WE'RE HERE WITH SENATOR AL FRANKEN.
JUNIOR SENATOR OR SENIOR SENATOR?
>> JUNIOR.
>> Stephen: AL HAS A NEW BOOK.
IT IS CALLED "AL FRANKEN, GIANT OF THE SENATE."
IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
IS THIS YOUR OFFICIAL PORTRAIT?
>> THAT IS, THAT IS.
( LAUGHTER ) IT'S AN OIL PAINTING.
AND -- >> Stephen: OKAY.
>> IT HANGS...
IN THE SENATE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: JUST IN THE
SENATE.
JUST IN THE SENATE.
>> IN MY OFFICE.
>> Stephen: IN YOUR OFFICE.
OKAY, AS-- WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, BEFORE THE BREAK.
THE BULK OF YOUR CAREER YOU HAVE BEEN A COMEDIAN, A SATIRIST.
ARE THE PEOPLE IN THE SENATE FUN?
ARE THEY FUNNY PEOPLE?
BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE A BORING THUNDERDOME.
>> NO.
ACTUALLY, A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE FUNNY, AND THAT'S HOW I BOND
WITH THEM.
FROM YOUR STATE, OKAY, I GET SWORN IN.
I WAS SWORN IN A LITTLE LATE BECAUSE MY ELECTION WAS VERY
CLOSE.
IS AND JIM DEMINT, A VERY, VERY CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN, A
COUPLE OF MINUTES AFTER I WAS SWORN IN SAYSES, "HOW ARE THINGS
ON THE FAR LEFT?" AND I SAID, "NINE, HOW ARE
THINGS FROM THE NUT CASE RIGHT?" LINDSEY GRAHAM IS VERY FUNNY.
REMEMBER WHEN HE WAS RUNNING 15 OUT OF 17 IN THE REPUBLICAN --
>> Stephen: I THINK HE WAS 17 OUT OF 15.
( LAUGHTER ) >> SO I WENT UP TO HIM IN THE
SENATE, AND I SAID TO HIM, "YOU KNOW, LINDSEY, IF I WERE VOTING
IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES, I'D VOTE FOR YOU."
AND WITHOUT HESITATION HE SAID, "THAT'S MY PROBLEM."
( LAUGHTER ) LINDSAY IS VERY FUNNY.
BUT WE-- ( APPLAUSE )
THERE ARE SOME SENATORS WHO AREN'T VERY FUNNY.
AND TOM COBURN FROM OKLAHOMA, KNOWN AS "DR. NO" BECAUSE --
>> Stephen: HE IS A PHYSICIAN.
>> YES HE IS AN OBSTETRICIAN/GYNECOLOGIST, AND
NO BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LIKE ANY FEDERAL SPENDING, SO HE WOULD
SAY NO TO EVERYTHING.
HE WILL ADMIT THAT HE IS NOT A VERY GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR.
THE FIRST THREE OR FOUR INTERACTIONS WE HAD, WE JUST
KIND OF MISSED.
SO I WENT TO TOM AND I SAID, "TOM, I CAN TAKE YOU TO LUNCH?"
AND HE SAID, "TELL YOU WHAT.
YOU CAN TAKE ME TO BREAKFAST."
I SAID OKAY.
SO WE MEET FOR BREAKFAST A COUPLE OF DAYSULARITY IN THE
SENATE DINING ROOM, AND I SAID, "TOM, LET'S JUST HAVE FUN."
AND HE SAID, "OKAY, FUN."
( LAUGHTER ) AND I SAID, "WE CAN TALK ABOUT
OUR FAMILIES.
TALK ABOUT POLITICS.
TALK ABOUT THE CAREERS WE HAD BEFORE THE SENATE.
BUT LET'S HAVE FUN."
HE GOES, "OKAY."
I SAID, "OKAY, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
TO BE A DOCTOR IN OKLAHOMA, DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE ANY FORMAL
EDUCATION?" ( LAUGHTER )
AND HE-- AND HE SAID, "YES!
YOU'VE GOT TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL!"
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
AND I SAID-- I SAID, "OKAY, TOM, THAT WAS A JOKE."
( LAUGHTER ) "AND THAT'S WHAT I USED TO DO IN
MY CAREER."
