Senator Hot-Head
[Guest post by DRJ]
Senator Al Franken’s sharp tongue and mocking manner is starting to come out … especially with GOP colleagues, their subordinates, and even everyday college students. Here’s the most recent example:
“Franken has surprised some of his colleagues behind the scenes by getting into heated tangles with GOP staffers.
One such exchange took place in Franken’s office during a recent meeting with Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and his aides.
Franken invited Corker to his office to discuss an op-ed that Corker penned in a Tennessee newspaper opposing an amendment Franken offered to a defense bill. The measure gave the employees of defense contractors who suffer rape or sexual assault at the workplace the right to sue in court.
The meeting quickly deteriorated when Franken began berating one of Corker’s aides, according to GOP aides familiar with the incident. Franken’s sally was so harsh that Corker told Franken to lay off his aide and direct the comments at him instead.
Franken’s tough approach came as a surprise because Corker scheduled the meeting to mend fences after Franken confronted him about the op-ed during an angry exchange on the Senate floor.”
There are other examples at the link, and Franken’s spokesperson responds. A college professor who is one of Franken’s Minnesota constituents sums it up:
“There is a war within Al Franken,” said Lawrence Jacobs, a professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. “The Al Franken head tells him to steer away from the limelight and build his reputation. Then there is his heart, which is quite fiery.”
Jacobs said Franken must be careful not to engage in too many political brawls, or it could “reinforce for independent voters what they feared about him, that he’s a hot-headed partisan.”
I think Franken crossed that line long ago.
— DRJ
Poor Al Franken. Years of substance abuse have resulted in a form of organic brain syndrome. The people of Minnesota should hang their heads in shame for allowing Franken and ACORN to steal the election.
GeneralMalaise (a38f27) — 12/23/2009 @ 3:22 pmMinnesotans are a weird bunch and they elect weird people, which are totally representative of Minnesotans, to represent them. Some wrestler Truther was their governor not too long and now this clown is their Senator.
nk (df76d4) — 12/23/2009 @ 3:27 pmMaybe Senator Hot Head and Jeff G. can attend anger management classes together.
daleyrocks (718861) — 12/23/2009 @ 3:33 pmWhat a clown! He thinks people really like him ala Stuart Smiley.
PatAZ (9d1bb3) — 12/23/2009 @ 3:47 pmI mean, come on: this jackass ran 350,000 votes behind Obama in Minnesota, so he almost literally was dragged across the finish line by the Obama tide. If there were anyone in the Senate who ought to have a modicum of humility, it is Al Franken. Fortunately, there is always 2014, where he won’t have Obama’s mindless Democrat voters to punch the hole next to his name.
JVW (0fe413) — 12/23/2009 @ 3:55 pm“The measure gave the employees of defense contractors who suffer rape or sexual assault at the workplace the right to sue in court.”
I never knew that they didn’t have this right already.
Actual (f9d348) — 12/23/2009 @ 3:56 pmRight you are, PatAZ… if only he were good enough and smart enough.
GeneralMalaise (a38f27) — 12/23/2009 @ 4:00 pmStuart Smalley has always been, and always will be, a grade A bunghole. No one from his SNL days has anything nice to say about him, and many still loathe him in a manner that’s not fit for polite company. BTW, he just royally pissed off McCain and Leiberman for not allowing Joe a common courtesy of procedure in the Senate.
Dmac (a964d5) — 12/23/2009 @ 4:01 pmActual,
I believe most of these workers go overseas as contract employees and, as a rule, contracts such as this provide that claims against an employer have to be submitted to arbitration or mediation before a lawsuit can be filed. As I understand it, this law would invalidate such contractual agreements when it comes to rape/sexual assault claims.
DRJ (84a0c3) — 12/23/2009 @ 4:02 pmDmac, not that it makes Franken any less of an a-hole, but supposedly it was under orders from Harry Reid that Franken limited everyone’s remarks to exactly 10 minutes and did not permit any extra time. It had to do with keeping on the tight schedule that the Senate set for the bill’s passage.
JVW (0fe413) — 12/23/2009 @ 4:07 pmIn that case, Harry picked the right class-less a-hole for the mission.
GeneralMalaise (a38f27) — 12/23/2009 @ 4:10 pmI enjoyed anger management class. Way better to sit around and vent than sit around wondering what really is in the meatloaf.
Franken needs to be himself. No anger management, be the complete dick he really is and get voted out and into MSNBC.
SteveG (909b57) — 12/23/2009 @ 4:38 pmReid should put Franken in the public eye every day
The people of Minnesota wanted to give “the finger” to GWB, and so they elected (well, ACORN style cheating did) a straight up bully. That’s all Franken is: a bully. Sooner or later (and it will be sooner), he will go too far.
Here’s a thought. I can’t wait until Franken tries that kind of thing on a Blue Dog like Jim Webb. I don’t much like a lot of what Webb is doing, but he would probably deck Franken.
But my guess is that, like most bullies, Franken won’t try that on someone who would shove back. Remember this?
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZjQ0YjE3MGY2OGJjMzkxYmI2YmZhMGJmZjA5ZTUyNDc=
Rich Lowry? Really?
Eric Blair (ddbceb) — 12/23/2009 @ 4:41 pmThat would’ve been “class warfare”… as in class vs. no class.
Calling Franken a moron would be a grave disservice to all morons across the globe.
GeneralMalaise (a38f27) — 12/23/2009 @ 4:56 pmSurprised?
HeavenSent (01a566) — 12/23/2009 @ 4:57 pmMaybe JeffG and Scott Jacobs could do a smackdown on Franken and then have their unholy alliance disintegrate into snap. no tap. on pay per view.
SteveG (909b57) — 12/23/2009 @ 5:02 pmLike Paul Wellstone, Franken is a far-left, smart (in the IQ sense only, not wisdom) Minnesotan.
Unlike Paul Wellstone, who famously refused pleasantries with then-VP Quayle and Wellstone’s swearing in (BY Quayle) but thereafter learned decorum and manners,
Franken will never be remotely a gentleman. He is an infant.
Mitch (e40959) — 12/23/2009 @ 7:25 pmIn the battle between his heart and his head, Al Franken always opts for the choice that proves he’s a completely obnoxious putz. The putz wins every time.
Mike Myers (3c9845) — 12/24/2009 @ 8:57 amIf you think his temper’s bad now, wait until after the 2010 election when Al’s party has either a far reduced majority or loses control of one or both houses of Congress. He’ll make the Preston Brooks-Charles Sumner incident look like an afternoon on Oprah by comparison.
John (620750) — 12/24/2009 @ 9:38 amI actually liked Gov. Ventura—but this jassack’s a disgrace to Minnesotans, not least because he’s a carpetbagger like ex-Senator Clinton. I wonder how many qualified DFL (Minnesota’s Democratic Party calls itself Democratic Farmer-Labor, for obscure reasons) politicians he had to climb over, with ACORN’s help, to get the nomination in the first place?
Technomad (677f63) — 12/24/2009 @ 8:50 pm