Franken Helps Writes 'SNL' Skit Spoofing McCain Taping Ads

Al Franken took some time off this week to help "Saturday Night Live" writers pen a skit that spoofed negative ads by Sen. John McCain.

Johnathan Martin and Josh Krau Shaar of Politico reported last night that two NBC sources told them that the liberal candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota phoned in a spoof of McCain recording campaign ads. SNL's head writer, Seth Meyers, actually wrote the skit, but it was Franken who came up with the original idea. A spokesman for Sen. Norm Coleman’s campaign told Politico that it was ironic that the Democrat had a hand in spoofing negative campaigning.

“Angry Al has run one of the nastiest, most negative attack campaigns in Minnesota history,” said Coleman spokesman Luke Friedrich. “Angry Al complaining about someone else’s campaign ads is about as funny as 'Saturday Night Live' will get this year.”

Franken's campaign was damaged earlier this summer when Republicans unearthed a racy Playboy article and even more when it was revealed that in 1995, his last year on the program, Franken had joked about rape while crafting one of the show’s skits.

Faced with a groundswell of criticism, Franken distanced himself from his past work as a comedian. In June, he apologized for some of his more controversial comedy routines when he accepted his party’s endorsement.

“For 35 years I was a writer. I wrote a lot of jokes. Some of them weren’t funny. Some of them weren’t appropriate. Some of them were downright offensive. I understand that. And I understand that the people of Minnesota deserve a senator who won’t say things that will make you feel uncomfortable,” Franken said in his nomination speech.