WASHINGTON, D.C. – Critics on the right and left are calling for C-SPAN to apologize after one of its production crew members wrongly configured Senator Al Franken’s identification bar during a broadcast, leading to heaps of butthurt.
The incident occurred late Sunday evening, when Franken was on the network’s panel to discuss his support for immigration reform. When the identification bar materialized on-screen, it listed him with the title of “Al Franken D-Moron,” rather than the appropriate title of Minnesota.
Senator John McCain was among the first to react, saying “This is quite shameful. The fundamentals of our public television are not strong.”
Speaking in India, Vice President Joe Biden on the other hand offered a strong attack on C-SPAN’s broadcast, only to confuse his remarks with those meant for a popular safari tour. What came out was “I am a pachyderm.”
Franken’s staff told members of the press that the senator is still in therapy over the humiliation, which he considers worse than being photographed in adult-sized diapers while clutching a stuffed bear. In order to alleviate the pressure, he is weighing the possibility of returning to the Senate disguised as Stuart Smalley so the shame blows over.
Asked by reporters whether he will join in condemning Brian Lamb’s nefarious network for its disrespect of Franken, Bill O’Reilly replied: “We’ll do it live.”