Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them
 

Interesting story. Personally, I like Al Franken.... Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot was a funny book, and I'm looking forward to this one.

But what was O'Reilly/Fox thinking with this lawsuit? Franken's book went from pretty unknown to #1 on amazon pre-orders due to their lawsuit. Are they secretly friends with Franken and just trying to do him a favor? The book is comedy, so Fox had to know that their lawsuit doesn't have a chance in hell of sticking just on parody grounds.

http://www.drudgereport.com/bof.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/ny...partner=GOOGLE

http://1.junglescan.com/scan/details...5947647&days=7

Lots of underlying personal vendettas going on here. O'Reilly apparently doesn't like Franken due to some stuff he has said in the past. Drudge appears to have a grudge against O'Reilly too because he has said nasty things in the past about O'Reilly's radio show, maybe because it competes with Drudge's.

Anyway, quite a soap opera going on. Looks like Franken will end up laughing all the way to the bank.

Within a day of the lawsuit being announced, Franken's book rose to #1 on the Amazon sales chart. It had previously stood somewhere in the teens (I think).

Thanks, FOX! Free publicity for a book that makes you look bad. How dumb can you get?

yea, i had never heard of the guy before i saw the info on the lawsuit a couple of days ago.

i mean, it's very borderline here about the phrase "fair and balanced" as belonging to FNC. and the guy is using the phrase inside a sentance too. i'll have to side with franken.

I LIVED the Al Franken decade.

Did you???

The book wasn't in the teens. It was up in the 200 - 700 range for much of the time preceeding the lawsuit.
It made over a 13,000% jump in one day.

Pre-ordered. Done and done.

Hey Al, it's because you're good enough, you're smart enough, and dog gone it, people like you.

Don't like Franken, moderately like O'Reilly, no thoughts on Drudge but I guess the lawsuit is legitimate. I mean you can sue for anything you want, it doesn't mean you will win but you can still sue.

The whole trademarking of common phrases is more outrageous to me than the lawsuit or Franken's and O'Reilly's/Fox's argument.

There needs to be a better trademark process since there have been quite a few cases of late with corporations (and individuals) taking ownership of common terms.

Me too, Lebell. :)

Having read both Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Why Not Me, I'll be picking this up. I think Franken's written stuff is very funny, unlike his acting stuff on SNL. As for this lawsuit, brilliant work, Fox. We like to call you "Fair and (Mentally)Unbalanced" around here.

O'Reilly and Fox News both look stupid over this. They both love conservatives who blast liberals, as I do, but they can't take it in return. What a bunch of fucking pussies!

The sad part, I'm told, is that because the lawsuit was filed as a trademark violation case instead of a copyright infringement or libel suit, Fox might have a chance.

If Fox can convince a judge that their trademark is 'diluted' or something to that effect by the book, then the fight is apparently on.

I've seen and heard a lot of Al Franken, I must say, what a bonehead.

Hahaha, stick it to them.

Definitely a frivolous lawsuit. And, because we all know that trial lawyers are usually liberal, I predict Fox will be handed its ass on a platter.

Um, I'd dearly love to see you attempt to justify this statement. What, next are you going to try to tell me the media's liberal, too?!

At least there are studies that have proven over the past 30 years the media has been more left than right.

There are studies that claim tobacco is good for you, too. Pay enough money to the right think tank and you can have any study you please.

Re: Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them
 

The vendetta is that O'Reilly has repeatedly, on the record, lied about recieving a prestigious media award (he didn't); Frankin has got stuck into him about this in the past.

Apparently exposing frauds is Bad and Wrong.

I very much would like to see Fox take a beating for this suit. I do think it's funny that they gave him so much free publicity. Must be nice to be his publisher right about now. :)

Yeup, although 30 years of studies reaching the same conclusion must be really expensive. Anywho easiest way of noticing it is looking how they describe the parties. The democrats surge power on waves of popular support. The Republicans took over. The Democrats were elected into office. The Republicans seized office.

Well there's your problem right there: you consider the Democrats to be liberals.

Examine how the press treats Kucinich or Dean and then come back to us with the evidence that they pander to the liberals.

Did anyone see that panel where O'Reilly and Franken were featured guests on C-Span a few months ago? It quickly degenerated into O'Reilly yelling at Franken to shut up.

I have to give props to anyone who pisses off a jackass like O'Reilly, because let's face it, pissing people off is funny.

O'Reilly has a history of telling his guests to shut up. Anyone remember his exchange with Jeremy Glick, whose father was killed in the World Trade Center, in February? Glick had the audacity to go on O'Reilly's program and not support the impending war in Iraq. O'Reilly, the Inside Edition host extraordinaire, told Glick to shut up as well.

As to the 30 years of research showing a liberal media bias, I would appreciate being directed to any of these studies.

I can't really help you with those studies but this is an interesting source:

http://www.whatliberalmedia.com/

Here's O'Reilly's lame response:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/idea...5p-99223c.html

Jesus, did he actually write that? I sort of expected a more polished writing style from Bill. I'd guess he hasn't read this or any of Al's other books. And all this from a guy who makes his debating point by shouting down the other guy. If Fox was really so even in their reporting, they wouldn't have to trademark "Fair and Balanced." Methinks the lady doth protest too much...

Bill O'Reilly is speaking of intellectual dishonesty?

That's like OJ Simpson giving a seminar on domestic violence at a women's shelter.

Someone's read Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot...:)

I can be a political commentator because i'm good enough, im smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.

Actually, you only need about half of the people to like you. And if that half likes you, then the other side automatically hates you.

I can't wait to read this - Franken cracks me up... and his timing is good!

I think they arranged the publicity and are going to split the profits. If you don't want anyone to buy the book don't mention it. All it does is raise curiosity. I think Franken is an socialist ass.

haha, judge refused the lawsuit.

long live al franken and may he publish a lot more books like this one.

The funniest part of this whole thing is that many of FOX's pundits - O'Reilly, Hannity, Hume etc. - often condemn the litigious nature of America. Now, when things don't go the way they like, what do they do? They start litigation. It really strikes me as funny.

Today's been a good day for slapping down the asshats. Not only did the Justice in Alabama get suspended, but Fox's bid to stop the publication of Al Franken's book (the media trying to chill free speech ... amazing) was slapped down by the courts. To quote the judge:

Hooray for sanity.

Fux News latest tag line: "Without merit both factually and legally."

It would be truth in advertising at the very least.

2Wolves

Regardless of who wins the suit, frankens pocket book will be the real winner. Not sure what fox was thinking with this one but holly free publicity moron man.

I got this book yesterday and can't put it down. It is a great read! Pick it up today if you have not already.

Al Franken is a damned funny satirist. Unfortunately he is also a socialist and a liberal (The two really are synonomous, by the way). I think this is a deliberate move on the part of Foz and o'Reilly to stir up numbers by gaining a publicity of their own. Now the liberals will want to tune in just to razx the network and in so doing will increase their viewer shares.
the name of the game is $$$.
Al Franken and Bill O'Reilly remind me of Andy Kaufman and his wrestler nemesis.