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Al Franken appeared on "Late Edition" with Wolf Blitzer

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Now, there were dozens of close elections around the country in districts where there was a significant minority turnout, often with the help of ACORN organizers. But guess which one Bill O'Reilly considers the one most worth investigating.

Al Franken's. Of course.

Okay, I admit for being a sucker for Fourth of July shows. Stirring songs and fireworks wend their way into my cynical soul and I shake free those constraints to really, really love celebrating our independence. I grew up with a family tradition of a picnic under the stars and the fireworks show at the Hollywood Bowl. At least, that's what I used to do. Last night, I had to content myself with the Boston Pops on TV while comforting my frightened puppy; my husband got to take the kids to a bluff not far from our home where they could watch three different fireworks shows along the bay.

This morning, it's me cowering, wishing I could hide under the sofa at the prospect of the Sunday shows. It's safe to say that Sarah Palin's inexplicable "I'm saving Alaska by quitting early" move will be at the forefront of the conversation, especially on FoxNews Sunday, having bagged successor Lt. Gov. Parnell. VP Joe Biden will be on This Week, but he'll be followed by the intolerable roundtable featuring Tony Blankley and George Will, opining on Iraq, Palin and Franken. The only saving grace? We are spared David Gregory and Meet the Press, which is pre-empted for Wimbledon coverage.

ABC's "This Week" - Vice President Joe Biden.

CBS' "Face the Nation" - Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

NBC's "Meet the Press" - Pre-empted by coverage of Wimbledon tennis.

NBC's "The Chris Matthews Show" - Panel: Gloria Borger, Bob Woodward, Joe Klein, Tina Brown. (repeat)

CNN's "State of the Union" - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell; Mullen; Queen Noor of Jordan.

CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" - Fareed speaks to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband about why Iran is so angry at Great Britain. Plus, a discussion on aid in Africa -- are celebrities throwing money at the problems or making an actual difference?

"Fox News Sunday" - Mullen; Reps. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and John Boehner, R-Ohio; Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell; former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.; and former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove.

So, what's catching your eye this morning?

Would it be great if this was finally over? But no, Norm "Sore Loser" Coleman continues to do the dirty work for the national Republican party. See, when Republicans steal an election and Democrats protest it, we're cry babies. And when Democrats win an election, Republicans insist it's illegitimate. Do you ever get the feeling that Republicans just don't like democracy?

Al Franken asked the Minnesota Supreme Court on Monday to affirm his victory in the 2008 Senate race and hand down a ruling that would direct Gov. Tim Pawlenty to certify him the winner.

“We think the law is clear,” said Franken's lead attorney, Marc Elias, pointing to a state Supreme Court ruling on the matter in February that he said indicated “that the certification would issue after the state court process ended.”

The Minnesota “Supreme Court is the end of the state court process,” Elias noted.

The request came as part of Franken’s reply brief to Republican Norm Coleman’s appeal of a trial court decision that declared Franken the Senate winner by 312 votes out of 2.9 million cast on Nov. 4.

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Al Franken from 94' appears on "SNL", and talks about nasty campaign ads!

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From a few years ago. Al Franken is still doing this fabulous schtick (Hey! Does this talent make him too elitist/educated to be Senator?) at fundraisers for his Senate campaign. Go Al!

SITE UPDATE: Harry Shearer, actor and comedian extraordinaire, will be here at C&L for a live chat on Friday, August 8th at 1:00 pm Eastern/10:00 am Pacific to discuss his latest satirical album Songs of the Bushmen.

Al Franken is tearing it up:

Still, money is money. And, when you compare Franken's current financial standing to the seven Democratic candidates who ran and won Senate seats in 2006 you see he is FAR ahead of their pace.

Emmy-winning actor Peter Boyle, who played the dancing monster in the movie "Young Frankenstein" and grouchy father Frank Barone in the TV series "Everybody Loves Raymond," has died, his publicist said on Wednesday.

The 71-year-old former Christian Brothers monk died on Tuesday after a long battle with multiple myeloma and heart disease, his publicists said.

[..]Beatle John Lennon was the best man at Boyle's 1977 wedding to journalist Loraine Alterman, then a Rolling Stone reporter.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters, Amy and Lucy Boyle.

I can't tell you how many times my siblings and I would slur "puhtinondaritz!" to crack each other up.