent, an undercover CIA agent, which George H.W. Bush, the president’s father, who was head of the CIA, called treason. So I think, you know, people ask me what’s going to happen. I–this is treason and I think Libby and Rove definitely be executed. I think that’s, you know, I’m not–I’m against the death penalty."
Verjee: "Executed?"
Franken: "Yeah, it’s treason."
Verjee: "All right, Al Franken, The Truth With Jokes. Thank you."
