Tears of a Clown

The oft execrable City Pages interviews the rarely funny Al Franken:

The sold-out screening of "Al Franken: God Spoke" at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival has drawn a thousand moviegoers to Durham's Fletcher Hall on a warm Friday night. That's presumably because the Air America host, Saturday Night Live veteran, and author of Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them has pledged to appear in person for a Q&A. But what follows the movie feels a lot more like a rock concert--or maybe a campaign rally.

Quick question for rock-ribbed conservatives out there, if you were FORCED to watch either Al Franken: God Spoke or Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, what would you do? Sorry, taking your own life is not an option.

Even before Franken ambles down the long aisle toward the stage, the audience has already responded with thunderous applause to the comic's well-timed one-liner near the end of the film: "I'm thinking of running in 2008 against Norm Coleman."

Make no mistake about it folks, he IS running in 2008.

CP: Because your view of politics is grounded in satire, is there an even greater risk of your platform being too reactive in that stereotypically liberal way? Can reacting to right-wing nonsense have the effect of reinforcing right-wing power, of allowing them to keep the serve?

Franken: People are going to be so sick of [Republicans] by '08--they already are, really--that a campaign is going to have to include a critique of the last eight years. It'd be crazy not to include that. But it'll also have to include a vision going forward--the vision that we have.

CP: What is that vision?

[Cue adding machine sound effect]

Franken: It's the vision of a more just society in all respects--certainly in economic respects. There was a report out in the New York Times recently from David Cay Johnston--who we have on the [Air America] show a lot--about how much the wealthiest Americans have benefited from the latest tax cut. Tax justice is going to be part of this [vision]. And simple things like the living wage. Fair-trade deals. Health care for everyone. Investment in our schools--which we in Minnesota used to lead, and now we're not anymore. Using science again [laughs]. Addressing the real problem, which is global warming--that's just a common-sense issue and a moral issue. Renewable energy, bio-fuels. Pension reform, making sure that people have safe retirements. Addressing the stupid bankruptcy stuff. Establishing a foreign policy where we respect the views of other countries--where we make ourselves more secure by doing that.

Fighting terrorism and protecting America? Nah, that's not the real problem after all.

CP: In general, do you think that Democrats in Minnesota used to be a lot more vital?

Franken: I'm impressed with our mayors in the Twin Cities. And I see some younger, up-and-coming leaders who I like. I like Amy Klobuchar--even though I'm not ready to endorse her in the primaries yet. We had Ford Bell on [the show] and he was very impressive. I don't want to dis the Minnesota DFL.

CP: You're kind of a softie--you get teary-eyed with some regularity. Is appearing human an asset or a liability for someone who's trying to gain public favor in politics?

Franken: I think it's an asset--although I don't think it's good if you blubber all the time [laughs].

Yeah, it worked wonders for ol' Ed Muskie, didn't it? I can't wait for aught eight.