Senator Franken discusses his appearance on CNN last night; "Not Myself"

[Dennis Donovan]

https://alfranken.com/read/not-myself



Not Myself

May 30, 2020

People have been saying I wasn’t myself when I talked with Don Lemon last night on CNN. They are right. George Floyd was needlessly murdered by MPD in what has become a pattern of racist and violent policing in Minneapolis. This comes on the heels of the killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, also at the hands of the police. The city I love is being burned by people who are not there to protest Mr. Floyd’s killing but to cause violence and destruction. I, like a lot of people across the country, am grieving, tired and angry–even if not everyone loves the way I communicate that.

And if you love this community in Minneapolis as much as I do and you have a few bucks to chip in, donate here to help small businesses and community organizations rebuild: https://www.welovelakestreet.com/

[Boomerproud]

1. Al Franken is a sensitive and peaceful person.

What he can tolerate must be at a breaking point. I will look at the interview on YT. I'm not myself either.

[dewsgirl]

2. K and R, I miss him terribly.

[soldierant]

52. He has an email list

which is easy to get on at alfranken dot com. And he does podcasts. I know it's not the same as him being a senator, but you can still get your Franken fix

[dewsgirl]

53. I've listened to several of his podcasts. I wasn't aware of the email list, thank you.

[soldierant]

58. YVW

You'll enjoy it. He addresses it to "Dear person whose email address I have" in true Franken fashion. I always smile.

[dewsgirl]

59. Aww he is great

[Cha]

3. I wish I did have $$$ to donate to the small businesses

that were destroyed.

Link to tweet

[betsuni]

4. Does anyone know in what way he wasn't himself?

I can't find anywhere to watch it.

[Tipperary]

7. I am not sure. I heard part of it and thought he sounded a bit off, but so was I.

I have liked him since forever, and I just thought maybe he was upset. I need to try and find that interview.

[Tarc]

10. I watched it live, he just seemed a little distant and distracted

Which is quite understandable given what's going on in his backyard.

[PunkinPi]

11. Here's the clip.

Link to tweet

“The anger that you’re seeing, the frustration that you’re seeing is completely understandable,” says former Sen. Al Franken, reacting to protests erupting across the US over the death of George Floyd. “This is not Minneapolis. This is a national problem.” http://cnn.it/2XHxbfI

There were people speculating on Twitter he was drunk.

[betsuni]

14. Thank you.

He does seem either sleep deprived or a little drunk or both.

[mtngirl47]

16. I thought a little drunk when I saw it last night. n/t

[Demovictory9]

36. he was sheltering at home, getting his drink on, then CNN called for some comments

[SharonClark]

57. My first thought as well but he was probably tired and distracted.

[PunkinPi]

18. You're welcome. Trying times, I can relate. nt

[betsuni]

20. Someone in that tweet thread made a joke about Pepsi and I remembered that infamously

horrible Kendall Jenner Pepsi commercial where she stops violence between protesters and police by giving one of them a Pepsi.

[RussellCattle]

50. OK, so I just watched the Kendall/Pepsi commercial and had the predictable....

...first reaction to it, that is, are you kidding me? The next video of the SNL send up of the commercial was just too perfect. The spritzer bottle making the Pepsi cans look cold with condensation was a nice small touch of artifice.

[BigOleDummy]

19. Not so sure....

He just seemed preoccupied to me. Wasn't slurring his words as if drunk. His mind was probably elsewhere as his City burned

[smirkymonkey]

21. I love Al, but he did seem a little drunk to me.

Not that I blame him. Maybe he just needs some sleep.

[nilram]

33. Thanks. In his cups, definitely.

Many of us have been there, though not on live teevee.

But even in that state, he's far smarter than Trump has ever been, and has far more integrity than McConnell ever even thought of having. (Sorry, a little joke--McConnell never, ever thought of having integrity.)

[subterranean]

25. He sounded more or less like Al Franken to me.

I subscribe to Al's podcast, and he always has a calm and thoughtful way of speaking.
Maybe he slurred a few words in this interview, but it was 10:00 at night, he was at home, and IF he'd had a drink or two, I wouldn't hold that against him.

[certainot]

29. so you been saving up to have a few drinks - and then they call for an interview..........

[betsuni]

32. The one night you decide to have a little nip...

[SleeplessinSoCal]

37. he appeared on Nicolle Wallace' show a few weeks back and really had nothing to say.

Very distressing to see him struggle as it appears he is. Hope he isn't ill. Being sidelined at this time must be eating away at him. Such a waste.

[betsuni]

38. It occurred to me later that he might be ill.

He has worked so hard for us in both his careers as entertainer and politician. All of his books are wonderful. I love him.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

39. I have his books too. the first signed by him.

I think the style he projects is droll. Don't think it's possible to be droll in 2020 His writing style is perfection. And he was great in the Senate. Way too many injustices.

[rickyhall]

5. We need him in his old job again or in VP Biden's cabinet.

[disndat]

44. Klobuchar should get an appt. with Biden

and open up her seat for Franken's return.

