Franken devotes a whole chapter of his book to running down Cruz, who told Politico: "Al is trying to sell books, and apparently he's decided that being obnoxious and insulting me is good for causing liberals to buy his books. I wish him all the best." By contrast, Franken reportedly wrote in the chapter that he considers Cruz "singularly dishonest" and "exceptionally smarmy." The gentleman from Minnesota told USA Today's Susan Page, "You have to understand that I like Ted Cruz probably more than my colleagues like Ted Cruz, and I hate Ted Cruz."
Why be Franken's friend? Page relayed that he became pals with then-Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Jeff Sessions and their wives became friends. But when Sessions was nominated for attorney general, Franken told Page, "When my job meant doing everything in my power to deny my friend this important position, I was relieved there was so much to demonize him for."
Cruz and Sessions are demonized by the "objective" national press for pressing their constitutional conservative agenda. But Franken can be as vicious as he wants and supplicants like Page write sentences like this: "His relish for debate and his full-throated liberalism is a good fit with the rising anti-Trump energy among Democrats on the left."
This is why conservatives roll their eyes when liberal journalists lecture about the need for civility. They adore Franken's bilious nastiness as "full-throated liberalism" but freak out when someone uses Barack Obama's middle name. Their judgment of civility is as well-honed as their judgment of "news." It's all about whose ox is being gored.
BOZELL & GRAHAM: Al Franken Is 'Sick,' All Right
Why be Franken's friend? Page relayed that he became pals with then-Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Jeff Sessions and their wives became friends. But when Sessions was nominated for attorney general, Franken told Page, "When my job meant doing everything in my power to deny my friend this important position, I was relieved there was so much to demonize him for."
Cruz and Sessions are demonized by the "objective" national press for pressing their constitutional conservative agenda. But Franken can be as vicious as he wants and supplicants like Page write sentences like this: "His relish for debate and his full-throated liberalism is a good fit with the rising anti-Trump energy among Democrats on the left."
This is why conservatives roll their eyes when liberal journalists lecture about the need for civility. They adore Franken's bilious nastiness as "full-throated liberalism" but freak out when someone uses Barack Obama's middle name. Their judgment of civility is as well-honed as their judgment of "news." It's all about whose ox is being gored.
BOZELL & GRAHAM: Al Franken Is 'Sick,' All Right
