Al Francken Update

Simple stories always become more complicated the more you think about them. Take the Al Francken chop block story i blogged about here. Fellow Munuvian Stephen Macklin had some pretty interesting questions concerning the vast disparity between CNN's coverage and the NY Post's, which quoted Francken's own words.

A couple of questions spring to mind. First if the NY Post/Al Franken version of the story is true, what the hell is CNN reporting and why? Second, if the CNN story is accurate is [this] the sort of self-aggrandizing lying BS we can expect when Franken hits the radio waves?

Then Dawn at Clareified (a respectable leftie, imho) pointed out yet another version posted by Eric at The Hamster.com. Eric makes the following points/allegations:

Point #1: The Heckler First Attacked People.

Point #2: Out of Control Attacker Then Presented Danger to Dean and Crowd.

Point #3: Franken Subdued the Attacker Only After He was Attacked.

Then, in contrast to Stephen Macklin's post, the Hamster takes a shot at the "conservative" media.

The conservative media will continue to spin this in the way they see fit: Nut-case Franken assaulted an innocent man without warrant. . . . However, as a complete account from people there showed, the conservative media left out crucial details of an affair in which Al helped security guards stop an angry assaulter who attacked others and further presented a danger to the people around him.

i have no idea which version is closest to the truth. Perhaps the reality is a mixture of all versions. As the standard California Jury Instruction number 2.21 warns jurors who are about to deliberate the facts of a lawsuit:

Failure of recollection is common. Innocent misrecollection is not uncommon.

And when a particular story involves a tabloid newspaper, a comedian who's also a lying liar, and a whacked out LaRouche supporter, i'm tempted to just throw up my hands and say: whatever.

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Kerry Is Merry

Hey Kerry? Why the long face?

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Francken Chop Blocks A Heckler

Comic, and big fat idiot, Al Francken took down a heckler at a Dean rally yesterday.

'I got down low and took his legs out,' said Franken afterwards.

What's the penalty for that, fifteen yards?

Wise-cracking funnyman Al Franken yesterday body-slammed a demonstrator to the ground after the man tried to shout down Gov. Howard Dean.

Francken says he did it because he believes in free speech.

'I'm neutral in this race but I'm for freedom of speech, which means people should be able to assemble and speak without being shouted down.'

Am i the only one who sees the irony in this? Al wants to protect freedom of speech by tackling someone who tries to exercise it.

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