Rick Perry laughs while talking to Al Franken: “May I rephrase that, sir…I think we found our Saturday Night Live soundbite.” pic.twitter.com/Daj6k7SZTt
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 19, 2017
Aside from his fellow U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Minnesota’s Al Franken has justified his congressional reputation as a blunt inquisitor during his appearances at the confirmation hearings for Donald Trump’s cabinet picks. Yet the former Saturday Night Live writer turned elected official was surprised by none other than Rick Perry, the ex-Texas governor who’s slated to become the president-elect’s Energy secretary, when the latter made a rather awkward comment about the senator’s office couch.
“Governor, thank you so much for coming into my office,” Franken began by way of introduction. “Did you enjoy meeting me?” The question drew plenty of laughs from the room, but it was Perry’s response that seemingly broke his questioner and the crowd: “I hope you are as much fun on that dais as you were on your couch.”
Wait, what?
A smiling Perry offered to rephrase his comment, to which Franken exclaimed, “Please! Oh my lord.” The former Texas governor then collapsed into a momentary laughing fit while a good humored, yet bemused Franken eventually said, “Let’s move on.” The conversation that followed was nothing like the contentious barbs that Franken shared with Trump appointee Tom Price on Wednesday, but at least — as Perry quipped — “we found our Saturday Night Live soundbite.”
(Via ABC News)