SAN DIEGO - California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton isn't cursing much this weekend.
But two months after Burton's interview on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" prompted correspondent John Oliver to remark, "You curse more than a West Coast rapper," U.S. Sen. Al Franken suggested tonight that Burton's reputation is intact.
"I used to be in the entertainment business, where you can pretty much say anything you want," the Minnesota Democrat and former comedian told a dinner crowd at the California Democratic Party's annual convention in San Diego. "I have to keep reminding myself that in politics it's very different, and I've just got to keep reminding myself not to say certain things, and I want to thank John for reminding me so dramatically when he was on the 'Daily Show.'"
Franken offered an appreciative audience perhaps more red meat than at any other event so far this weekend.
Praising the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for ruling California's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, Franken said, "At one point the majority wrote that the only effect of Prop. 8 was to 'lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians.'
"To which proponents of Prop. 8 replied, 'Yeah, and?'"
Franken cast Republicans as obstructionists only interested in defeating President Barack Obama in November.
"The question is, what are we going to do about it? The answer is simple: It's time for some negative reinforcement."
He said, "If the only thing they care about is winning, the only thing we can do to change their behavior is to beat them."
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