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This morning’s StarTribune, the main newspaper in Minneapolis, has a front page article on Senator Al Franken and shows some recognition for the fact that, despite his junior status (having served just a year in the Senate after a very close election), he is increasingly visible as both a law maker and as someone who is not afraid to challenge his colleagues in the Senate, not something you normally expect from a freshman among the geriatric epicenter of that body.  Normally, it takes the StarTribune a year or two to catch onto something important, so the fact that a top fold, front page article is there today on Franken, means they are probably reading themillercircle. What the StarTribune article seemed to completely miss  however, was the tone-setting transformation he provided, free of charge, to the Elena Kagan confirmation hearings in the Senate Judiciary meeting last week. Had it not been for that event, it would have been sometime into the future when I would have written about him. However, as further evidence for the broad nature of his citizenship, you can watch him draw a fairly accurate, free-hand map of the United States on YouTube, at the cultural center of Minnesota, the Minnesota State Fair, second in stature only to that of Iowa.
RFM

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John Nichols, writer for The Nation and author of several important books on contemporary politics, wrote an excellent eulogy on George Carlin, whom he knew and with whom he maintained a dialog over the years. His article is well worth reading, because it crystallizes many of the seminal areas in which Carlin’s comments, through his comedic performances, made us laugh during their delivery, but wince when later thinking about their relevance. Carlin put up a mirror in front of us, forcing us to laugh and cry at our changing World. Carlin could succinctly summarize the Reagan administration, when he said (from Nichols’ article), at the Park Theater in Union City, New Jersey (recorded in 1988 and found in Carlin’s album "What Am I Doing in New Jersey"),

"I really haven’t seen this many people in one place since they took the group photograph of all the criminals and lawbreakers in the Ronald Reagan administration." I liked that one, because it was right on the mark and included, among many others, pointing a finger at the haughty Lt Colonel Oliver North who might well have received a hefty sentence as a convicted felon for the illegal Iran-Contra affair, and also for helping smuggle drugs into the US for an additional source of funds to support the Contras. According to North, he was supporting "Freedom Fighters" (this is the group of torturers who were trained by ex-Natzis, including Claus Barbi, who also murdered nuns and priests).

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I don’t often send out jokes, but a friend of mine sent this to me and I couldn’t stop laughing when I read it. It’s one of those jokes that you can’t tell, but only read. Perhaps you will get the same response out of it that I did:

It was the first day of a school in USA and a new Indian student named Chandrasekhar Subramanian entered the fourth grade.

The teacher said, ‘Let’s begin by reviewing some American History..

Who said ‘Give me Liberty , or give me Death’?

She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Chandrasekhar, who had his hand up:

‘Patrick Henry, 1775′ he said.

‘Very good!’

Who said ‘Government of the People, by the People, for the People, shall not perish from the Earth?’

Again, no response except from Chandrasekhar.

‘Abraham Lincoln, 1863′ said Chandrasekhar.

The teacher snapped at the class, ‘Class, you should be ashamed.

Chandrasekhar, who is new to our country, knows more about its history than you do.’

She heard a loud whisper: ‘F**k the Indians,’

‘Who said that?’ she demanded. Chandrasekhar put his hand up.

‘General Custer, 1862.’

At that point, a student in the back said, ‘I’m gonna puke.’

The teacher glares around and asks ‘All right! Now, who said that?’

Again, Chandrasekhar says, ‘Al Gore to the Japanese Prime Minister, 1991.’

Now furious, another student yells, ‘Oh yeah? Suck this!’

Chandrasekhar jumps out of his chair waving his hand and shouts to the teacher , ‘Bill Clinton, to Monica Lewinsky, 1997!’

Now with almost mob hysteria someone said ‘You little shit. If you say anything else, I’ll kill you.’

Chandrasekhar frantically yells at the top of his voice, ‘ Michael Jackson to the child witnesses testifying against him- 2004.’

The teacher fainted. And as the class gathered around the teacher on the floor, someone said, ‘Oh sh*t, we’re f**ked!’

……………….

And Chandrasekhar said quietly, ‘I think it was George Bush, Iraq, 2007.’

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