#5
Al Franken
In the summer of 2009, Al Franken had just emerged from a brutal court battle against incumbent opponent Norm Coleman for his Minnesota seat.
At the time, the debate over President Obama’s health-care plan had spilled into angry town hall meetings across the country. Members of Congress who backed Obama were shouted down or openly taunted. The president himself was being called a socialist---or worse.
At the annual Minnesota State Fair, mere weeks after Franken was sworn in, a group of Tea Party members angrily confronted the new senator, arguing with him over the Democratic position on health care and other issues. The encounter—like many political discussions that summer—had the potential to turn nasty.
Then something strange happened.
Instead of anger, the argument turned toward reason. Instead of shouting, Franken led the group through a sober ten-minute discussion. “I thank you for your passion,” Franken told them.
Franken has come a great distance since his years as a comedian and author, known for his acting on Saturday Night Live, and his books—notably, Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations—which some say made him the most hated Democrat among Republicans when he entered office.
Franken has adapted his act with startling self-possession, defying expectations by transforming into a serious lawmaker, a man capable of effecting the change he so vehemently promotes.
“When you have a certain level of celebrity,” he told the Associated Press, “it’s even more important to demonstrate to your constituents and to your colleagues that you’re there to do the work.”
And Franken’s work ethic is undeniable. His first piece of legislation, passed in October 2009, created a program to pair disabled veterans with service dogs. The bill was co-sponsored by Senator Johnny Isakson, a Republican from Georgia.
Franken has also proposed amendments to the health-care-reform bills, fought for the rights of sexual-assault victims to seek justice, and pushed developments in financial reform. He's currently pursuing legislation to reduce abuse from debt collectors.
“Al Franken is a very funny man, but he’s also deadly serious,” says Ron Krebs, an associate professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. “He asks serious questions, and he’s interested in serious answers. If only we had more men like him in the Senate.”
Still, not everyone is a fan. “He’s a good fundraising tool for us,” said Minnesota GOP chairman Tony Sutton. “[He] turned out to be the knee-jerk liberal everyone thought he would be.”
Not quite. Franken has evolved into something far more complex (and less divisive). Though still just a rookie, Franken may soon find himself on more top-politicians lists.
(Unfortunately, he didn't respond to our questions. We're trying hard to forgive him.)
The Top-10 Good Men Politicians
10) Mitch Daniels
8 ) Mark Strama
6) Jeff Flake
5) Al Franken
3) Cory Booker
2) Paul Ryan
1) Carl Levin
About the Editors
Vocalyze
I think the list would make much more sense if you explained why you included these people on the list – each individually, not as a whole – then one cold see the reasoning in it. I would like to read your response, Senator Sanders. Thank-you.
senator bernie sanders is without question the best person in our government today. i wouldn’t feel that i’m overestimating at all in saying that 99% of those in congress are corporate controlled stooges, and bernie is most certainly not. i am also surprised to not see senator russ feingold, the only senator to not vote for the patriot act – in doing so being alone in standing up for our civil liberties – in 2002.
Carl Paladino is a “Good Man”
3 times this screen has changed and lost my words——I agree w/Willl 100% read The Powell Memo
Folks, turn that anger to solving the problem. Too many of our politicians should go home.
How can we limit their terms of service to 2, but not more than 3 terms in office? This needs to be done for the good of this country.
We support their behavior by letting them stay in office. They are not entitled to a government seat for life.
Ryan is about where he belongs though #1 would be a better ranking. I see a bunch of tantrum tossing towards Ryan for his stance on gay marriage. And most of it is phony outrage because the same people give Carl Levin a pass regarding his wishy washy stance on repealing DADT. more selective outrage from the professional leftists.
Interesting that the two single politicians who prohibit the initiation of force and fraud in their politics are absent from the list. From the time of Confucius, all societies have followed this “golden rule”, (outside of government), until their governments based on force and fraud have destroyed the society, usually by murdering millions of innocent civilians in conquest or democide. Jeff Flake, one of the better people on your list, supported protectionist legislation that put non-cartel dairy farmers out of business. All the other politicians are even worse than he is. Russ Feingold, for instance, pushed through “McCain-Feingold”, legislation that has eroded the right of election candidates to speak freely, levying fines against those who do not comply with arcane financial reporting rules, eliminating competition for the incumbent politicians. Everywhere you look in politics, force and fraud rule the day.