[dsc]

6. I hope he wasn't drunk only because he is famous for having had an addiction problem

otherwise it wouldn't matter to me. That said, his response is good.

[Tipperary]

8. He had a friend who died of alcoholism I think.

I was not aware of him having the problem too, gosh hope that is not the case. God knows he has been through the ringer in the last few years. I still think he was treated poorly.

[Celerity]

48. Senator Al Franken: John Belushi's Overdose Death Got Me to Quit Drugs

https://www.thefix.com/senator-al-franken-john-belushi-s-overdose-death-got-me-quit-drugs

[renate]

12. I thought it was his wife, not him?

He co-wrote “When a Man Loves a Woman” and they’ve both been open about her past alcoholism.

[TexasBushwhacker]

17. Yes, his wife struggled with alcoholism for years

Al quit all drugs after John Belushi died.

[onecaliberal]

23. I haven't had a drop in 17 years. He did not appear to be drunk to me.

He was definitely sad and not jovial as he normally is. I saw the interview live.

[dsc]

24. I honestly didn't think he was either

for me it has been 20. But he was somewhat evasive in that answer as to that issue.

[onecaliberal]

26. I hear you.

[Upthevibe]

28. dsc.....I've read from several publications that he quit drinking & drugs when John Belushi

died in 1982. His wife has stated in interviews that she's a recovering alcoholic and it seems like she's been sober for years.

When you stated in your post that he's famous for having had addiction problems, I have NEVER heard that (and I'm a recovering alcoholic who's had 30 years of sobriety). When he was on SNL he DID drink and do drugs. From what I've heard and read (and I listen to a lot of podcasts) back in those earlier days a lot of the SNL cast members did. I don't know.... I just never thought of him as having had this ongoing battle with addiction (that we hear about some celebrities having- like Ben Affleck).

I watched the clip and he seemed very tired and my sense is that he did seem off.... but then (to me) his speech pattern is kind of different and unusual whenever I hear him speak so there's that too.

In any case, I hope he hasn't started drinking again...

[a kennedy]

9. I just donated to MN Lake st.

and I miss Senator Franken sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much.

[LAS14]

13. I'm totally mystified. He seemed fine. Dunno why he said he wasn't himself. nt

[Sugarcoated]

15. He slurred his words a tiny bit in two places

sounded like he was tired but not overly angry.

[smirkymonkey]

22. He still made a hell of a lot more sense than Trump EVER does.

[oldsoftie]

43. So does my neighbors dog, who barks at planes when they fly overhead.

[Celerity]

46. lolololol [phone]

[Lulu KC]

49. ha ha ha

thank you!

[yellowdogintexas]

31. he probably hasn't slept more than 2 hours a day since

the murder.

[mountain grammy]

27. It's like we're all at the end of our rope

Cops get away with murder..

AL Franken belongs in the Senate

[ALBliberal]

30. Love Al. I did notice he was slow to answer and not his

quick witted self. His explanation makes perfect sense. He was robbed of that senate seat. Bless him and his family.

[roamer65]

34. I think he had a couple of drinks...and I don't fucking blame him if he did.

After how he was treated by his fellow Democratic senators and now watching his home town go up in smoke, I would have a couple of belts 2.

[Native]

45. I hope it was a couple of drinks. One side of his mouth looked a bit droopy. Reminded me of my mom

after she had recovered from her first mini stroke.

[roamer65]

51. I agree.

[UCmeNdc]

35. We need Al Franken back in the Senate!

[DFW]

40. I just saw the clip, and it looked more like sleep deprivation to me

I was at a gathering with him from December 28 to Jan. 1, and I didn't see him touch a drop of anything stronger than a glass of wine at dinner, and I couldn't even swear to that, either. I never once smelled alcohol on his breath, anyway. Since I don't drink alcohol at all, I am very sensitive to that. He did seem to be in some pain walking at times, might need a hip replacement, although that is almost a routine procedure these days.

[Mike Nelson]

41. Sounds...

... groggy. Someone like Al knows what the camera or mic can pick up... maybe he committed to the appearance and thought he could wing it? Probably, he's exhausted.

[klook]

42. He sounded fine to me. Why are people trying to make something salacious of it?

I’ve listened to many of Al Franken’s podcasts (well worth everyone’s time, incidentally), and this is what he sounds like now. His speech is a broader, more relaxed version of what he’s sounded like since he was on SNL 40-something years ago. He’s 69 years old. He sounds like himself in this clip.

[Mossfern]

47. He sounded like someone who

is grieving.

[mahina]

54. I did

Thank you

[Politicub]

55. He didn't sound like I remembered

He wasn’t the firebrand that I thought he would be... like I think he used to be. I was excited when Don Lemon said that Franken would be addressing the riots.

It was good to see him. He seemed to be in mourning over the lack of justice for George Floyd and sad about the destruction happening in his city. I think he looked depressed. And why would he not be?

He feels deeply and that’s one of the reasons why he was able to connect with so many.

[BootinUp]

56. K&R