Franken, Al (1951—)

Al Franken is a political commentator, writer, performer, and radio host who is well known for his support of liberal ideologies. Born Alan Stuart Franken in New York City, Franken was raised in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and graduated cum laude from Harvard in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts in government. While engaging political and social issues as one of the original writers of the sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live (in which he also performed) and the shortlived NBC comedy series Lateline, some of his most discussed political works include his comedy-laced writings and public statements.

Franken has written five bestselling books, with three of them hitting number one on The New York Times bestseller list. Fox News sued Franken over the title of ...