Just a day after Rich Lowry, editor of the conservative National Review, gave a talk on campus he called “The Benign Superpower: In Defense of President Bush’s War on Terror,” best-selling liberal author and political comedian Al Franken aired his nationally syndicated Al Franken Show live from IC on April 26, interviewing local politicians including Ithaca mayor Carolyn Peterson.

Both visits were sponsored by the Park School; the Franken visit was cosponsored by Progressive Talk Radio 1470–WNYY.

Lowry joined National Review, a magazine founded by William F. Buckley, in 1992, and was named the magazine’s editor in 1997. He is author of the book Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years, a scathing portrayal of the Clinton administration. He writes a syndicated column for King Features and is a commentator for Fox News.

	Photo by Miles B. Norman Al Franken with IC students during his visit

Best known as one of the original writers for NBC’s Saturday Night Live, Franken has won five Emmys and two Grammy Awards. Five of his books have made the New York Times bestseller list, including Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. He has served as a fellow with Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, made two USO tours entertaining troops in Iraq, and is considering running for political office in Minnesota, where he grew up. Listen to the show online at www.airamericaradio.com.