# The Air America Death-Rattle Has Begun! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 29, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108 "2005-09-29T22:23:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/21 "2005-09-30T00:08:42Z")
> [@Duke of Rat](#): > > Yeah, he has url=http://www.frankenlies.com/]14 Harvard researchers! > > Al Franken was pretty good in “Trading Places”, after that, meh. Gah, [14 Harvard researchers!](http://www.frankenlies.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/22 "2005-09-30T00:10:19Z")
Well, “dim mirror image” is what I said, and he isn’t successful because, it would seem, he can’t or won’t motivate himself to be as gigantic an incandescently flaming prick as Sean Hannity can without even breaking a sweat. His flames of passion simply never burn as bright, and if they did, I imagine most lefties would recoil completely. “Just angry enough to sound like a resonable pundit” is, quite simply, nothing more than _tedious_ if repeated day after day. Hannity is so shameless, so inflammatory, it’s impossible for him to be boring for long. It’s shit, but it’s flashy shit, and flashy shit sells. Air American is not flashy shit, and it’s not unshitty enough to be a competitor to NPR. It has no real reason to exist. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/23 "2005-09-30T00:10:34Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I hardly think Al Franken is a ‘mirror image’ of Sean Hannity. Hannity is successful, for example. Would you like to compare Franken’s book sales to Hannity’s? ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/24 "2005-09-30T00:12:23Z")
> [@Duke of Rat](#): > > Gah, [14 Harvard researchers!](http://www.frankenlies.com/) Thanks for the site! I always figured Franken was lying through his teeth most of the time…I just never really cared enough to investigate. But I like that site… Al Franken was in **Trading Spaces**? The Eddie Murphy movie? Huh. Looks like his movie career was about as successful as his soon-to-be-failed radio career… ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/25 "2005-09-30T00:12:29Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Would you like to compare Franken’s book sales to Hannity’s? Rush Limbaugh sold a slew of books. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/26 "2005-09-30T00:15:21Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Would you like to compare Franken’s book sales to Hannity’s? Actually, that’s an interesting point. Did you know that unless an Al Franken book has Rush or O’Reilly on the cover it bombs miserably? It’s true! Franken’s _Why Not Me?_ was a terrible seller, as was his _Oh, The Things I Know!_ book. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/27 "2005-09-30T00:16:28Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Al Franken was in **Trading Spaces**? The Eddie Murphy movie? Huh. [Yep](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086465/) ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/28 "2005-09-30T00:19:30Z")
> [@Duke of Rat](#): > > Gah, [14 Harvard researchers!](http://www.frankenlies.com/) Meh, I don’t have the interest to get a cite right now, but that site is just as full of crap as you seem to think Frankin is. I know this has been dissected before… ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/29 "2005-09-30T00:24:48Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > Meh, I don’t have the interest to get a cite right now, but that site is just as full of crap as you seem to think Frankin is. > > I know this has been dissected before… Here, I’ll help you. [http://frankenlies.blogspot.com/](http://frankenlies.blogspot.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/30 "2005-09-30T00:26:11Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Actually, that’s an interesting point. Did you know that unless an Al Franken book has Rush or O’Reilly on the cover it bombs miserably? It’s true! Franken’s _Why Not Me?_ was a terrible seller, as was his _Oh, The Things I Know!_ book. Which is utterly beside the point that he has written two number one bestsellers while Hannity has none. Incidentally, what does _any_ conservative pundit ever do besides attack liberals? At least Franken’s books are accurate. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/31 "2005-09-30T00:30:27Z")
Guys, might as well give it up, **Stephe** got us again, dead to rights. We’re crushed, might as well face up to it. When Air America collapses, it will be the final capstone to our unending disaster. As the American people’s adoration for The Leader scales new heights, matched only by the boundless optimism inspired by our ongoing foreign policy triumphs…well, we are undone. We’re finished, without the raw sexual energy of J. Garafolo and the brute macho magnetism of Al Franken, we lose the last pitiful selling point. I only hope I can see through the tears to fill out this Republican Party registration form… ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/32 "2005-09-30T00:32:36Z")
::My head collapses into my hands:: _SOB_ IT’S SO TRUE! _SOB_ ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/33 "2005-09-30T00:34:58Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Which is utterly beside the point that he has written two number one bestsellers while Hannity has none. > > . Well, according to the cover of his book:[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060582510/qid=1128041209/sr=2-1/ref=pd\_bbs\_b\_2\_1/103-2741304-4839025?v=glance&s=books](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060582510/qid=1128041209/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-2741304-4839025?v=glance&s=books) Hannity _has_ written at least one bestseller. He’s referred to as “New York Time’s Bestselling Author.” I have no idea which book it was, but it seems that you are wrong. Again. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/34 "2005-09-30T00:44:39Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Well, according to the cover of his book:[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060582510/qid=1128041209/sr=2-1/ref=pd\_bbs\_b\_2\_1/103-2741304-4839025?v=glance&s=books](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060582510/qid=1128041209/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-2741304-4839025?v=glance&s=books) > > Hannity _has_ written at least one bestseller. He’s referred to as “New York Time’s Bestselling Author.” > > I have no idea which book it was, but it seems that you are wrong. Again. Learn how to read, fucktard, I said **Number One** bestsellers. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/35 "2005-09-30T00:46:31Z")
