Al Franken Body-Slams Dean Detractor

[Guest Ronixis]

Wise-cracking funnyman Al Franken yesterday body-slammed a demonstrator to the ground after the man tried to shout down Gov. Howard Dean.

The tussle left Franken's trademark thick-rim glasses broken, but he said he was not injured.

 

Franken - who seemed in a state of shock and out of breath after the incident - was helped back to his feet by several people who watched the tussle. Police arrived soon after.

 

"I got down low and took his legs out," said Franken afterwards.

 

Franken said he's not backing Dean but merely wanted to protect the right of people to speak freely. "I would have done it if he was a Dean supporter at a Kerry rally," he said.

 

"I'm neutral in this race but I'm for freedom of speech, which means people should be able to assemble and speak without being shouted down."

 

The trouble started when several supporters of fringe presidential candidate Lyndon Larouche began shouting accusations at Dean.

 

 

 

Franken emerged from the crowd and charged one male protester, grabbing him with a bear hug from behind and slamming him onto the floor.

 

"I was a wrestler so I used a wrestling move," Franken said.

 

From The New York Post

A HOSS BY GAWD!

[Guest Anglesault]

.

 

"I'm neutral in this race but I'm for freedom of speech, which means people should be able to assemble and speak without being shouted down."

But...Weren't they exercising their free speech?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

My thoughts exactly.

 

I wonder if Al would be so concerned about "free spech" if Bush was at the microphone.

 

It's too bad the heckler didn't have a knife on him...

[Vyce 0]

I fucking love this story.

 

O'Reilly should change Franken's nickname from "Smear Merchant" now.

[Guest JMA]

O'Reilly should change Franken's nickname from "Smear Merchant" now.

That name was lame in the first place.

[Guest JMA]

I wonder if Bradshaw will mention this in his column.

 

Not that I'll be reading it.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I hope the next guy he does this to has a gun or a knife.

[Guest BDC]

So the heckler's freedom of speech wasn't violated?

[Guest JMA]

Looks like CNN has the story up now.

 

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) -- Followers of perennial presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche interrupted a campaign event for former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean on Monday before being drowned out by Dean supporters and removed from the room with the assistance of comedian Al Franken.

 

As Dean was addressing a crowd in Manchester, the fans of LaRouche -- who is something of an outcast in the Democratic Party for his extremist views -- began screaming that Dean is "a liar" and not a Democrat. They said the only candidates telling the truth are LaRouche and Sen. John Kerry, the apparent front-runner in the race.

 

The crowd began cheering "Howard Dean, Howard Dean," drowning out the LaRouche supporters as they were removed from the room.

 

Franken, a comedian and self-described liberal well-known for his attacks on the Bush administration and conservative-leaning media, helped carry out one of the disrupters. In the process, Franken's glasses were knocked off his face and broke in two.

 

Putting them back together with electrical tape, he quipped he had been "deputized" by Dean's security.

 

LaRouche supporters also heckled Sen. Joe Lieberman at a town hall meeting at Milly's Tavern in Manchester Monday evening.

 

Observers said the LaRouche crowd was forcibly removed by Lieberman supporters and Capitol Hill security staff who guard the senator.

 

Several people in the audience said they were completely unaware that there had been any disruption, but the Manchester Police were summoned to the scene and responded en masse.

 

Earlier, at a Kerry event, a woman asked the candidate, "Will the Democratic candidates tell us about the American situation in the global economy? Will you? And if not, why?"

 

"I think you've asked that question about three different places we've been, on behalf of Lyndon LaRouche," Kerry responded before stating his stances on international trade and domestic job growth.

[NoCalMike 0]

I wish I had audio on this, because the whole being "shouted down" accusation seems more like they were just trying to ask a question that the Dems don't want to address in fear of being made look stupid and/or hypocritical.

[Guest Boomer Sprinklespax]

I usually like Al Franken, but this is really, really fucking stupid. And hypocritical.

[tommytomlin 0]

Maybe the Dems need to make 'freedom of speech' zones too.

[Styles 0]

Whatever, Lyndon Larouche and his supporters need to be wiped off the face of the earth anyway....

[Vyce 0]

I wonder if Bradshaw will mention this in his column.

