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BREAKING NEWS FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE: CRUEL FRANKEN RIDICULES CARLETON COLLEGE STUDENT; STUDENT’S ACCOUNT BACKED UP BY CARLETON COLLEGE DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT
By Michael B. Brodkorb | January 23, 2008
Wow – C.J. from the Star Tribune is reporting that Al Franken repeatedly mocked a Carleton College student during a recent visit to Northfield, including ridiculing the young man's manner of speaking. At one point, Franken even refused to shake the young man’s hand. The best part: the Carleton College student’s account is backed by the head of the Carleton College Dems.
To repeat: this was a GROWN MAN being cruel to a young college student. Mocking him and being mean. This wasn’t an example of someone being tired and just being a jerk – this is an ADULT deliberately making fun of someone who was clearly nervous and uncomfortable. Absolutely mean and totally unMinnesotan.
Mike Hatch and Al Franken both have the same problem with being mean and cruel. Hatch's reputation was that for years – Franken's is starting to rear its head now.
Franken's starting to show what happens when he is nervous and under pressure – he makes things up (as he did on "Midday") and he starts being mean.
Franken wasn't just being mean when he attacked a Carleton student…he was taunting someone young enough to be his kid – he was just being absolutely cruel.
"According to Fritz, things started out fine with him taking photos of fellow Carls (that's what students call themselves) with Franken. Then Franken's curiosity was raised about why Fritz didn't want to be in a pic.
He's a conservative, another Carl yelled out by way of explanation.
At that point, Franken reportedly began peppering Fritz with questions about supporting President George W. Bush and former President Ronald Reagan's tax hikes. Fritz told me he got tense and, as he does in those situations, started chewing the inside of his mouth, a gesture he said was mimicked by Franken; Fritz also thought his style of speech was mocked by Franken." Source: Star Tribune, January 23, 2008
Click here for the complete story.
###
"Fritz told me Monday that he then stuck out his hand to shake Franken's. 'Well, at least it's nice to meet you,' the GOPer said he told Franken, who reportedly replied, I can't say the same.
There was no handshake, said Fritz." Source: Star Tribune, January 23, 2008
Click here for the complete story.
###
"Fritz told me Wednesday he was stunned by Franken's behavior: 'I usually expect politicians to, at least, pretend as though, even in that kind of interaction, that they can convince me or have some kind of reasonable dialogue — the whole Minnesota Nice thing, at least.'
Fritz's version of the encounter was backed up by Pablo Kenney, prez of the Carleton Dems." Source: Star Tribune, January 23, 2008
Click here for the complete story.
Please check back to Minnesota Democrats Exposed for more information on this developing story.
### This post also appears on Blogs for Norm!, an online community and blog covering the 2008 U.S. Senate campaign in Minnesota. The primary goal of Blogs for Norm! is to organize bloggers who support U.S. Senator Norm Coleman.
Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman
Topics: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman | 32 Comments »
32 Responses to “BREAKING NEWS FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE: CRUEL FRANKEN RIDICULES CARLETON COLLEGE STUDENT; STUDENT’S ACCOUNT BACKED UP BY CARLETON COLLEGE DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT”
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January 23rd, 2008 at 5:30 PM
See?
There’s a REASON republiCons require “loyalty oaths” at their events!!!
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:31 PM
This is brutal for Team Franken.
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:34 PM
Don’t tase me bro!
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:35 PM
Huh?
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:03 PM
Michael, 2 things:
1 – so, where was your vaunted “watcher”???!? and,
2 – “don’t tase me, bro!!!”
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:07 PM
What’s amazing is that there are any conservatives at Carlton. That school is one of the most hostile, intolerant places on earth… that is, if you don’t agree with their liberal-Fascist, anti-American, anti-Christian bigotry.
Still, this behavior should shock nobody. Al Franken is not just an angry, hate-filled loser. He’s got no class.
Anyone who wants to know why this country is so divided should look no farther than Democrats as embodied by Al Franken. Expecting these liars and crooks to bring this country together is akin to asking the fox to watch the hen house.
My prayer is that Minnesotans aren’t so stupid as to send that lying, yelling jackass to the Senate… or any other goddam liberal for that matter.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:24 PM
How typical lacking of class of Franken.
It’s also not surprising that TwoBrainCellTommy thinks this behavior by Franken is ok.
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:30 PM
Chestnut,
Now that’s classy!
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:09 PM
I know Peter, and he really is a good kid, with impeccible ethics (Eagle Scout, the whole deal), so I cannot imagine him making this up.
I have said over and over again that Franken would be a disaster.
If Peter Fritz can push Franken over the line after Franken’s had a tough day of campaigning for someone else, imagine how he’d react during the intensity and tension of a debate, or in the face of a true to life grown-up who challenges him.
Ridiculous. Chestnut, pick new words–your message is lost by your word choice.
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:10 PM
I think the words are fine. And the message is clear. Thanks for the input.
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:20 PM
It is very clear that Al is an anti-Christian bigot. I can’t wait to pick on Al at the State Fair this year.
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:37 PM
Al Franken is a complete idiot. In fact he’s almost as bad as Chestnut is.
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:56 PM
Well we’re screwed if Cerisi isn’t nominated. Could be worse than Klobuchar-Kennedy if Franken SOMEHOW gets the DFL nod now.
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:58 PM
This tempts me to go to an Al Franken event and pose as a conservative to see if he really is such a jerk. If this is all true, its surprising no one has nabbed him on youtube yet.
January 23rd, 2008 at 10:41 PM
Say, Barak?