AND THEN FOR THE REST OF THE BREAKFAST WE HAD A REALLY GREAT
TIME.
I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT JEEK JOKES WERE.
( LAUGHTER ) BUWHAT THE PROPER REACTION TO A
JOKE IS.
AND I GOT A NOTE LATER FROM HIM THAT DAY SAYING, "I HAD A LOT OF
FUN."
>> Stephen: THAT'S NICE.
>> AND WHEN I WAS WRITING THE BOOK-- "AL FRANKEN, GIANT OF THE
SENATE."
WHEN I WAS WRITING THAT, I WANTED TO GET PERMISSION FROM MY
COLLEAGUES WHO I WROTE ANYTHING THAT COULD BE INTERPRETED AS
NEGATIVE.
I CALLED HIM UP, HE'S IN RETIREMENT.
HE'S IN OKLAHOMA.
I SAID, "TOM--" "HI, AL."
I SAID, "DO YOU REMEMBER THAT BREAKFAST WE HAD?"
AND HE SAID, "YEAH, YEAH."
AND I SAID, "I WANT TO USE THAT IN THE BOOK AND I WANTED TO GET
YOUR PERMISSION."
AND HE SAID, "WE HAVE THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
YOU CAN WRITE ANYTHING YOU WANT!"
( APPLAUSE ) SO HE HASN'T-- HE HASN'T
CHANGED.
>> Stephen: NO.
YOU COULD HAVE SAID, "WE ALSO HAVE A SECOND AMENDMENT AND I
KNOW YOU'VE GOT GUNS."
>> HE WAS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE RIGHT FOR AMERICANS TO BEAR
ARMS.
HE IS.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU SAID, YOU WROTE IN THE BOOK "AL FRANKEN,
GIANT OF THE SENATE."
YOU SAY IN THE BOOK YOU'VE LEARNED WEIRD, SOCIOPATHIC
POLITICAL SKILLS.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
WHAT IS THE WEIRDEST POLITICAL SKILL YOU'VE HAD TO LEARN?
>> PIVOTING.
>> Stephen: PIVOTING.
>> PIVOTING.
PIVOTING IS NOT ANSWERING A QUESTION.
AND JUST PIVOTING.
>> Stephen: PIVOTING IS A WAY OF PIVOTING OFF, "I'M NOT
ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION."
>> OR I'D BE ASKED, "YOU'RE 10 POINTS DOWN IN THE POLLS TO NORM
COLEMAN.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO CONVINCE DEMOCRATS TO NOMINATE?"
AND I'D GO LIKE, "YOU KNOW, WHEN I GO AROUND MINNESOTA,
MINNESOTANS DON'T CARE ABOUT POLLING.
WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT IS HEALTH CARE AND THEIR KIDS' EDUCATION."
THAT'S PIVOTING.
>> Stephen: AND YOU WERE NOT GOOD AT THAT?
>> I WAS NOT GOOD AT THAT.
I WAS TAUGHT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, AND IT TOOK ME
FOREVER TO LEARN HOW TO PIVOT.
>> Stephen: CAN YOU DO IT NOW?
>> I'M OKAY AT IT.
>> Stephen: CAN I ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS AND YOU PIVOT OFF
OF THEM.
>> OKAY, OKAY.
>> Stephen: TELL YOU WHAT.
NO MATTER WHAT, IT'S "AL FRANKEN GIANT OF THE SENATE," NO MATTER
WHAT I ASK YOU STAY ON MESSAGE AND PROMOTE YOUR BOOK.
IF NORTH KOREA CONTINUES TO ADVANCE ITS MISSILE PROGRAM,
SENATOR FRANKEN, SHOULD WE TAKE MILITARY ACTION?
>> YOU KNOW, IN MY BOOK, STEPHEN, I WRITE A LOT ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF LEVEL-HEADED LEADERSHIP.
WHICH IS WHY I'M TERRIFIED OF TRUMP.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: SENATOR FRANKEN,
DO YOU PLAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2020?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> YOU KNOW, IN MY BOOK,
STEPHEN, "AL FRANKEN, GIANT OF THE SENATE,"
( LAUGHTER ) I TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
LEVEL-HEADED LEADERSHIP.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: YOU WIN.
YOU WIN.
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: "AL FRANKEN, GIANT OF THE SENATE," IS AVAILABLE