Elizabeth’s Journal

Watch CSPAN Sunday, 8 June, 5:30 p.m.

As a premium subscriber to salon.com, I get to read Joe Conason’s column. (At least I think that’s why—maybe everyone can read it!) Today he had something in there that had me laughing for ten minutes.

At the Book Expo America 2003 in Los Angeles, California, there was a panel that included Al Franken, apparently a well-known liberal, and Bill O’Reilly, enough said (also Molly Ivins, but she’s not part of this story). Al Franken is coming out with a book called Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them that appears to be careful documentation of lies told by the conservative media—and it’s fact-based, meaning that he quotes newspaper articles and shows that anyone can go to and verify his statements as to whether someone said something or not. (Yes, yes, I’m sure someone could write a similar book about the liberal media, so consider those comments done.)

With Bill O’Reilly sitting right next to him, an arm’s reach away, Al Franken relates the times that Bill claimed his TV show Inside Edition, which he used to host, won the most prestigious award in journalism (a Peabody), which it didn’t. He then relates the times that Bill denied doing such a thing, as well as the two phone conversations he had with Al on the matter. He does it in a very humorous way and without, I might add, any personal attack on Bill’s overall character (other than, of course, pointing out that in this instance he blatantly lied and didn’t expect anyone to call him on it). Bill looks as pissed as he could possibly be, and actually tells Al Franken to “shut up” at the end; that’s before he calls Al “Vicious with a capital V”. I’m laughing just thinking about it. You can read more comments on Bill O’Reilly at Fair.

If you have a broadband connection to the Internet, you don’t have to wait until Sunday to see this. Go to the broadcast of it on the Book TV site (scroll down to the Book & Author Luncheon) and fast forward to 41 minutes into the show. It is priceless.