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Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, Al Franken
Allen Lane
Reviewed by Mike Bowler (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

The great American culture war continues, this time with the United States' version of the left on the offensive.

Al Franken is a television writer and producer, comedian, radio host and best-selling author. And, more importantly, he's the recently reformated answer to the conservatives' domination of the American airwaves. Franken is a star of Air America Radio – a network set up especially to counter the domination of the likes of Rush Limbaugh.

Giving a hint of Franken's take-no-prisoners attitude, his previous best-selling book was called Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations.

First target this time is conservative author and columnist and liberal (in the usual bizarre American sense) bete noire Ann Coulter. Franken starts by declaring her a nutcase and then steps up his assault.

All's fair in love and politics and Coulter is obviously fair game for someone like Franken. Her books included best sellers Treason: Liberal Treachery From the Cold War to the War on Terrorism, and, Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right.

You get the flavour of it. Name calling is the big thing in US politics. Franken dissects the writings of the right's warriors, showing that many of them are, literally, liars. This should come as no surprise to any watcher of American politics but will prove unsettling for those raised on an unleavened dose of Kiwi political fare.

Lies is an easy and entertaining read and a cautionary footnote good introduction to what many New Zealanders will hear more of and from read and heard during this US election year.