According to the Freepers, Air America host, author and kick-ass political wit Al Franken announced that he is going to visit the troops with the USO again in January. This will be his fifth tour with USO, the last being in January of this year. Franken refers to doing the tours as a moving experience, and that the troops love seeing him. Here are some comments from an interview he did with Paula Zahn upon return from the last tour:

This is my first time in an active theater of battle. I was in Kosovo in ’99, but it was very different.

It was very moving, to see these guys who are — and women — who are in harm’s way. And also very moving to see — like on the first show we did in Kuwait, we sang “God Bless America” every night at the end of the show. And looking at the guys in the front row, I saw there was a black soldier with his arm linked with a white soldier, with a woman, and going back and — and swaying back and forth, and really, this was America to me. And thinking that, you know, the military can really teach a lot of college campuses a lot about affirmative action.

ZAHN: Can teach us all a lot of things.

FRANKEN: Yeah.

ZAHN: Let me ask you this: You’ve been highly critical of the president, as this march to war went on. What do you say to the folks who in spite of your history of doing these USO tours, found your appearance in Iraq disingenuous in some way?

FRANKEN: I don’t know anyone who has. I know that the USO invited me, and when they did, I said yes immediately. They don’t know me. I mean, I support our troops. I’m from the Vietnam generation. I didn’t serve. This is my way of serving. I tell a few jokes and leave very quickly. I was there eight days. These guys are there for nine months.

The soldiers themselves — and there are soldiers who came up to me and said, I don’t agree with anything you say politically, but I really appreciate your coming. And that, you know, then I say, well, it’s my honor. And they’d say, no, it’s my honor.

ACTION: The idea of Franken returning to Iraq is causing no end of grief for the folks in Freeperland. In fact, they plan to bombard the USO with requests to not include him on the next tour. There is a USO feedback form that they plan to use to do this freep:

USO: http://www.uso.org/pubs/8_27_216.cfm

Phone: 703-908-6400

Please go and let the USO know your support for comedy and wit and patriotism — the troops need a taste of Al Franken, especially now.

Here are some typical, ignorant Freeper comments to spur you on.

“The USO is a respected organization that does great work for the military, I believe they made an error in this case.”

“Sending Franken as part of a USO tour is like having Hanoi Jane Fonda visit the troops in Nam!!!”

“Yea well, if we can get him booted off I would be pleased, I am sick of the liberals support the troops crap, they loathe the military. I cant see any good coming from his trip, I would feel exactly the same if they booked michael moore (shudder).”

“I think it will be a great news feed when the GIs BOO him off stage”

“Are you certain this is under aegis of the USO? Maybe he’s going independently. If so, maybe he’ll get the chance to meet Zarqawi personally and convince him to lay down his arms and “Just get along”. :-)”

“I dont have a problem with liberals going over there, in some cases it may change thier point of view, Franken is such a flaming you know what that I can see him trying to start a revolt.”

Though Franklen is certainly an ass clown in the highest order, I’ll give the USO the benefit of doubt here.”

“Yeah! Jane Fonda visited the wrong troops. Hope Franken lives but it’s not at the top of my Christmas wish list.”

AND ONE VOICE OF SANITY ON THE BOARD (I can’t believe I’m saying it — Pam):

“At least he is going. I haven’t heard that Hannity or Limbaugh are putting on their boots.”