Al Franken proves that you have to be really smart to be really funny.

[Demoiselle]

He was really funny for years. And NOW, he's laying waste to all those bozos in Washington with perfect pointed questions …You GO, AL !!!!!!!!!!

[Wounded Bear]

1. Something I've thought for a long, long time...

the best comedians are pretty quick on the uptake.

[madokie]

3. I agree, one has to be smart

to be a good comedian

[milestogo]

4. Steve Martin is also brilliant and funny.

As was Robin Williams.

[Demoiselle]

10. Oh yes, Robin Williamsso sad!

I wish we could all have convinced him to stay with us a little longer.

[GeoWilliam750]

6. One of the simple rules in life...

Never get into an argument with a comedian (or comedienne). You will lose, badly

[NurseJackie]

2. He's perfect for deliving the Democratic Party's message. He makes me PROUD to be a Democrat!!

[Binkie The Clown]

5. I saw "Franken and Davis" at an improv club in L.A. back in the 1960s.

He was so amazingly quick on the draw adapting like lightning to anything they threw at him. Of all the many comedians I saw back then, he was the one that made the most lasting impression on me.

It also helps that he graduated with honors from Harvard majoring in government, so he knows what the hell he's talking about.

[shenmue]

7. Yes

[Noodleboy13]

8. Comedy is hard work

It's a craft like any other, it takes work and practice. You have to be bright, creative and daring. It's not just saying "that's what she said." to everything (unless that's the schtick; you just say the same catch phrase ad nauseum). From the comedians I know personally, and from what I know of famous comedians, they are almost all extremely smart but often suffer form some form of depressive illness.
I've long been a Franken supporter. The man is thoughtful, knowledgeable and genuinely works for the people of Minnesota. I am glad that he has kept a fairly low profile in Congress, working on policy and legislation rather than contributing to the current twitter snark that has become political discourse. That would have been easy.
Now that he is more established, and has achieved a reputation as a hard working, fairly bi-partisan senator, I think he may feel that he can loosen the leash a bit. Personally, I would not want to be on the receiving end of his acerbic tongue and razor wit. He's dealt with drunken hecklers and Lorne Michaels; Paul Ryan and company don't stand a chance.

peace
Noodleboy

[milestogo]

9. Vintage Al Franken