Blah. When Limbaugh, O’Reilly, Coulter or Hannity attack someone its Great Journalism. Even though it’s pure bullshit. When Franken does it, it’s a Bad Thing. What’s the difference? It’s all the same. Find someone to attack or ridicule and make money. The only difference is what side they choose. At least with Franken, I haven’t caught him in any obvious outright lies. I haven’t been trying to catch him, but then I wasn’t trying to catch the others I mentioned either. Still, I did catch them. Several times. Wasn’t even trying. No cites, I’m too lazy right now. It’s on the web, or in old threads anyway. I don’t really like Franken, any more than the others. But, he hasn’t been busted for drugs after demanding swift and terrible justice for druggies (Rush did I heard him on his radio show). He hasn’t come out in favor of torture (Rush did, I heard him say it wasn’t a bad thing on his radio show). He (Franken) hasn’t praised “family values” and then would up in a sex “issue” like O’Reilly. He hasn’t called for the extermination of all the traitorous lefties and libruls like Coulter. And so it goes. Franken is an attack dog, just like his righty counterparts. He enjoys slamming people. But somehow, he hasn’t been shown to be anywhere near as sleazy and hypocritical. It may turn out that he is an arrogant insufferable boring SOB in real life, but he so far is pretty clean in comparison to the others mentioned. So go ahead and crow about some radio or TV show that may (maybe ) get cancelled as it is a great victory. Meanwhile, how are the investigations going with Rove and Novak (info leaks), “Doctor” Frist, and DeLay? Maybe their “shows” will get cancelled too. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/36 "2005-09-30T00:48:15Z")
I almost forgot. Do any right wing talking heads have a really cool bowling ball with a skull in it? Garafalo does. Don’t piss her off. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/37 "2005-09-30T01:23:21Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Well, according to the cover of his book:[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060582510/qid=1128041209/sr=2-1/ref=pd\_bbs\_b\_2\_1/103-2741304-4839025?v=glance&s=books](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060582510/qid=1128041209/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-2741304-4839025?v=glance&s=books) > > Hannity _has_ written at least one bestseller. He’s referred to as “New York Time’s Bestselling Author.” > > I have no idea which book it was, but it seems that you are wrong. Again. **Stephe96** , the fact that you are apparently the first doper incapable of counting to one notwithstanding, that still leaves you citing Sean Hannity for proof of Sean Hannity’s bestsellerdom. Good day. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/38 "2005-09-30T01:28:22Z")
> [@ITR champion](#): > > **Stephe96** , the fact that you are apparently the first doper incapable of counting to one notwithstanding, that still leaves you citing Sean Hannity for proof of Sean Hannity’s bestsellerdom. > > Good day. Well, Hannity doesn’t design his own bookcovers, so it would in fact be his publisher who is calling him a “New York Times Bestselling Author.” ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/39 "2005-09-30T01:31:44Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > It may turn out that he is an arrogant insufferable boring SOB in real life, but he so far is pretty clean in comparison to the others mentioned. For all I know, he might beat his wife with Sack fulls of Valencia Oranges. However, it appears that when in public, he is a paragon of virtue, unlike SOME pundits I could name. > [@Union Leader Staff](#): > > [Al Franken rousts heckler from Dean rally](http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=32449) > > MANCHESTER — Liberal activist and comedian Al Franken helped eject a boisterous heckler from a crowded Howard Dean rally at the Palace Theatre Monday, the theater’s manager said yesterday. > > The heckler began yelling from the rear of the theater while the Democratic Presidential hopeful was taking questions from the audience, theater manager Peter Ramsey said. > > Two members of Dean’s security team immediately moved in on the man, who shoved and elbowed them, Ramsey said. > > “He was screaming. He was out of control,” Ramsey said. > > Ramsey said he went over to help calm the situation and also got elbowed and pushed. > > “All of a sudden, I looked to my right, and Al Franken was grabbing onto this man’s back,” Ramsey said. > > “He (Franken) gave him a hefty Patriots block. He should be a Patriot,” Ramsey said. > > “I never met Al Franken before. He is now my new hero,” Ramsey said of the former “Saturday Night Live” writer. > > Ramsey said a news photographer later told him Franken reacted to being elbowed by the protester, who knocked his glasses off. > > \ Can you believe the NewYork Post tried to turn this into “Al attacks man for no good reason.” 😃 I find myself agreeing with **Diogenes** ’s opinion that right-wing pundits have nothing to contribute, save to attack the left wing. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108/40 "2005-09-30T01:38:41Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > For all I know, he might beat his wife with Sack fulls of Valencia Oranges. > > However, it appears that when in public, he is a paragon of virtue, unlike SOME pundits I could name. Can you believe the NewYork Post tried to turn this into “Al attacks man for no good reason.” 😃 I find myself agreeing with **Diogenes** ’s opinion that right-wing pundits have nothing to contribute, save to attack the left wing. The New York Post? I would sooner get my “facts” from the Enquirer or Weekly World News. I guess that is what passes for “responsible journalism” these days. Did they have any quips about the poor villager who got maimed by the Franken Monster? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-air-america-death-rattle-has-begun/324108.md?page=3)