How come that watcher/minder the republiCons are paying so handsomely, didn’t catch this one on tape?
I mean, here Al gives up this TREMENDOUS opportunity, but there’s no video, and it’s only bein’ reported on CJ??!?
Lord knows those gossip columnists are known for the juicy stuff!
You know, like “Blo and Go”?
January 24th, 2008 at 5:27 AM
It’s not evidence Franken lacks class; it’s evidence Franken lacks leadership.
It’s evidence he hasn’t compiled in his mind the opposing views of those he wishes to lead.
Ciresi with his vast legal learning would do better against Coleman.
January 24th, 2008 at 7:39 AM
If it’s true, then franklin is a complete putz and should probably be skinned alive.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:09 AM
Just another confirmation of how Angry Al will implode just as Mike Hatch did. Everyone has been saying how hateful and divisive Angry Al is and here is just more proof of it.
Angry Al is going to be very easy to expose and even easier to get average Joe Minnesotan to not vote for him.
Between Angry Al, Hitlery, the DFL run congress in MN who tried to do nothing but raise taxes and the moonbats that will come out for the Republican convention, the DFL party has a really good chance if pissing off the voters and we may see a big shift on many local races.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:37 AM
[...] « BREAKING NEWS FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE: CRUEL FRANKEN RIDICULES CARLETON COLLEGE STUDENT; STUDENT’S ACCOUNT BACKED UP BY CARLETON COLLEGE DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT | Home [...]
January 24th, 2008 at 10:12 AM
TwoPuttTommy should be institutionalized!
January 24th, 2008 at 10:39 AM
Twopudd represents the left very well here.
Just goes to show they can be even more batshit crazy than you ever thought.
Twopudd comes from the politics of hate. Not worried about what he belives in nor does he actually have any values. He just like to go around trolling with his name calling and blatently false claims.
Just a yound guy fresh out of high school who has been fed liberal mush for so long he really has no clue to what might be reality.
Ignorance is bliss and he is a rather happy individual posting his drivel.
Just what the world needed, one more name calling keyboard worrior.
Something tells me he was the guy the jocks would stuff in the garbage cans in high school. 
January 24th, 2008 at 11:38 AM
[...] The Republican Party of Minnesota has e-mailed yesterday's story from the Star Tribune about Al Franken ridiculing a Carleton College student to interested parties. I posted the story last evening. [...]
January 24th, 2008 at 1:08 PM
$ & Carry said: “It is very clear that Al is an anti-Christian bigot. I can’t wait to pick on Al at the State Fair this year.”
I can tell you from experience Cash, that Al doesn’t do well when he is on the receiving end from someone who can’t be intimidated.
I raked him through the coals at last years Fair (and so did my wife..HA!), and yes, I’ll be back next year to set Al straight again.
I encourage every one to show up and confront Al any time you have the opportunity…sooner or later, he’s gonna lose it and we’ll all be able to enjoy another “Hatch style” meltdown.
January 24th, 2008 at 2:13 PM
Swiftee I could not agree more. I have had words with Al and he does get rather hot and I find it funny how he will immediatly go into “right wing this and right wing that”. I believe he thought if he just kept talking over me I would go away. Instead he looked like a jackass who could not deal with an opposing view.
Hope to see you at the fair picking on Angry Al. More than one person at a time going after him will surely send him into a Hatch like meltdown.
January 24th, 2008 at 2:35 PM
[...] This is a small video clip from FOX 9 news about Al Franken ridiculing a college student at Carleton College. [...]
January 25th, 2008 at 11:54 AM
[...] This is a small video clip from FOX 9 news about Al Franken ridiculing a college student at Carleton College. [...]
January 25th, 2008 at 1:02 PM
This is the first big nail in Angry Al’s coffin. Say bye bye Al.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:51 PM
“What’s amazing is that there are any conservatives at Carlton. That school is one of the most hostile, intolerant places on earth… that is, if you don’t agree with their liberal-Fascist, anti-American, anti-Christian bigotry.”
Whoa, we have here some wild misconceptions about what Carleton is really like. I’m a senior at the school, and while we have some high points and low points, this attack is totally off-base. I’m a true moderate (that is, not just a liberal or conservative who calls himself a moderate), and I have some friends who are very conservative and many who are very liberal. It’s very fair to say that liberals certainly outnumber conservatives here, and liberal thinking generally dominates. At the same time, the environment is not generally overtly hostile towards conservatives. It’s true that a very thin-skinned conservative wouldn’t do well here, but that’s probably true of a lot of places. If you need evidence that simply being a conservative doesn’t get one ostracized, the very student that Franken has made the news for mocking is routinely elected to high positions in the student senate.
I especially take exception to the idea that Carleton is, in general, “anti-Christian”. Is there some anti-Christian sentiment? Of course. You’d expect some any place with the variety of opinion found here. But the school is home to a large and very active Christian Community, and a large portion of the school identifies as Christian, though admittedly there are probably fewer Christians here than in most places in the state.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:29 PM
[...] Was Franken using his humor responsibly when he mocked a college student's manner of speaking? [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 4:33 PM
[...] Was Franken using his humor responsibly when he mocked a college student's manner of speaking? [...]
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 PM
[...] in January, Franken verbally went after a young college student at Carlton College who simply didn’t want to be in a picture with him — so, it’s clear it [...]
October 27th, 2008 at 7:03 PM
[...] doctrine”. Franken is also famous for attacking college students who disagree with him, or refuse to have their picture taken with the him. Wasn’t the first time he attacked either.If this were even close to a level playing field you [...]