SNL got McCain mocking points from Democratic candidate Al Franken

(UPDATE below)

The opening sketch on last night's "Saturday Night Live," a 4:42 minute mocking of Republican presidential candidate John McCain's advertising and alleged technical ineptness, actually came from a suggestion by Al Franken.

Franken is an alum of the show, a maxed out financial contributor along with his wife Frances to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and currently the Democratic candidate for a U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota.

Franken has been so relentlessly attacked for some past profane comedic performances and writings in his previous career that he felt obliged to explain and attempt to distance himself from them in a speech to his party's state convention back in June.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: A photo previously posted showing Franken in diapers -- allegedly part of a "Saturday Night Live" skit -- has been removed after readers pointed out the image was altered. It is against Times policy to run doctored photographs. According to ThinkProgress, which debunked the photo, Andy Barr, director of Franken's Midwest Values PAC, confirmed, "The picture is a fake."]

Franken described his idea in a phone call with longtime SNL producer Lorne Michaels, who passed it on to head writer Seth Meyers, who contacted Franken to discuss its dramatic components, development and content.

Although the satiric program has over time skewered both Rep[ublicans and Dermocrats, and....

...Michaels, a Canadian native, has donated to both parties and both Obama and McCain, the latest revelation of active creative involvement by a liberal active politician in the television network's programming content against a conservative presidential candidate is likely to prove at the very least embarrassing.

During the recent Republican National Convention in St. Paul, where Franken's opponent, incumbent GOP Sen. Norm Coleman, was a co-host, when newly-nominated vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin made a comment critical of the Washington and media elite in general, the partisan crowd turned directly toward the NBC-TV booth chanting "NBC! NBC!" for a full minute.

The presumed target of their enmity was most likely MSNBC, NBC's news channel, which has also drawn the ire of Sen. Hillary Clinton, especially for some comments about her daughter Chelsea.

Commentators Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann have been particular targets for their outspoken liberal bents and oft-expressed fondness for Obama.

According to Politico's detailed article by Jonathan Martin and Josh Krau Shaar, Franken, who left the SNL show 13 years ago, was one of the skit's credited writers as late as the show's Wednesday script read-through.

A Franken spokeswoman initially denied the actor-politician's involvement in the program, but later confirmed it.

Franken's at least episodic involvement in the network show may provide further fodder for Minnesota Republicans to question Franken's commitment to serving their state rather than himself and show business career.

As Politico notes, Franken has received more campaign contributions from California, specifically Hollywood show biz friends such as Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Kevin Kline and Paul Newman, than from any other state, including Minnesota where he's running.

The 33-year-old Saturday night network show has long derived part of its contemporary potency and popularity from its political parodies and even good-natured cameo appearances this year by McCain, Obama and Clinton.

One particularly powerful skit last spring vividly protrayed how in the tank the news media appeared to be for the fresh-faced Obama, asking him nothing but puffball questions, over far tougher queries to the veteran Clinton, a point she later brought up in one actual debate.

— Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: NBC Photo

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Comments

[Nate Hilts]

So how is the uncredited and description-less picture of Al Franken in a diaper related to this story? Is it from one of his "past profane comedic performances and writings"? If so, which one?

Without any explanation for the photo, it looks like it's an attempt to bring Mr Franken down a peg or two, as if it's payback for him spoofing Senator McCain.

In which case, any noble message to this post, Mr Malcolm, is shot to hell.

By the way, I have read several of Mr Franken's recent books, especially "The Truth (With Jokes)" and "Lying Liars." They are brilliant political tomes that also entertain with a good sense of humor. I don't know if they are the books to which you were referring, but the word "profane" seems like a negatively loaded description.

(Oh, Nate, Nate--There you go again revealing that you did not read the entire item nor put your cursor on the photo as always. Better luck next time.)

[Nabbate]

One of the worst openings ever. No wonder -- Al Franken had a part in its creation. Too bad Al and most of the SNL staff are in the tank for Obama, because the New Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is singularly unqualified for the job. The difference between Barack and Palin is that Charlie Gibson had to edit out Palin's intelligence (as for example when ABC made it appear that Palin's Russia answer was confined to the observation that some Alaskans can actually see Russia from home -- when in fact her complete answer was much more nuanced), and others have to edit IN Obama's brains (as when Stephanopolous gratuitously corrected BHO when he referred to "my Islam"). I remember what it was like to be a knee-jerk liberal; hopefully, SNL will be equally embarrassed when it grows up.

[fred]

nabbate, are you the first dude? Seriously, you can't possibly be implying that Palin is more intelligent than Obama, can you? Let's see, she went to 5 colleges over a 5 year period before finally getting a degree in communications. Obama has a Ph.D from Harvard and he taught constitutional law at one of the top universities in the world for over a decade. Wake up buddy. Bush has nearly destroyed this country. It's time for a change.

[steve rodriguez]

But NBC will not mock Obama right? He's off limits, right? He's been off-limits for 19 months now. The inexperienced, community organizer, whose mentor is Rev. Wright and who wants to disarm our military, because he feels he can talk and persuade our enemies! He's the world president, just don't be our president, please!

[mitchell in NY]

If you want to talk about why the McCain campaign needs to be spoofed, here is one that needs to be looked into.

The New-Press.com reported on Palin's event today in Florida. If it's account is accurate, given the financial crisis, the MSM needs to follow up on the story. Palin and GOP Chairman Greer, it seems, are still arguing against regulation!!

"In a theme Palin would pound home, GOP Chairman Jim Greer Greer (sic) said Obama and his running mate, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, have records of voting for higher taxes and have said on the campaign trail that they would increase regulation of financial markets."
http://news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080921/NEWS0107/80921022

UP@NIGHT
http://msa4.wordpress.com/

[Colin]

That SNL spoof on McCain was 10x as funny as when the real John McCain was making jokes when he was on SNL. Sorry, but Republicans are just not funny. Period. And they are so lammmee bleauuuhhh

[Angel Hernadez]

Why is the L.A. Times so bias against Illegal Immigration and the Republican party? What happen to fair and balance reporting?

[RStone]

Humor is always an important part of politics. That's why Flying pigs with lipstick and pink white houses, both seen at http://www.boppoll.com, can lighten up ones day. But I believe it will be Franken who gets the last laugh when he wins his election.

[VJ Machiavelli]

It is time for SNL to "DIE" the show has been dead for a very long time only it seems nobody told them. The McCain skit was terrible, and I mean terrible. So please just "DIE" and rest in peace.

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com

[Epursing]

I could give a darn less who wins the election but I kinda thought the skit was funny!! I guess partisan's like Andrew Malcolm are feeling a little sensitive these days though. Lighten up, stuffy bunny! Hey Andrew, I bet you'd look good in a diaper too!

[steve rodriguez]

The main stream media can assert the fact that Todd Palin may be guilty of incest! But hey let's not call Obama a community organizer, or fail to vote for Obama because that is outright racism!

[Matt Weiner]

Ten months later, the LA Times still has a photoshopped fake picture of Al Franken up on its blog, with an inaccurate description; and now the NRSC is using it in its attacks on Franken, saying "if there's a question about the authenticity of the photo, you should direct your question to the LA Times."

So I direct my question to the LA Times: Why do you continue to allow this picture to disgrace your pages? Will you ever correct it?

[NadavT]

Let's see if I can match Malcolm's smug, condescending tone here:

(Oh Andrew, Andrew--There you go again revealing that you have no journalistic integrity by posting a photoshopped fake picture in order to discredit a political candidate you dislike. Do you not grasp the irony of using a made-up picture in order to accuse someone of not being serious enough? Better luck next time, you utter disgrace.)