“It’s understandable that people might, at first blush, think of [writer, comedian and U.S. Senate candidate Al] Franken as the equivalent of Sen. Carrot Top–or the next Jesse Ventura, a fellow Minnesotan to whom Franken is incessantly compared. … Actually, while Franken has done lots of straight comedy, he began his career as a political satirist–a very different thing. Satire is a form of political commentary.”