Al Franken on SOTU...read, listen here

[buycitgo]

http://www.musicforamerica.org/franken

looks like you have to have an apple deal to listen, but there's a transcript

snip......

JESSE: Ok, well then go ahead.

AF: Ok buddy, Speaking of.. What happened to Mars? I didn't hear Mars tonight. Am I wrong?

OTHER PERSON (female): No, it wasn't anywhere in there.

AF: Gosh darn it. I mean, that was the big vision thing. I mean, he said... said... You know, isn't it odd that you mention that we're gonna go to, that we're gonna build a space station on the moon, and then go to Mars, and then you just don't mention it?

(laughter)

Did anyone notice that? I haven't heard that. There's a lot of, um. I'm getting a lot of sound. Like yelling or screaming. Anyway, I'll keep talking as if I'm not hearing that. Um, I thought there was, uh... One of the other interesting things to me was the list of nations that are supporting us in Iraq. And he said "Some critics have said our duties in Iraq must be internationalized. This popular criticism... particular criticism is hard to explain to our partners in..." and then he named all these countries? Remember the Republicans going nuts during that list? Well, they included Denmark, which has a medical team; Bulgaria, which, we get to use their air space; Romania, whose.. also we get to use their air space. Uh, he listed El Salvador. Which- whose air space we don't need...

(laughter)

...but does lend us their political support. He also, (chuckle) we do have help from the Ukraine, we have 532 men from their 19th army battalion in Kuwait. But they will not enter Iraq.

(laughter)

I was just entertaining our troops in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, and I think Uzbekistan counts as one of the 17 other countries. It's a horrible totalitarian country, but it's great that we're there, because we have a base there, and .. I talked to some (SI-OPS??) guys while I was at the base in Uzbekistan, and I said "Isn't this like, the worst country in the former Soviet Union?" And they go "Oh, no, no, they're very cooperative, the government." I went "no, no, I meant aren't they the worst most repressive." He said "Oh yeah."

(laughter)

"Yeah, yeah." But this so much for moral clarity.

[Resistance]

1. nice

thanks for posting. I like listening to Franken.

[proud patriot]

2. Thanks

:hi:

[Wonk]

3. It's an mp3 file. I think any mp3 player should work for it.

If not, quicktime player is free, and it works on Mac and Windoze.
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

[buycitgo]

4. oh, yeah.....I just realized, I went to that site before, and it wouldn't

work on my quicktime.....just sat there.

sometimes it works, others, it doesn't; but it takes forever when it does, as I've got a four year old box

[buycitgo]

5. here's another interesting analysis of the SOTU

Last week, in anticipation of George W. Bush’s State of the Union address, I took steps to prevent a full-scale attack on my intelligence and credulity by shutting off the television, powering down the computer, turning out the lights, canceling the newspaper, drawing the blinds, locking the doors, hopping into bed and pulling the covers over my face for two whole days. I believe this is what the people at Homeland Security recommend during a Red Alert, which, in my opinion, any speech from Boo-Boo Brain automatically becomes.

Well, it didn’t work. I got a nice rest, but that was all. Because, when I dared to come out again, there he still was, reprinted, re-broadcast and re-spun, lying through his teeth about “peace” and “prosperity,” vowing to keep the world safe from “terrorists,” posing, strutting, taunting, smirking, turning black into white and tin into gold.

“Jobs are on the rise,” said Bush, when jobs emphatically aren’t. "We can cut the deficit in half in just five years," although, in truth, we won’t. We’ll be throwing some money at “traditional” marriage, beefing up the Patriot Act, putting men on the moon and building ranches on Mars. “No child will be left behind,” of course, and there’ll be Starbucks in Baghdad by Christmas. It might take a little longer in Kabul, but, hey – the warlords are working on it.

“We've not come all this way,” Boo-Boo concluded – “through tragedy, and trial and war -- only to falter and leave our work unfinished.” So, terrorists, watch out! Rogue states, beware! Homosexuals, come to Jesus! In the Chinese calendar, it’s the Year of the Monkey, and you’d better believe that this monkey means it. The only reason he hasn't banned evolution in the schools is because he doesn’t want people looking too closely at his face.

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Jan04/Kurth0127.htm