Yeah, that's their new line. He's intense! About issues!

On a meeting with Senator Corker and his staff, who oppose Franken's anti-rape amendment:

The meeting quickly deteriorated when Franken began berating one of Corker's aides, according to GOP aides familiar with the incident. Franken's sally was so harsh that Corker told Franken to lay off his aide and direct the comments at him instead.

Nothing says "uncivil" like a passionate argument in favor of the rights of rape victims.

On Iraq and obstruction:

Another GOP staffer, an aide to a Senate Republican leader, found herself at the sharp end of Franken's wit at a recent reception in the Senate's Mansfield Room. The tongue-lashing took place at an event to celebrate the swearing-in of GOP Sen. George LeMieux (Fla.).

After the conversation began ordinarily, Franken started to grill the aide about what he sees as the failings of the GOP. Franken demanded to know why it had become the "Party of No" and had exaggerated facts in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, according to another GOP leadership aide.

The horror, those poor Senate aides.

First they called him a clown. Then they smear him as too passionate. Look, they probably just believed their own prejudices, and now they can't handle the reality that Al's actually brilliant and dedicated.

Go Al.