DC Public Library System

The truth (with jokes), Al Franken

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-365) and index

index present

non fiction

The truth (with jokes)

bibliography

84839079

Al Franken

Nearly a year after the presidential election of 2004, Al Franken is still checking facts, exposing lies, and trying to clear the record as he sees it. Sneering at President Bush's declaration of a mandate after a two-and-a-half percent victory, he deconstructs Bush's 2004 platform of "fear, smear, and queers, " and explains how the president has done some flip-flopping of his own. He offers comment on well-known stories, including the Terri Schiavo case, and some more obscure, such as reports of forced prostitution, indentured servitude, and squalid conditions at clothing factories in Saipan (which is part of the American Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). Franken focuses on Tom DeLay's connection to the territory and his efforts to prevent bills from being passed that would have required Saipan to follow U.S. labor laws. Iraq, too, is discussed, from its planning stages to the huge sum of money currently unaccounted for, including $8.8 billion missing from the Coalition Provisional Authority's coffers. On the home front, Franken covers President Bush's attempt at Social Security reform, explaining how they came up with the projected shortfall figure of $11 trillion. For one thing, they adjusted life expectancy to 150 years, while leaving the retirement age at 67: "That's an eighty-three-year retirement. They're never gonna get to that without stem cell research." He also takes some wickedly funny swipes at Karl Rove, lobbyist Jack Abramoff, pundits and hosts such as Rush Limbaugh, Tim Russert, and Sean Hannity, and, of course, President Bush. The Truth succeeds in providing ammunition to liberals and others dissatisfied with the current power base in Washington, D.C.--only this time (with jokes). --Shawn Carkonen An Exclusive Video for The Truth (with jokes) from Al Franken We try to keep things civil in our customer review section, but Al Franken, who apparently trained at the Saturday Night Live school of conflict mediation, didn't get the message in his exclusive video for his book The Truth (with Jokes): see high bandwidth and low bandwidth versions

Book one: The triumph of evil. Election day -- How Bush won: fear -- Bush's little black dress -- How Bush won: smear -- A brief recuperative debunk -- With friends like Zell -- How Bush won: queers -- Al Franken talks about God -- Book two: Seeds of collapse. "A great political issue" -- The Tom DeLay Saipan sex tour and Jack Abramoff casino getaway -- Social security: Franni vs. Bush -- Plan of attack -- attack the planning -- Mission redacted -- Werewolves of Washington -- Epilogue: The resurrection of hope. A letter to my grandchildren -- You're welcome