 

Not that I'll be reading it.

Here's the best thing about that if he does - if he criticizes Franken, that criticize will be 100% valid.

[Guest JMA]

I wonder if Bradshaw will mention this in his column.

 

Not that I'll be reading it.

Here's the best thing about that if he does - if he criticizes Franken, that criticize will be 100% valid.

Perhaps, perhaps not. I still would like to hear more about this.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I wonder if Bradshaw will mention this in his column.

 

Not that I'll be reading it.

Here's the best thing about that if he does - if he criticizes Franken, that criticize will be 100% valid.

Perhaps, perhaps not. I still would like to hear more about this.

What more is there to hear? It sounds like Franken being the typical jackass that he is.

[Guest JMA]

What more is there to hear? It sounds like Franken being the typical jackass that he is.

No. There's plenty more to hear.

 

For one, we still haven't heard Franken's side of the story. You may not care what he has to say because of your personal dislike for him, but I do. Until he does respond, I'll reserve my judgement.

 

It just strikes me as odd for Franken to react this way without being provoked. It's very out of character for him.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

This article basically was from his point of view. Considering he tries to start fights with FoxNews anchors I'd say this isn't out of character for him.

[Guest JMA]

This article basically was from his point of view. Considering he tries to start fights with FoxNews anchors I'd say this isn't out of character for him.

One would argue they started the fight with him. And a corporate battle is much different than an actual fight.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

This article basically was from his point of view.  Considering he tries to start fights with FoxNews anchors I'd say this isn't out of character for him.

One would argue they started the fight with him. And a corporate battle is much different than an actual fight.

I've heard on O'Reilly and H&C that he's tried to start fights with Alan Colmes at a few different events.

[Guest JMA]

This article basically was from his point of view.  Considering he tries to start fights with FoxNews anchors I'd say this isn't out of character for him.

One would argue they started the fight with him. And a corporate battle is much different than an actual fight.

I've heard on O'Reilly and H&C that he's tried to start fights with Alan Colmes at a few different events.

 

Both O'Reilly and Hannity have been known to lie in the past. Why put it past them now?

 

Here's an eyewitness report from the incident from the The Opinion Journal.

 

I'm no fan of Franken's views, but I give the guy credit for trying to tackle the LaRouche thugs. I was at the Dean rally in New Hampshire and those guys were not going to leave peacefully. There were no cops around, and polite requests from the Kumbaya-swaying Dean volunteers weren't convincing the LaRouche-heads to leave. One LaRouche heckler screamed his taunts from the balcony, swinging his leg above the crowd as if he were going to jump. Ironically, they were shouting that Dean had no "courage" to criticize Dick Cheney. C'mon--Dean's whole presidential campaign is based on bashing Bush/Cheney. The LaRouche zombies are really really creepy. If I could turn back time, I'd have happily sacrificed my glasses in Franken's noble rumble.

 

And the The Union Leader

 

Al Franken Web

 

The last site is, of course, biased but I feel it's important to hear what Franken himself says. The situation doesn't look as black and white to me.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

It still strikes me as him being a total jackass. These are the same people that cry foul when protesters aren't allowed to get up in the president's face. So these people were being rude, call the police and have them removed, don't committ assault on one of them.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I wonder if that cunt Molly Ivins will now call Franken a bully...

[Guest JMA]

It still strikes me as him being a total jackass.  These are the same people that cry foul when protesters aren't allowed to get up in the president's face.  So these people were being rude, call the police and have them removed, don't committ assault on one of them.

What if he was attacked first (emphasis on the "if)? Would you still be against what he did then? I like Franken so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Provided of course that this doesn't happen again. The articles say there were no police around, FYI.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Yeah, it's a completely different story if he was attacked. Then by all means he had every right to defend himself.

[Vyce 0]

What if he was attacked first (emphasis on the "if)? Would you still be against what he did then?

Every credible news source that's reported this story said that it was Franken who iniated the physical altercation.

[Guest JMA]

What if he was attacked first (emphasis on the "if)? Would you still be against what he did then?

Every credible news source that's reported this story said that it was Franken who iniated the physical altercation.

Ramsey said a news photographer later told him Franken reacted to being elbowed by the protester, who knocked his glasses off.