Trained in satire

Christian Century, May 20, 2008

TRAINED IN SATIRE: Al Franken drew a laugh when he said to a youthful audience at a campaign stop in Minnesota: "Many of you were 11 years old when George Bush was elected. You don't remember having a president who was articulate or that the federal government can actually work. You don't remember when America was respected in the world." Franken, a comedian, intends to be taken seriously as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Minnesota.

"A satirist looks at a situation and sees the inconsistencies and hypocrisies, and he cuts through the baloney and gets to the truth," he says to those skeptical about his candidacy. "I think that's pretty good training for the Senate, don't you?" (Atlantic, May).