Billionaire gasbag “T Boone” Pickens has made a bold attempt over the last year to transform his image of oil-greased rightwing godfather to grandfatherly wind energy guru, endlessly blowing his hot air at bipartisan audiences in Washington (and reminding everyone outside the beltway that money can buy you anything in the Imperial City, even a new personae)
That’s why it’s refreshing when a senator steps up and reminds everyone that the emperor (in this case, audacious Texas oil man and corporate raider) has no clothes. Or maybe Sen. Al Franken is still too new to know when to keep his mouth shut. Or maybe he just cannot stomach the thought of a man who helped elect George W. Bush twice and funded Swift Boat Veterans for Truth over $2 million to torpedo a decorated Vietnam veteran’s presidential candidacy and reputation, getting the VIP treatment from his Democratic colleagues:
Five years after he put his money behind the Swift Boat ads that helped tank John Kerry’s presidential campaign, Senate Democrats gave T. Boone Pickens a warm welcome at their weekly policy lunch Thursday.
Or at least most of them did.
Kerry skipped the regularly scheduled lunch; his staff said the Massachusetts Democrat “was unable to attend because he had a long scheduled lunch with his interns and pages.â€
Sen. Al Franken managed to make time for the lunch — but then let Pickens have it afterward.
According to a source, the wealthy oil and gas magnate and author of “The First Billion Is the Hardest†stepped up to introduce himself to Franken in a room just off the Senate Floor after the lunch ended
Franken, who was seated talking to someone else, did not stand when Pickens said hello. Instead, Franken began to berate him about the billionaire’s financing of the Swift Boat ads in 2004.
According to a source, the confrontation grew heated ….
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25667.html#ixzz0N23eHrbA
I hope Franken can be just as "lively" when Borat Obombya decides he must kill even more brown people in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"a decorated Vietnam veteran’s" since when has being a blood-drenched war criminal an afirmative resume item?
Way to go, Al! About time a fraud like Pickens got what was coming to him.
I despised Kerry when he ran in 2004 (and didn't vote for him or Bush), but I was angered by the dirty lies Pickens and his gang used against him. Pickens has no credibility with me. I don't want to hear what he says on any topic. I applaud Al Franken for confronting him!
Good for Franken. Who knows? Maybe he'll shake things up a bit.
It should also be remembered that if Pickens hadn't torpedoed Kerry in 2004, the environment for renewables would likely have been somewhat better than it is now. I'd like to see someone throw that in Pickens' shape-shifting face.
It should also be remembered that if Pickens hadn't torpedoed Kerry in 2004, the environment for renewables would likely have been somewhat better than it is now. I'd like to see someone throw that in Pickens' shape-shifting face.
Being "a decorated Vietnam veteran" and a blood-drenched war criminal was supposed to be an affirmative resume item from the point of view of all the key players. So while condemning their repulsive standards, one can still demand that they maintain their standards consistently to make life more difficult for them.
I agree with Bob Bogus.
I live in Minnesota. I didn’t vote for Al Franken, nor did I vote for Norm Coleman in last year’s election. To me, they’re both DemoPublican Party hacks. Anyway, Franken’s a chickenhawk. Over the years, he’s supported the Iraq war. When he had the Air America radio program, he discouraged any criticism of the war, he never slammed Democrats like Hillary Clinton who supported the war, and he opposed a timetable for withdrawal.
I’m waiting to see what Franken does the next time some Iraq war measure comes up for a vote.
I'm sure y'all would like to know what Senator Stuart Smalley is gonna do to help end these stupid wars…
Well, I'll tell ya…not a damn thing!
See, Stuart is like all the rest of the blood thirsty criminals in D.C.,…ya seel hundreds of thousands more brown people will be killed because he's arrognt enough, he's evil enough and doggonnit Satan likes him!
As Stuart said he's in a shame spiral. But look on the bright side: maybe in the next confirmation hearing he will ask a question about Perry Mason for your entertainment!