When the stories broke yesterday that Fox News Channel was suing Al Franken over use of the phrase “fair and balanced,” Franken was unusually quiet. Articles featured quotes from his book publisher, but not Franken. It turns out he was on vacation and out of the country.
That worked out well because, once reached, Franken was able to issue a statement in response to the suit and, in turn, generate another day of articles.
“As far as the personal attacks go, when I read ‘intoxicated or deranged’ and ‘shrill and unstable’ in their complaint, I thought for a moment I was a Fox commentator,” Franken said. He added that he is “not worried” about the merits of the Fox suit.
He even joked about returning the favor. “[By] the way, a few months ago, I trademarked the word ‘funny.’ So when Fox calls me ‘unfunny,’ they’re violating my trademark. I am seriously considering a countersuit.”
Perhaps most importantly, Franken highlighted the most important point of all: “I’d like to thank Fox for all the publicity.”
His appreciation for Fox’s suit is well warranted. The Washington Post noted today that Franken’s upcoming book, “Liars and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them,” was ranked No. 489 on Monday on Amazon’s bestsellers list. As of this morning, it was No. 1.