'You can take this guy'

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'You can take this guy'

Article by: Eric Ringham
Updated: October 9, 2008 - 11:19 AM

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Last weekend I posted an item about Senate candidate Al Franken's story, told at the DFL Founders Day rally, about how his image had been misappropriated for use in a Republican attack ad. The ad makes Franken appear unhinged. Now the Franken campaign has released its own TV ad on the topic, and it does a better job making the point than I did, so have a look.

Even in political advertising, there should be some respect for the truth. Franken was doing an imitation of Paul Wellstone running and cheering for his kid at a cross-country event. The GOP ad made it look like Franken was exhorting a mob to storm City Hall. It's a deliberate, shameless distortion. (But here's why I tremble for democracy: Some readers, rather than commenting on the honesty question, denounced Wellstone for running alongside his son at a track event, an apparent violation of Minnesota State High School League rules.)

If Franken's wrong about where the footage comes from, and the GOP can produce evidence, let's see it.

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