Franken repeats false claim to mock Ann Coulter

Rather than slaying her on the spot, Franken admits being "cordial" when he met Ann Coulter.

However, on page 22 of Lies (paperback) he accuses Coulter of lying about their interaction. He says she told a reporter she was "friendly" with him.

As the astute observer will note, the word "cordial" is a direct synonym for "friendly"—a fact somehow lost on Franken's enchanted reader.

The astute observer will also note that being friendly is not the same as being friends. One can, after all, behave friendly toward a complete stranger. Watch how Franken twists "friendly" into "friends": Ann and I are friends. I personally wasn't aware of that myself until I read it in the New York Observer. [p. 5, Lies]

Thus Franken sets the false idea in his readers' minds.

Worse still, Franken puts "friendly with" in quotes to make it look like a direct quote from Coulter: ...she told the writer from the Observer that she was "friendly with" Al Franken. [p. 5, Lies]

In fact, the writer, George Gurley of the New York Observer, was not quoting Coulter. It was his word choice, giving his own description of what Coulter said rather than quoting her. Coulter says the reporter misunderstood.

---------------------------------

Ann Coulter says she never told a reporter that she was "friendly" with Al Franken and indeed has no motive whatsoever to have done so. The actual quote Coulter said was a compliment to Franken in that he is one of few liberals she actually thought was funny, along with Bill Mahr, whom she IS friendly with. Franken, doing no fact checking on the quote, parroted it in his book to make fun of Coulter as if she were namedropping him.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• al
• franken
• truth
• jokes
• lies
• lying
• liars
• ann
• coulter
• democrat
• liberal
• left
• wing
• media

[bulletstopper636]

Al Franken is just quoting a quote from Anne Coulter.

[videoLies]

FALSE.

he quoted quote from someone quoting Ann Coulter. Something he specifically rails against others like Bernie Goldberg for doing. if its so wrong and dishonest then why does he do it? oh ya. he's a hypocrite and liar.

FAIL

[Basta11]

Well, since she was owned for not knowing that Canada didn't send troops to Vietnam, I don't know if I can believe her. Besides, she is no where near the status and intelligence of Franken and Maher.

[videoLies]

FAIL.

Coulter wasn't owned on anything having to do with that issue. you are a mindless lazy sheep.

Canada contributed 240 Canadian Forces whose role was to monitor the cease-fire in South Vietnam, according to the Paris Peace Conference, and to arrange the release and exchange of more than 32,000 prisoners of war. In addition, ten to forty thousand Canadians, voluntarily served in Vietnam or during the Vietnam era with the American military, of whom 111 Canadians, were lost.

OWNED...........

[hooladan]

Even if ann didn't say what she said it's not frankens fault for putting it in his book. He quoted what a jornalist wrote in a news paper during an interview with ann. I personally think ann's just lying about it, i mean she is a retarded bitch.

[videoLies]

IRRELEVANT.

the point is that Franken doesnt follow his own standards of journalism or truth telling.

HYPOCRITE. LIAR.

FAIL

[Berserk798]

Ann Coulter isn't even criticizing Al--she's criticizing the lousy journalist that Al assumed was reporting the truth. This isn't a lie that Al made up to deceive the American people and change their opinion about war or health insurance, it was a clerical error at best. Which is why this "Franken lying!!1" campaign is the most pathetic excuse for crap I've heard in a long time. Go do something worthwhile--like catching -real- lies.

[stromboldt]

God she's a bitch.

[kelsosemail]

The entire exchange above is pointless. I find it hysterical...no, HYSTERICAL...that there's a focus on THIS lie of Ann Coulter's. THIS ONE?! REALLY?!?! Do you have ANY IDEA how many Ann Coulter lies and examples of gross hypocrisy are exposed in Franken's book?!??!?

No wonder the sleazy biatch hates him so much. He totally has her number. And exposed her as a BS artist.

[MaryWaterton]

Minnesota is schizophrenic. Al Franken is such a turd and Michell Bachmann is so excellent. All from the same state. Makes no sense.

[rjvandrish]

@bulletstopper636

While Franken should have had the higher standards of journalism to check with Ann Coulter, the subject of his joke has been caught in so many lies that how could he ever believe her answer? Franken's "lie" is also more of a joke, so it doesn't even matter... The best he could have done, however, was emphasize that it was a quote of a quote.

[am19228]

Its a he said, she said story.  The difference is that Al is supported by the article in question. Personally, I take Al's word over Ann's anyday.

Plus, I don't think he was called her a liar because she said they were friendly. Oh sure, he calls her a liar, but only because of a hundred other reasons in his book. But his main reason for bringing up the "friends" story is to joke about it (i.e. I would know she's crazy because we are friends.)

[theplanetarypatriot]

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[RushLimborg]

@Berserk798

Oh, sure. Al Franken just accepted the quote without question. Sheesh, did you evel LISTEN to the first part of the clip?

[SenariXarn]

If the reporter misinterpreted Coulter's statement about being "friendly with" Al Franken, possibly because she included his name with that of Bill Maher alongside a qualifier of "liberal I thought was funny", then Franken was going off of the words of said reporter.

Should Franken apologize for the reporter's interview as a source and the misinterpretation that resulted from it on behalf of the reporter? The fault here seems to be firstly on the reporter and secondly and, in general, on Al.