Candidate Franken ridicules conservative student’s facial tic, then refuses to shake his hand:
According to Fritz, things started out fine with him taking photos of fellow Carls (that's what students call themselves) with Franken. Then Franken's curiosity was raised about why Fritz didn't want to be in a pic.
He's a conservative, another Carl yelled out by way of explanation.
At that point, Franken reportedly began peppering Fritz with questions about supporting President George W. Bush and former President Ronald Reagan's tax hikes. Fritz told me he got tense and, as he does in those situations, started chewing the inside of his mouth, a gesture he said was mimicked by Franken; Fritz also thought his style of speech was mocked by Franken.
An aide eventually interrupted Franken's act, Fritz said, by announcing to the candidate that it was time to go.
Fritz told me Monday that he then stuck out his hand to shake Franken's. "Well, at least it's nice to meet you," the GOPer said he told Franken, who reportedly replied, I can't say the same.
There was no handshake, said Fritz.
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Fritz told me Wednesday he was stunned by Franken's behavior: "I usually expect politicians to, at least, pretend as though, even in that kind of interaction, that they can convince me or have some kind of reasonable dialogue -- the whole Minnesota Nice thing, at least."
Fritz's version of the encounter was backed up by Pablo Kenney, prez of the Carleton Dems.
--Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, January 23, 2008
Somehow, I don't think Stuart Smalley would approve.
4 comments:
Franken was too busy stealing from orphanages to learn any manners.
How is the orphanage funded Air America doing anyhow, Al?
Franken is exactly the kind of candidate that moderates and independents will instinctively dislike - nasty, arrogant, and hyper-partisan.
This is reflected in the latest poll, which shows Franken down by ten points to Republican Norm Coleman. Minnesota is a "purple" state - if the Democrats were smart, they would have picked a nice, inoffensive moderate. In nominating Franken, though, they allow Coleman to claim the centre.
Coleman's campaign is going to have a field day putting all of the old incendiary Franken quotes out there, not that there will be many words left after the expletives are blacked out. Regardless of how the Presidential election goes, watching Franken go down in flames will be a lot of fun on Nov. 4.
Franken was likely quietly furious that someone didn't want to be in a picture with him. He better learn that an actor's ego won't play well on the campaign trail. But i don't think he's capable and that's fine by me.
"It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man."
-- Deep Thoughts.
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