On Wednesday, CBS This Morning hosted Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) to discuss his opposition to the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger but co-host Charlie Rose found time to press the liberal senator to endorse the idea of more comedians running for the U.S. Senate.
After the three CBS hosts grilled the liberal senator over his opposition to the merger, Rose eagerly wondered “David Letterman is retiring. You suggested he ought to run for the Senate. Does that mean you think we need more former comedians in the Senate?”
Throughout the interview, Franken repeatedly received pushback for seeking to block the cable merger and the CBS This Morning crew actually mentioned the numerous arguments made by Comcast in support of the deal. However, once the substantive portion of the discussion concluded, Rose offered Franken a platform to further advocate for comedians running for public office.
Franken insisted that America needs more comedians in the Senate and proceeded to list off several names which included Jon Stewart and Dennis Miller.
Rose then wondered if Franken believed “we'd have a better country if we had more comedians in the Senate?” to which his guest responded “you know, sometimes students asks me how do you become a U.S. Senator? And I say do comedy for about 35 years and then run for the Senate. It works every time.”
Earlier this month, the Minnesota Democrat appeared on CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman and suggested that the liberal comedian should run for the Senate after he retires from his late night show in May.
See relevant transcript below.
CBS This Morning
April 22, 2015
CHARLIE ROSE: The Justice Department is expected to meet today with the two largest cable companies to discuss their planned merger. Bloomberg News reports government lawyers may recommend blocking the deal between Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Comcast is offering $45 billion. The merger would give it more than 30 million subscribers and 30% of the paid television market. As we have reported Minnesota Senator Al Franken is fighting the takeover. He and five colleagues sent a letter Tuesday urging the government to pull the plug. Senator Franken joins us now from Capitol Hill. Good morning.
AL FRANKEN: Good morning.
ROSE: The obvious question is why are you opposed? What's wrong with this merger?
FRANKEN: This is a merger which would create a behemoth that would be anti-competitive and not in the public interest, and that's -- DOJ, the Department of Justice, has to decide whether this is anti-competitive and it is. And the FCC has to decide whether it’s in the public's interest, which it isn’t. This is the number one cable company buying the number three cable TV company. It’s the number one internet provider buying the number three internet provider. They would have 57% of all of broadband internet. This would create one huge behemoth that has way too much power. We need more competition in this sector, not less.
ROSE: They say they need it so they can compete with people like Apple and others like Amazon who are streaming.
FRANKEN: Well, if you're talking about getting your TV -- broadband internet is the way to get your TV. People who are cutting the cord to cable, they're going to the internet. And this company would control 57% of all broadband internet in this country. What this would mean to consumers is higher prices, less choice, and if it's even possible, worse service.
GAYLE KING: But senator, senator, Comcast says that a merger will improve the video and the broadband experience for the customers because they will have twice as much video on demand as Time Warner Cable and 25% faster internet speeds. Does that do anything to sway you?
FRANKEN: No. Well, they say things and do other things all the time. And that's just the history of this. One of the reasons that DOJ and FCC are looking at this is that they haven't lived up to the conditions that were imposed on the last acquisition they made which was NBCUniversal. This will be less choice, less competition. What we need is more competition if you want higher speeds.
KING: Any conditions or concessions that would help you change your mind?
FRANKEN: No. The FCC and the Department of Justice don't have the capacity to enforce those conditions. That's been shown in the past. This is the deal -- this creates a giant company, unprecedented in size, in telecommunications. It’s just going to be bad for Minnesota consumers and for consumers nationally.
JEFF GLOR: Senator, at this point what do you think the chances are this merger goes through or doesn't go through realistically?
FRANKEN: Well, I'm not a prognosticator, but I think when it started and I was the only senator opposing this, it was considered a Fait accompli. I think now the odds are that it will be rejected.
ROSE: Can I turn to one other quick thing? David Letterman is retiring. You suggested he ought to run for the Senate. Does that mean you think we need more former comedians in the Senate?
FRANKEN: Yes. I think we need, you know, Mr. Colbert I, Mr. Franken I, Mr. Miller, no, Mr. Letterman, aye.
ROSE: You think we'd have a better country if we had more comedians in the Senate?
FRANKEN: Well, you know, sometimes students asks me how do you become a U.S. Senator? And I say do comedy for about 35 years and then run for the Senate. It works every time.
ROSE: Thank you Senator Franken.
KING: You had the last word on that. Thanks a lot.