Without recognizing that taxation is theft, this list is laughable. All politicians attempt to do good with others’ money. Without this recognition, the aims of all politicians are corrupt, because they depend on coercion.
Ron and Rand Paul are the only two federal politicians in Washington who should be on this list. Mitch Daniels might be good, although I don’t know the details of his record.
Tell me this, though, how many people here support the prohibitionism that has incarcerated 1.2 million innocent Americans? Jim Webb, Gary Johnson, Ron Paul, Rand Paul, Ed Coleman, and maybe one or two others are the only ones who seem to care about the Bill of Rights enough to oppose the insane, immense evil of prohibition.
Your list is simply not credible, and it never will be, without recognition that politics in America has grossly overstepped the Bill of Rights, and the principle of “consent of the governed” found in our Declaration of Independence. These two documents once held the ability of government coercion in check. No more. The American State’s ability to ignore the golden rule is now unlimited, the enlightenment values out country was founded on are gone.
How you missed Ron Paul, the most consistent, principled and honest politician of his era, or arguably of any era is beyond me.
Think what you will of his politics, but his candor, his respectful dialogue and his refusal to bend to the powers that be in the name of liberty are second to none.
This list is baffling in its inconsistency.
Part of being a good man is showing self-awareness, and the fortitude to live according to one’s convictions – regardless of personal difficulty. Paul Ryan fails this test.
Ryan rose to his current position thanks to the welfare state; specifically Social Security, upon which he attended college.
He advocates for the others an Ayn Rand-inspired level of self-sufficiency, the dismantling of this social safety net.
IOTW: “I got mine – f*ck you”.
This list is now painfully dated, with the revelation about Ryan’s taste in wine and drinking buddies.
I actually got excited about his website, until I saw Paul Ryan on this list. This is a joke, isn’t it? Paul Ryan? this guy doesn’t have one ounce of integrity in his whole body. Paul Ryan is, excuse my language, the biggest corporate prostitute that has ever existed. He is a complete sold out. He gets his marching orders from the Koch brothers, and those orders are all about destroying the fabric of this great nation: the middle class. Guess what, no middle class = No Democracy. How can you put someone on this list who champions tyranny? You have lost all credibility. Bernie Sanders should definitely be at the top of the list. He is the only one out there who fights for true freedom, liberty and justice for all, not just for the greedy 1%.
Also Mitch Daniel? are you high or something? but Paul Ryan beats them all in being the king of evil.
It has been cited that Mitch Daniels has saved Indiana from financial ruin. The question is, “How did he do it”? To meet his new budget, he fired thousands of state employees. This was not a “cutting of the fat”. A large percentage of the newly unemployed state workers are the ones who have dedicated 30, even 40 years to their jobs. These same people are finding it impossible to find new jobs because of their age. Even though it is illegal to not hire someone because of their age, the fact is no one is hiring 50 and 60 year old people in his economy, especially when their work experience is limited to state government. It is a tragic event for these folks. Many have had to cash in retirement plans just to keep their homes. My wife is one such case. She had over 30 years es an employee of the BMV.
I voted for Daniels twice because I am a lifelong conservative. Now, I have a very cynical view of all politicians. His policies have virtually destroyed our lives and taken a toll on our health. The stress is unbearable. I guess it is a negligible price to pay for Mr. Daniels career advancement.
For Mitch Daniels, the old saying holds true, “The ends justify the means”!
“We looked for men with integrity and intellectual honesty.
We looked for men who respect their political opponents, treat their constituents like the adults they are, and promote openness and transparency in government.”
Given the first two criteria, neither hoosier merits a spot on this list. Take it from a hoosier. You need only look at the amount that Indiana owes for it’s underfunded unemployment trust fund. It will start incurring penalties at the end of the current Daniel’s administration. Lugar has finally sold his vote to the party of NO!
I could not agree more. This man is so corporate in his views he should say he is CEO of Wisconsin.