Political satirist comments on Bush, Ashcroft

Al Franken, who fantasized a run for president in his book "Why Not Me?", urges citizens to get behind the new president -- with reservations

To Al Franken, it's all comedy

In this story: No shortage of material A long ride 'It's comedy' RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Jamie Allen
CNN.com Senior Writer

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Al Franken is not going to write a book about the 2000 election. The man who elected himself president in his 1999 bestseller "Why Not Me?: The Inside Story of the Making and Unmaking of the Franken Presidency" is going to let someone else do the heavy lifting.

"I think by the time the election's over, people are sick of the election," he says in an interview prior to an appearance on CNN's "Morning News." "I mean, somebody's going to do a great book about Florida and what happened during that month. But not me. That should be a real investigative book."

Not that he's forsaking politics -- or political humor. Indeed, it's been his bread and butter the past few years. Along with anchoring Comedy Central's election-night coverage in the early 1990s and frequent appearances on ABC's "Politically Incorrect," Franken has written two books with a political bent: "Why Not Me?" and "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot: And Other Observations."

ALSO Excerpt: 'Why Not Me?'    VIDEO CNN's Daryn Kagan talks with the former Saturday Night Live writer Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

He's also had two screenplays produced -- the drama "When a Man Loves a Woman" and "Stuart Saves His Family," based on his Stuart Smalley character from "Saturday Night Live."

His success makes him easily recognizable.

As Franken walks through CNN Center, one man comes up to him and gushes "I love Stuart!" referring to the serial self-help guy who needs all the help he can get.

Another says, "I love your book, 'Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot!' "

Franken offers a modest "Thank you."

On the CNN news set, CNN anchors Leon Harris and Daryn Kagan joke with Franken between commercials. Along with being popular, he's busy, too.

Lately, he's been in demand on the lecture circuit. "They pay great," he says of the speaking engagements.

Of course, even if he's not writing about the past election, it's great fodder for material. Talking with Kagan, he takes time to roast President-elect George W. Bush and Bush's choice for attorney general, John Ashcroft.

On Bush: "All you Democrats and other people who voted for Gore, get behind our new president. He's the president of all of us ... you know, so support him even though he's kind of stupid and he stole the election."

On Ashcroft: "(When he spoke) at Bob Jones University ... he did not speak out against their ban on interracial dating. You know who I think would have spoken out against that? Thomas Jefferson. He dated a slave. I think that's wrong, by the way, having sex with a slave. (It's wrong) on two counts. I think slavery is wrong. And then having sex with a slave (is wrong). I mean, what kind of message does that send to the other slaves?"

Even Vice President Al Gore, Franken's vote for president, is the target of Franken's humor. Franken says he spoke to Gore after Bush was declared winner and offered him some advice.

"I told him find out who Colin Powell's speaking agent is because Powell probably has 30 (speaking engagements) lined up that he can't do because he's going to be secretary of state," says Franken. "And maybe the vice president can get sloppy seconds from Colin Powell."

Franken says he's been cutting up since he was a child. He had hopes for a career in comedy, but it took a strange trip to get there.

In the summer of 1972 he had finished up his behavioral sciences degree at Harvard University. The world lay out before him like a long highway.

Literally. Franken, who was home in Minneapolis, had yet to land a career in comedy, writing and acting. So he decided he would hitchhike to Los Angeles with a pal, Tom Davis.

"We got a ride to Des Moines and got a ride from Des Moines to Sacramento," he says. "Two rides to get to California. It was a little more complicated getting to L.A."

It was a little more complicated breaking into the comedy business, too. But after spending a few years forming their act at clubs, Franken and Davis signed on with a new comedy program that was starting up in 1975 -- "Saturday Night Live" (SNL).

"We got lucky," Franken says.

Today, Franken has no shortage of projects. Aside from speaking engagements, he's got another screenplay in the can, and he says he's putting out one issue of one magazine. It will be a parody.

The title of the rag? "Cigarette Aficionado."

"We're going to have a starlet on the cover, pregnant and smoking a few cigarettes," he says. "It's going to be a glossy, upscale men's lifestyle magazine dedicated to the simple act of smoking a fine cigarette."

After that, Franken says he'll go where his imagination takes him. How does he want to be remembered -- author? comic? screenwriter? political analyst?

"A jack of all trades, master of nothing," he says. "To me, everything I do is all part and parcel the same thing. It's humor. It's comedy."

Review: Funny Graham uses president as foil in 'Clinton & Me'
January 17, 2001
Review: 'Why Not Me?'
February 11, 1999
Al Franken has disturbing visions of his 'presidency'
January 25, 1999

Delacorte Press (Random House)

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