Honestly, I think that they’re just dumb and lazy.
Apparently Ron Carey doesn’t understand how to do a Google search because if he did you’d have to assume that this item wouldn’t be listed in the research briefing (read the whole thing here, pdf warning) he distributed to his cronies titled “The Facts About Al Franken”:
Franken Writes Of Delivering Condescending Commencement Address To Technical College Students: Graduates Are “The Nation’s Future Air Conditioner Repairmen.”
“When I was first asked to speak at Hartford State Technical College, I jumped at the opportunity. Because, you see, I thought I had been asked to speak at Harvard, which would have been quite an honor. But instead I am here with you, the nation’s future air conditioner repairmen.”
(Al Franken, Oh, The Things I Know! Plume, p. 6-7, 2002)
Funny thing is (funny on so many levels) is that there is no such thing as the Hartford State Technical College (that’s where things like google searches come in handy Ron). This quote was taken from a passage that continues on to detail how Jonas Salk was in the audience without Franken knowing (Jonas Salk is dead). So, at best Ron Carey is lazy and at worst he’s attempting to intentionally mislead the press and public. I’ll give him a free pass for know and chalk it up to laziness, but the press ought to make sure they do their own research whenever they get a RPM release!
What’s more, they’re actually so arrogant that they issued an open challenge for someone to prove that they fabricated charges against Franken! Well guys, I guess you can put this one up on the big board (I’ve got a few more for you, but we’ll save those for later). I guess the real question is how much egg can Ron Carey get on his face before he apologizes? We’ll just have to wait and see…
Once again, MN Publius is full of hot air. Hartford State Community College was founded in 1947 and merged with the Greater Hartford Community College in 1992. After the merger, the college was re-named Capital-Community Technical College.
http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/chronology.htm
See, I can Google too! Now, MN Publius, who has egg on their face? I think Ron Carey is waiting for YOUR apology!
You can use this link for cronies instead: http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2007/02/15/from-the-archives-racially-insensitive-franken-script-rejected-franken-writes-about-condescending-commencement-address
I saw that Chris but it doesn’t exist anymore. Hartford State Technical College ceased to exist in 1992 when it merged with another community college to become “Capitol Community College.”
Bottom line is that Al Franken never spoke at a Hartford State Technical College because it ceased to exist 15 years ago.
Hey, Einstein: You are the dumb one.
I know for a fact that the technical college bit was clearly recognized as satire by the state party. Here a few helpful hints. Notice in no way do they say that Franken delivered the speech. In fact, the piece says “Franken WRITES OF DELIVERING….” The quotes also appeared in a section labeled, “The Wit & Wisdom of Al Franken.” So a former writer for SNL “writes” something… Sounds like satire to me.
The reason I believe they highlighted it is to suggest that jokes ridiculing and mocking technical college students are not great sources of humor… unless you’re such a sneering elitist like Al Franken or the graduate of another elitist Ivy League school like Dartmouth.
Keep it up, you liberal elitist. There are more technical college graduates in this state who vote than Ivy League graduates!
Wow…MN Publius busted again…nice work Chris.
Mike — you and the Republicans forgot to mention the part where he advocates the destruction of the Bible.
http://midwestvaluespac.org/blog/156/an-evening-with-ann-coulter-with-full-speech
“I’m not an expert on the New Testament. But I know that if you cut out all the passages where Jesus talks about helping the poor, helping the least among us, if you literally took a pair of scissors and cut out all those passages, you’d have the perfect box to smuggle Rush Limbaugh’s drugs in.”
That evil Godless liberal.
Sean
And simply because there was a Hartford Community College, doesn’t mean that Franken gave that speach. He could have made it up to give an example of what he was writing about in the book.
This isn’t all that incredible as in a perfunctory Google search doesn’t bring up any evidence of that speach outside of the humorous book he wrote, and the MNGOOPs ‘research’ as well, in the same chapter he discusses having given another speech at Lewis and Clark in Oregon. A perfunctory Google Search doesn’t have any record of that either.
Sean
For those of you who continue to deny this story, here is a link to Franken’s interview with Tim Russert telling the story of the Commencement address:
http://www.alfrankenweb.com/russert.html
Matt,
Al Franken gave the commencement address to the Hartford State Technical College. You need a napkin to wipe the egg off of your face now. When will Ron Carey get your apology?
http://www.alfrankenweb.com/russert.html
Tim: Chris is evidence of the fact that the MN GOP is not making it very clear that this is satire. Chris is still convinced that this speech actually took place after the truth has been laid out for him. So, I would put forth that the bit was not “clearly recognized as satire,” as you put it.
Also, I’m proud of being a Dartmouth grad and there’s nothing you could possibly do to make me feel bad about that. It’s hilarious though that you actually think my education would bring me to look down on others.
Matt,
So is it that Ron Carey is a liar or is it that Al Franken is a liar? Because all Ron Carey did was take Franken at his word in his book. You really cannot tell what is real with Franken and what is satire - not even in the Russert interview.
The point is that you are the one that’s misrepresenting things. All Carey did was re-state what Franken himself said. If we can’t take Franken at his word, then what kind of a Senator will he make?
“So is it that Ron Carey is a liar or is it that Al Franken is a liar? Because all Ron Carey did was take Franken at his word in his book. You really cannot tell what is real with Franken and what is satire”
You missed the part about a dead man being in attendance. Carey screwed up plain and simple
Sean,
I’m not going to let you get away with that. How did Carey screw up? There is a Hartford State Technical College and Al Franken says in his book and with Tim Russert that he was there. Then he says it was a lie. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just another hack defending anything and everything Franken says.
Its Carey who tried and failed to get away with something
Sean,
No, it was MN Publius who tried and failed to get away with something.
Chris,
the fact that Franken didn’t give the speech is out there, and you can choose to accept it or not.
You’re accusing a humorist or lying in a satirical book? OMG, I can’t believe it. Everyone knows that humor and satire has to be entirely true, right?
Give me a break. At the very least Ron Carey is deliberately misrepresenting this and by defending him you are showing yourself to be little more than a MNGOP shill.
Chris, er, I mean, Mark, is that you? Er, Gina, maybe? Might want to try a little harder next time to disguise yourself!
Publius and Franken are both so out touch that they think its all in good fun to mock people who don’t have the opportunities to attend elite Ivy League schools.
Where is the humor in mocking people who attend technical colleges? Please explain…
Archer Dem,
MN Publius accused Ron Carey of making up the story about Franken’s commencement address. He falsely claimed that Hartford State Technical College was not in existence. I proved him wrong on both accounts. You can’t say that MN Publius was correct when all Ron Carey did was quote Al Franken’s words. If Franken’s word is no good, that’s your problem.
Also Concerned Citizen,
I am not Mark or Gina or whomever you think I am. I post regularly on Minnesota Democrats Exposed where I saw MN Publius’ bogus claims in the first place.