Reid on Franken: ‘Extremely smart’

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) went to bat for Sen. Al Franken’s smarts on Tuesday, repeatedly emphasizing to Senate reporters that the Minnesota Democrat is actually an intellectual.

Reid said after a brief, private meeting on Monday, Franken–a former ‘Saturday Night Live’ writer and actor–had asked if there would be a podium outside Reid’s office where the two men planned to appear before reporters and photographers. Reid said ‘Yes,’ surprising Franken, who said he had assumed he would have to memorize his remarks.

“He said, ‘Well, I didn’t know, so I memorized what I was going to say,’ ” Reid said. “Al Franken is very smart. And he didn’t say that–he wasn’t boasting. He’s just making comment. He’s extremely smart. He’s Harvard-educated. He has written volumes, books. In fact, for Christmas this past year, I gave my Nevada counterpart, John Ensign, all of his books as a Christmas present. And I’m going to have him sign them for Sen. Ensign.”

–J. Taylor Rushing