My job is to protect the interests of the people of Minnesota. Now, how are they to trust you, when you come in and to my face say something that either you know wasn’t true, or you didn’t know, and I don’t know which is worse. How are the people of Minnesota supposed to trust you?
As you can see, Al Franken is not happy about the proposed merger of NBC and Comcast. I can’t really blame him. After all, Comcast, as one of our very few cable companies, is responsible for the fair distribution of content. But they would also become creators of content with their purchase of NBC. It’s hard to see how that wouldn’t become a conflict of interest.
And I would get even more nervous, as Al clearly has, if the CEO of Comcast gave me a reassurance that was the exact opposite of what his lawyers had just argued in front of the FCC.
The whole video (after the break) is well worth a watch. Al Franken is steaming mad at Comcast, and he’s mad because he thinks Comcast is going to take advantage of us here in Minnesota. To be honest, I wish all of our public servants would get so serious about things they think are threats to their constituents.
[via Greg Laden]
I hate Comcast.
That is all.
No politician will get in trouble with his constituents when going after Comcast. They are one of the most hated companies in America as well as a profitable monopoly trying become bigger.
Personally Al is making every hour and day I spent squinting at ballots during the recount worth it. I was mostly doing it because of that “Do Nothing”, “Weasel”, “Bribe-machine” Coleman but now I’m extra happy I did it.
A further indication, for those who need it, that Al Franken is a wise man, not just a wise cracker, and that the interests of his constituents are his foremost consideration. He is serving with distinction as a U.S Senator representing the interests of all Minnesotans and his candor is very refreshing.
Once again, Al Franken embarasses me. He masks what could be a very valid point with his grandstanding style. I don’t like when Rush Limbaugh does it, and I don’t like when Franken does.
Listen to a longer version of the exchange. Roberts has a very valid response. It could actually be an interesting dialogue if Franken would stop interrupting him. In fact, Franken doesn’t even let him respond. He just wants the freakin soundbyte.
Senator Franken, I don’t need you to protect me from Comcast.
Franken has demonstrated to me that he still has the skills he learned at SNL — he has an entertainers sense of when he is in the TV frame.
Your poor delicate sensibilities. Please go fan the vapors.
“Once again, Al Franken embarasses me. He masks what could be a very valid point with his grandstanding style.”
So in this post, it’s not his “extreme liberalism”, but his “grandstanding” that’s the problem. Just checking to make sure I’m getting this right.
Get over it DTM, your comments are childish. Rush Limbaugh/Al Franken? He’s Franken, not Frankenstein. I thought you said you would lay off for a while and really see how he does. Your constant inane carping about foolishness isn’t laying off. You don need our representatives to protect you from media monopolies that control both content and deliivery? That is what we elect representation for. You can’t personally do this. Maybe you aint “skeered” but you would be if you thought about it for two seconds before you fell back to your reflexive talking point rhetoric.
price has gone up 3 times in 15 years? Why make that point? Every other consumer product has gone up at least that many times in 15 years. No one is forcing people to buy cable.
Wow do you have a weird view of what a monopoly is… whether cable is a need or a want has nothing to do with the issue.
He clearly meant the price has tripled.
Is he saying 3 times or 300%? Cant find a reference on this.
I don’t mind the senator attacking monopolists as long as he is also willing to attack the states and municipalities that fostered them. Cable is no different than the telegraph, the railroads, electrification, sewer and water and like the cable companies, those monopolies were by design.
I hate the monopolist as much (perhaps more) than the socialist but we have to remember who we have to blame for their existence.
Comcast came to Minneapolis a few years back. They immediately took AMC,Oxygen,and the WE channels off of our lineup. They put those stations in a more expensive tier. They also made other changes that were not appreciated.So do you think we should trust them to keep their word? To them, we do not count. Only their controlling more of the market is whats’ important to them and making as much money as possible!
lojasmo, Jason, do you have any intelligent comment of your own?
Why should we trust Al Franken. What has he done to earn the trust of the 59.95 of Minnesota who did not vote for him. He never has town hall meetings, is rarely present at his Minnesota office when the Senate is adjourned and doesn’t respond to constituent mail. He might as well represent New York as well as he does Minnesota. Just because he pays property taxes here doesn’t mean he is a true Minnesotan.
For posts that are meant to be hard-hitting, a shred of evidence is advisable.
Any proof on the “rarely present at his office” or “doesn’t respond to constituent mail” fronts?
Well, there have been about 10 (or now 11) of us writing replies to this thread. Let’s do a relatively simple, non-scientific exercise to see how valid your point is.
Each one of us can try calling the Franken office - DC or Mpls, your choice - and express your thumbs up or thumbs down to Franken’s criticism of the Comcast/NBC merger. Let’s say we all try on Thursday or Friday, and report back here this weekend. Did you get through? Did someone take your call?
Or, if your beef is strictly from a mail perspective, then we could each drop a note in the mail, and report back in say, two weeks, to report on whether or not we received an acknowledgement of our contact.
Hey, if you’re going to make the accusation, you got to be willing to put it to a test. Agreed?
I’ve called Franken’s office in St. Paul a couple of times and Washington once. Got through every time and was cordial spoken with… I will admit that I wasn’t whining about the job he was doing so I wasn’t being confrontative. I wouldn’t doubt that like most things in life, you get the tone you project.
Al Franken and his office respond to all my e-mails and a very responsive person take my calls on ongoing issues. I appreciate that very much.
From what it sounds like, Franken’s office is good at responding to constituents’ emails and calls.
More importantly to me, it seems like he is doing very well in terms of fighting for Minnesotans. Just a few items:
http://franken.senate.gov/?p=issues_and_legislation
Finally, he’s in state every weekend. And if he’s not, Franni’s there. It is frustrating for people to continue to say such things when Franken is clearly doing a lot to help our country, and has been doing a great job showing Minnesotans how serious and hard working he is.